Woman poses for pictures without realizing the photographer's about to capture her proposal

A surprise proposal is when one partner unexpectedly pops the question in a really romantic way. It's super exciting and a bit nerve-wracking, but it's all about showing how much they love and are committed to each other. Photographer Nick Laferriere (@banff_photography) documented a surprise proposal that went viral on TikTok, gathering over 3.8 million views. Speaking to Upworthy, Nick revealed that Neal reached out to him because he wanted a professional photographer as he planned to propose to his partner in the scenic Canadian Rockies.

Originally, Neal only planned to find a spot to propose to his partner, but at the last minute, they decided to spruce up the surprise. "Last minute, we decided it would be great if his family member who was with him would ask me to take a photo. I looked like a tourist just taking photos of the mountains, which is quite common," Nick explained.

He is known across Canada for preserving timeless moments through his photography and even instructed Neal to do the proposal at Lake Louise, on the frozen lake. In his TikTok video, Nick can be seen just taking pictures of the beautiful surroundings of Lake Louise, when the designated family member walks up to him. She requests him to take a couple of pictures of them as per the plan.

Nick plays along well and even says, "You picked the right guy. I have got my camera and everything." He takes a couple of group photographs and then singles out the couple, saying, "I can take a couple of different variations. I have time to kill." He instructs the couple to look at each other for a photograph and then asks them if he can take an "artsy" photo of them.

Neal and his now-fianceé agree and he asks them to turn their backs on each other and step away. At this exact moment, Neal turns back towards his partner and goes down on his knees with a ring in his hand. She turns back and is absolutely surprised to see and comprehend what is actually happening. Neal captures every moment between the couple while Neal says, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She said yes and complimented everyone for carrying out the surprise plan so well. The comments section of his video is filled with people applauding his photography and how well the proposal was carried out. TikTok user @krskur commented, "Not only was she caught off-guard but so was everyone on TikTok, that was so good!" Another person @pbredahl said, "These photos are amazing! Congrats to the newly engaged."

Nick was overwhelmed by the response to the video: "The response from the online community has been positive and reinforced the notion that love and positivity reciprocates and this moment between these two have had a positive impact on viewers around the world."

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 7, 2023. It has since been updated.