Chicago proposal
surprise
Capturing your Chicago surprise proposal
The most beautiful way!
Planning a marriage proposal in Chicago?
THIS MOMENT ISN'T JUST THE
ASK & GRAB SOME PHOTOs
- Its the entire
Experience!
Hello my name is Bozena and I love capturing marriage proposals and proposal photography! Whether you’re proposing at North Avenue Beach or popping the question at the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory or in a Millennium Park. Having a proposal photographer is a must! I’ll help you pick your perfect location, and plot and plan your Chicago marriage proposal, complete with a convincing white lie to get your future spouse to said location! Not only will they be surprised when you pop the questions, they’ll be even more surprised—and touched—that you thought to have your marriage proposals professionally documented!
- I have been a wedding photographer for almost 7 years.
- I love creating beautiful images, but more than that I love serving my couples and their families on one of the best days of their lives!
I can't wait to meet you and capture romantic engagement photos for you two! :)
xoxo,
Bozena Voytko
Hello my name is Bozena and I believe getting to know my clients is the best way to have an incredible experience, I'd love to take this time to share a little bit about myself so you can get to know me as well!
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learn more about chicago wedding photographer Bozena Voytko here...
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Most Romantic Chicago Proposal Locations
Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
Chinatown's Ping Tom Park
North Avenue Beach
London House Cupola
Lincoln Park Conservatory
Navy Pier's Centennial Wheel
The Signature Room in the John Hancock Center
Cloud Gate, aka “The Bean” in Millennium Park
Wrigley Field
Buckingham Fountain at Night in Millennium Park
Art Institute Gardens
Shedd Aquarium
Adler Planetarium
Museum of Contemporary Art
Maggie Daley Park
Olive Park
University of Chicago
"Our number one tip for planning a proposal is always to put thought into it.
A rushed proposal leads to disappointment and unmet expectations on both ends,
so even though the proposer may be so excited they can hardly wait,
it's best to hold off until a plan can be put in place."
"Our number one tip for planning a proposal is always to put thought into it. A rushed proposal leads to disappointment and unmet expectations on both ends, so even though the proposer may be so excited they can hardly wait, it's best to hold off until a plan can be put in place."
You must be so close to asking the love of your life to marry you.
I am so excited for you and I hope that you'll find all the answers you need in here.
I’ll go over choosing the time + day, location, hiring a photographer and so much more.
Let’s dive right in!
I am so excited for you and I hope that you'll find all the answers you need in here. I’ll go over choosing the time + day, location, hiring a photographer and so much more.
Let’s dive right in!
Proposal in Chicago
Take a hike together
Propose at a famous spectacular location
Take a walk down the beach at sunset
Stage a scavenger hunt
Take an art class together
Photoshoot marriage proposal
Have your partner read through a book before a proposal
Create a milestone movie, book or album of your relationship
Set up a picnic
In the snow
On the beach
Recreate Your First Date or best date
Write Your Marriage Proposal in the Sand
Hire a Band: Serenade during dinner
Pop the question When You're Doing Something You Both Love
On a Helicopter Ride
On the Chicago River or Lake Michigan ride
Take them to the place they love
Display memories
Propose at the rooftop
Present yourself in a box
Make movie of greetings from her family and friends, have her watch it
Take her to the wedding venue to a party (no party just you and a diamond) ring
THE MOST ROMANTIC PROPOSAL ideas
Chicago is this kind of the city that everybody can find this special place for themselves.
There is all the big-city attractions that make perfect to go locations for a proposal,
but also has some hidden spots,
where you can feel away from the hustle of city life.
Where your Chicago Wedding Photographer will capture your perfect marriage proposal.
Which you and your significant other.
You will cherish those images for years to come.
Chicago is this kind of the city that everybody can find this special place for themselves. There is all the big-city attractions that make perfect to go locations for a proposal, but also has some hidden spots, where you can feel away from the hustle of city life. Where your Chicago Wedding Photographer will capture your perfect marriage proposal. Which you and your significant other. You will cherish those images for years to come.
Having your proposal photographed is one of the
sweetest and most thoughtful SURPRISES
to consider when planning to pop the question.
It’s your love story, and this moment should reflect your relationship, memories, and her favorite things.
Let’s make it all about you two!
Marriage proposals are one of those nerve wracking, sweet - inducing, blissful moments that you want to remember forever. Having your proposal photographed is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful SURPRISES to consider when planning to pop the question.
CONTACT ME NOW!
plannig tips How to propose?
