Little did Melanie know, Craig had been secretly consulting with Paparazzi Proposals’ engagement experts on how to plan and discreetly capture the picture-perfect New York marriage proposal at the Rockefeller Center ice rink, just in time for Christmas!

A few minutes after they took to the ice, he took a knee! While Craig may have been a little unsteady on his skates, his marriage proposal was super smooth, and Melanie was completely and totally surprised! Our New York proposal photographer discreetly captured Melanie’s incredible reaction, without her knowing he was there.

Paparazzi Proposals has helped countless couples visiting New York remember their big day, and has also shot engagements abroad for couples traveling to London, Paris, Madrid and beyond!  We’re ready to help you plan and capture yours.

We caught up with the charming British duo for the love story behind their winter-wonderland NYC engagement!  Read on for some amazing engagement inspiration.

The Marriage Proposal Idea:

The Starting Point: England

The Destination: New York City

Craig: I proposed here as it is an iconic place which features my favorite movie, Home Alone, and as it’s Christmas there is no better place than under the Rockefeller Christmas tree, even though I can’t ice skate very well and was terrified I would slip whilst getting down on one knee!

How They Met:

Craig: It was the 15th of March 2014 when we met. I was at the gym and happened to bump into an old friend I hadn’t seen for years. We got to talking and he told me he was going on a night out for a coworkers birthday, and asked me if I wanted to come along. The girl who’s birthday party it was happened to be Melanie, my fiancé. She seemed very fun, outgoing, and was easy to get on with.

Melanie: It was love at first sight to be honest. I saw his piercing blue eyes and cheeky smile. We started talking and I really fell in love with his sense of humour.

How They Knew:

Craig: I’m a huge West Ham football fan. For our second date, she surprised me with tickets to see them play!

Melanie: I knew he was the one as we were such similar people, and it seemed like we were just best friends who knew each other our whole lives. 

That Engagement Ring!:

Craig picked out the perfect engagement ring for Melanie at Beaverbrooks in England.

Craig and Melanie aren’t the only couple traveling to pop the question. Destination marriage proposals are a rising engagement trend, as reported by The Knot. More and more couples are choosing to make a special vacation even more romantic by popping the question, and making sure it’s all beautifully photographed to share with friends and family back home!

Be sure to check out our post on what you need to know if you plan to travel for your engagement.  And if you’ve already got your heart set on a destination marriage proposal, make sure your engagement abroad is captured by the experts!  Contact us to find out how you can have your own destination marriage proposal discreetly captured with surprise proposal photography!

The post Destination Marriage Proposal Photography | New York City appeared first on Paparazzi Proposals.

She thought they were just going for a fun and festive ice skating date in Rockefeller Center, and was completely surprised when after skating around the rink a few times, he slowed to a stop in front of the Rockefeller tree, took a knee, and proposed!   With a small crowd of friendly onlookers cheering them on, she said, “Yes!” Watch their incredible proposal unfold by viewing their full proposal slideshow.

And if you’re looking for some more NYC holiday engagement inspiration, be sure to check out another recent Rockefeller Christmas proposal (and incredible love story!) and to visit our New York Proposal Ideas board on Pinterest!  If you’ve got some initial ideas in mind and want to run them past an expert, contact us for a free consultation.

For some heartwarming holiday magic, read on to learn how the couple met and fell in love!

How They Met:

In the summer of 2011, Jerome and his special someone were both attending a career development workshop for postgraduates in Trinidad, when they caught each other’s eye.  Jerome introduced himself, and the pair spent the rest of the workshop just talking with each other. Jerome was instantly drawn to her infectious smile, and she was intrigued by his sense of humor, which kept her laughing the whole afternoon!

How They Knew:

Though they were both cautious about falling in love quickly, it was apparent very early on that they shared something special.  Jerome says a few months in he could easily envision their future together, and knew he had found The One!

The New York Marriage Proposal Plan:

Jerome wanted to plan out the absolutely perfect proposal, and set about to finding the right location.  After chatting with one of our proposal experts, he decided that Rockefeller Center was the perfect place to pop the question, for its very Christmassy atmosphere and magical view of the Rockefeller tree!

Jerome added humorously, “The added challenge of it being on the ice for the first time and pulling it all off without falling on my face was something she appreciated greatly!” 

A holiday miracle, perhaps?  Either way, after safely circling the ring several times, he proposed with a truly stunning ring from Paul’s Jewelers in Lafayette, Louisiana, while our sneaky snapper captured it all on camera! 

