Boyfriend booked photographer-girlfriend for Yosemite event under an alias. She arrived to find him on one knee

A man convinced his wedding photographer girlfriend to squeeze in a last-minute client, only for her to discover the "proposal" was meant for her. Priscilla Banuelos, known as @priscillabanphoto on Instagram, posted a video on May 13, in which she shared how her boyfriend, Seth James, pulled off the elaborate plan. The clip has since gone viral with 4.4 million views and more than 428,000 likes. Banuelos explained that when she first got the call, she wasn’t sure she could take it on. Her schedule was already packed, and she admitted, "I’ll see. I’m super overwhelmed already."

James encouraged her, suggesting, "Just charge him double and do it this Thursday, babe." He even offered to tag along so she wouldn’t have to drive alone. That was what finally convinced her. After a flurry of emails, texts, and planning, with the "client," Banuelos showed up expecting to capture someone else’s big moment. But when she reached the spot, there was no sign of the client. She scanned the field and asked nervously, "He’s running late?? Do you see him?" That’s when James walked toward her and said, "You don’t have a client today." Then he dropped to one knee right there in the field and pulled out a ring, turning the setup into the biggest surprise of her life.

In the caption, Banuelos shared her excitement and joy as she wrote, "STILL not over the fact that I’m engaged!!! Like… what is life?! After over 10 years of shooting weddings and planning proposals for the sweetest humans, I truly never thought I’d be the one in front of the camera living this moment. But here we are, and James planned it so perfectly, I’m still in shockkkk. The planner in me was genuinely impressed lol. Sharing a little glimpse of the best surprise ever eeeekk!" She later followed up with a post on July 7 with an update that she got married, and also shared on July 9 that they are expecting a baby. 

What made this proposal stand out wasn’t just the surprise but the way Seth built it around what he knew mattered most to her. That's the sign of a strong partnership, and research backs up just how powerful that kind of understanding can be. A 2024 study titled "Feeling Known Predicts Relationship Satisfaction" found that people in romantic relationships report higher satisfaction when they feel their partner truly understands them. Seth’s choice to design the proposal around Priscilla’s profession is exactly the kind of gesture that shows not only love but deep knowledge of who she is and what brings her joy.

People who saw the video loved how much thought went into the setup. @thelizzyo commented, "The way I thought he was the photographer at first, then came to comments and realized you (girl) was the photographer, and he basically had this whole thing hinged on you being willing to take the job, and he had an old friend call and pay you double. I mean, my brain went through a lot, and I’m so happy for strangers." @faith_ashmore97 wrote, "I love how this hinged on the fact she would volunteer to come with you, and she did!"

@nannerpuddin added, "I’m late to this, but I also really like that your fiancé knew that paying you double wouldn’t be the thing that really got you; what got you was wanting to come through for what you thought was a person who wanted their moment to be perfect. Double pay was a bonus, but what made your decision was feeling bad for the 'customer' and wanting to help him out. Your fiancé knows you’re a nice person." @fazzer_ink said, "Ahh, I love how he turned your passion for shooting everyone's special moments around to you shooting your own — well played, sir."

You can follow Priscilla Banuelos (@priscillabanphoto) on Instagram for more photography and lifestyle content.

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