1. Be thoughtful
This story is going to be told a lot. Like over and over. So you need to make sure that it will be worth telling. It doesn’t need to be crazy wild. Just showing that you put some thought into it. It will be one of your favorite moments as a couple to tell. You will be sharing it with your children and grandchildren. Make sure you both will love to talk about it.
2. start right with the family
You are going to become family. Not only with your partner but with their parents and siblings as well. You will build a strong foundation by inviting them to be your new family. Even if they are not that traditional it will show that you respect them by asking their permission first. It will show that you care about their feelings too. It will start your engagement off on a good foot.
3. Pick the Ring
You've probably already picked up an engagement ring if you are planning on proposing to your partner. If you haven’t picked an engagement ring that your partner will love, now is the time. You are probably wondering what kind of engagement ring they would like. Try to remember if there was a time when they might have dropped a hint about the proposal idea once or twice. If you can’t recall anything, you might go for a date or a shopping trip to the local mall and by accident wander into the jewelry store. You can subtly ask “See anything you like?” If it didn’t work. I am sure that person working at the jewelry store will be able to help you pick the one that your partner will love. You can always play it safe and get a dummy ring - latest trend. It’s like a token engagement ring. Once they’ve said yes, you will go engagement ring sopping together.
4. CHOOSE THE DAY
You need to decide when will be the day you want to propose. This day will be one of the most important dates in your relationship and forever a special one. It is the day when you went from boyfriend/girlfriend to future spouse. If your partner loves tradition you can choose one of the classics like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or New Years. During this time the romantic aura won’t let you go wrong. However, if you think that your partner would prefer something more unique proposal idea, you can go with the day you met or on the anniversary of the day you met or their birthday. If you chose a day which is completely random they’ll be less likely to see it coming!
5. PICK A LOCATION
The amazing thing about planning a Chicagoland proposal is that there are so many amazing places to pop the question. You can go somewhere sentimental, like where you went on your first date, had a first kiss or where you asked them to be your girlfriend/boyfriend or your favorite date spot. You could even do it in your own living room. Backyard is a great proposal idea also, if that’s how you two roll. However, if you want to really wow them you can propose at one of Chicago’s classic proposal spots with a view of the amazing skyline. In the next tab I have made an extensive list of most popular Chicago engagement locations.
6. HIRE CHICAGO PROPOSAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Proposing to your soon to be spouse creates an incredible emotional reaction for both of you. Whether they were expecting it or not they will be super excited. This moment will go so fast for both of you with nervousness and surprise. Your significant other will be so happy when they realize that you had a professional photographer capture it all for you. So you can look back and relive this moment for the rest of your lives together. You can also share the news with your friends and family on social media with a beautiful image. After they say yes you can start creating same day engagement session photos too!
When Hiring a Photographer:
All you’ll really need is one hour session so the photographer can capture the grand moment of you proposing to your love. It might cost you approximately $400. I would recommend that you do your research and make sure that you hire a proposal photographer who is experienced and has photographed marriage proposals before. You also want to make sure that they have telephoto zoom lenses that will allow them to capture the action. Even if they are hiding across the street in the bushes.
What You’ll Need to Provide:
It's a good idea to provide your proposal photographer with a your and your partner's selfie. Most likely you won’t be meeting the photographer in person before the shoot. That’s why you might want to make sure that they know who you are when they see you. Provide your Chicago proposal photographer with your phone number so you can message and keep in contact on the day of. To make sure that they’re on the spot waiting for a big moment to happen. When you have picked your Chicagoland proposal location you want to tell them the exact spot where you’ll be planting the knee. Remember you want to be positioned in a way that your proposal photographer can capture both of your faces!
Don’t Forget Your Permits
Cover your bases by acquiring photography and other setups permits needed. Most of the City of Chicago famous proposal places require photo permits. Try to find a location that you can actually rent
7. TIME OF DAY
Absolutely nothing sets a romantic mood like a sunrise or a sunset. Take into the consideration what time of day you would like to propose. In order to ensure that the light is flattering for pictures. So you can grab the “Just engaged” session afterwards. With every season of the year comes different sunset times. Below I have listed the best times of day for a proposal based on my experience as a Chicago proposal photographer. You’ll want at least an hour of sunlight for your photography engagement session.