Planning and capturing the nation’s most creative marriage proposals is what we do.  Want to know what inspired our unique brand of secret proposal photography?  Read up on us, here.  We can’t wait to help you pull off your dream engagement!

The post New York Marriage Proposal Ideas: Rockefeller Ice Skating Proposal appeared first on Paparazzi Proposals.

Want to plan your own dream NYC scavenger hunt engagement and have it discreetly captured with hidden proposal photography?  Give us a call at 888-287-5120, or fill out the form below for a free consultation with one of our proposal experts!  

We offer easy-to-book proposal plans and customizable NYC proposal photography packages.  From initial New York proposal ideas to thorough logistics, we’re here to help you plan your perfect New York proposal!  And if you’d like to plan your scavenger hunt proposal outside of NYC, it’s no problem. We offer our services in every major city nationwide, so no matter where you want to pop the question, we’re here to help!

In the meantime, read on to find out the love story that inspired Rob’s sweet New York scavenger hunt marriage proposal!

How They Met:

Rob and Steph met on July 20, 2012 at a mutual friend’s birthday cruise of the New York City harbor, featuring the musical stylings of Billy Joel cover band Big Shot.

Though their stories differ slightly, they both agree that after Steph asked their mutual friend who on the cruise was single, he turned around and pointed out Rob and quickly introduced the pair. They immediately hit it off, bonding over a shared love of Billy Joel and spending the rest of the night talking, laughing, singing and dancing together. As the evening was coming to a close, Rob snapped a great photo of the New York City skyline and smoothly asked “What’s your phone number?  I’ll send it to you.”

Rob was drawn in by her fun personality and how easily they got along, and Steph was equally impressed by his rendition of “We Didn’t Start The Fire” and the smooth way he got her phone number, which she says she still can’t believe she fell for!  And what about the photo that started it all?

“That picture is now framed in our apartment, and makes for a great conversation, as well as a milestone of when we met!”  Rob revealed.

How They Knew:

They both knew they had found The One when Hurricane Sandy hit in October of that year.  Both of their apartments had no power, so they waited out the storm at Rob’s place.

“We spent five consecutive days together with no technology or hot water,” said Rob.  “Our only entertainment was each other and a bottle of red wine.  If we could get through those crazy few days together and still want to see each other, we felt pretty good about moving forward!” 

Planning the Perfect New York Scavenger Hunt Surprise Proposal:

Fast forward three years later, and Rob was thinking of how he could incorporate all the memories of the times they shared together into one incredible marriage proposal.  He decided an NYC scavenger hunt proposal would be the perfect way to pop the question.  He contacted Paparazzi Proposals to discuss his New York scavenger hunt surprise proposal idea, and we helped him work out the logistics and to make sure the whole day was beautifully documented with secret proposal photography!

Steph reads the first clue after leaving their apartment. She had no idea that our photographer was discreetly capturing the whole scavenger hunt!

Once he drafted up his proposal plan, he ran it past Steph’s mom, to make sure it included everything she’d want in a dream engagement (how sweet!).  Then, he reached out to her boss and arranged for her to have the day off work.  On Friday morning, she woke up to a clue directing her to their favorite breakfast spot, a neighborhood bagel cafe.  Our sneaky snapper trailed her paparazzi-style to capture her heading to each location on the treasure hunt!

Reading the second clue outside of their favorite breakfast spot.

Once there, she received her second clue.  The clues lead her through their favorite date spots, and places where they celebrated milestones in their relationship.

Heading to Dry Bar after a stop at the apartment to quickly change.

Rob knew she’d want to be glammed up for her engagement photos, so he incorporated a mani-pedi, a professional makeup artist and a blowout at Dry Bar into the scavenger hunt!

A black car picked Steph up from the salon and whisked her to the West Side Highway, at Circle 84, right near Circle Cruise Lines— the cruise where they first met.

As she walked towards him, he dropped to one knee and pulled a velvet box from his back pocket, opening it to reveal a sparkling engagement ring from Diamond Castle.  Completely overjoyed, Steph said, “Yes!!!”

And the surprises didn’t stop there! Rob had invited all of their friends and family to wait nearby at Landsdowne Road, the bar where they had shared their first date, for an impromptu engagement party!  Rob rented our New York wedding proposal photographer with our special proposal photography package and was able to capture the whole incredible day with stunning professional photography.

See more gorgeous NYC wedding proposal photography photos in the couple’s full proposal slideshow!  

And, if you’re ready to get started planning your own romantic scavenger hunt marriage proposal, don’t forget to contact us to run your initial ideas past one of our proposal experts!

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