Perfect Times to Propose:
3 pm go time as sunset is around 5 pm
3.30 pm go time as sunset is around 5.30 pm
(before time shift) 4 pm go time as sunset is around 6 pm (after the time shift) 5 pm go time as sunset is around 7 pm
5.30 pm go time as sunset is around 7.30 pm
6 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8.00 pm
6.30 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8.30 pm
6.30 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8.30 pm
6 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8 pm
5 pm go time as sunset is around 7 pm
4 pm go time as sunset is around 6 pm
(before time shift) 3pm go time as sunset is around 5.30 pm (after the time shift) 2.30pm go time as sunset is around 4.30pm
2 pm go time as sunset is around 4 pm
JANUARY:
FEBRUARY:
MARCH:
APRIL:
MAY:
JUNE:
JULY:
AUGUST:
SEPTEMBER:
OCTOPBER:
NOVEMBER:
DECEMBER:
Perfect Times to Propose:
January:
FEBRUARY:
MARCH:
APRIL:
MAY:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November
December:
3 pm go time as sunset is around 5 pm
3.30 pm go time as sunset is around 5.30 pm
(before time shift) 4 pm go time as sunset is around 6 pm (after the time shift) 5 pm go time as sunset is around 7 pm
5.30 pm go time as sunset is around 7.30 pm
6 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8.00 pm
6.30 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8.30 pm
6.30 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8.30 pm
6 pm pm go time as sunset is around 8 pm
5 pm go time as sunset is around 7 pm
4 pm go time as sunset is around 6 pm
(before time shift) 3pm go time as sunset is around 5.30 pm (after the time shift) 2.30pm go time as sunset is around 4.30pm
2 pm go time as sunset is around 4 pm
8. MAKE AN EXCUSE
Why EXACTLY you need to be at this place at this time? You might want to come up with the best excuse you can. Unless you are going to propose at a location that you two are regular visitors. Keep in mind that they might be on the lookout for the signs of you proposing. I would say that women have a special sixth sense for this kind of thing. Maybe tell them that you want to check out this new fancy restaurant and that you are going on a fancy dinner date so they should dress up. Try to come up with a plan so they don't suspect anything.
9. FIND THE RIGHT WORDS
When the day approaches, take into the consideration all the sweet words you would like to say to your loved one right before you ask “Will you marry me?” Tell them how much they mean to you! What are the things that you love about them? When did you realize that they were the one? What excites you about your future life together?
10. PLAN A DINNER
Once your girlfriend/boyfriend says “Yes” you can celebrate with a dinner or a dessert. You both deserve a little together time after all the planning and pictures. They might want to know more of the planning story like, how long have you had the ring or who else knows about their plans of proposing. How did you manage to put everything together without them knowing or suspecting anything.
11. INVITE CLOSE FRIENDS + FAMILY
To put a cherry on the top of an already amazing night you can invite your friends and family to celebrate with you and have your partner even more surprised when you walk into the surprise engagement party.
12. HIRE A CHICAGO PROPOSAL PLANNER
If you would like to take your proposal to the next level with décor and romantic ideas, hire a Chicago Proposal Planner! Yes, there are pros who are doing only this. They will plan everything for you until the last detail. Just give them some details about your relationship and they will create something spectacular. Your job will be to show up at the right place at right time with your partner.
13. YOU’LL PROBABLY BE LATE
It might look suspicious that you want your partner out of the door at an exact time, that’s why I recommend that you don’t drive that night so you don’t have to waste time to find parking. You can take a taxi or Uber. This will allow you to maximize the sunlight with your Chicago proposal photographer.
14. JUST SAY "YES" - TIPS FOR THE BIG DAY
Make Sure You’re on the Same Page
Chat With Their Parents
Try to act normal
Hide the ring in one of your socks
Speak from the heart
Put the ring on their left hand
Take a deep breath
Plan your own outfit
15. give her 101 list of reasons why you love her
To make the list should be pretty easy. The other part of the challenge for her will be to read it out loud. This simple, yet challenging task practice will put more love, appreciation and acknowledgment into your relationship.
Freezing this moment captured in time on the photographs is a unique way to document this unique and special moment for the two of you. It will be a reminder of this happy moment of the time when your spouse said “yes” for the rest of your lives.
You can use your beautifully captured proposal images to inform your family and friends about your new marital status all over the social media platforms. You will be able to share this celebration with them this way.
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it's all about your story!
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Bozena Voytko Chicago proposal & wedding photographer
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Est. 2013 | © 2020 Bozena Voytko Photography
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Est. 2013 | © 2022 Bozena Voytko Photography | Chicago + Suburbs + Illinois + Wisconsin
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