Planning the Perfect Surprise Proposal Abroad: a Step by Step Guide to a Destination Engagement

Why You Should Propose at the Beginning of Your Trip:

When planning a surprise proposal abroad, I always recommend popping the question at the beginning of the trip. Proposing in the first half of your holiday - whether you’re traveling around Europe or staying put in one spot - allows you to enjoy the majority of the trip with the energy and excitement that comes with being a newly engaged couple.

Not to mention, your future fiancé will be so grateful that her manicure, spray tan, blowout and any other beauty primping she has done for the trip, are still fresh and intact if you ask her to marry you at the beginning of your travels.

Hiring a Local Photographer or Planner to Help Organize your Proposal

Once you’ve nailed down a date or two that would work, I highly recommend finding a local photographer or event planner who knows the area very well. They can help you find a location that is stunning without being an overcrowded tourist trap. The perks of going with a photographer is that you’ll get planning and photos rolled into one. Your fiancé will forever appreciate that you arranged a professional photographer to discreetly document this moment. Choosing to spend the rest of your life with someone in a breathtaking place on a once in a lifetime trip deserves gorgeous photos to memorialize the moment!

Book a Call to Share your Engagement Vision with Your Planner or Photographer

It’s important that you feel you can trust the person helping you plan this special day. I highly recommend getting on a call with them so that you can ensure your vision has been communicated and understood. Undertaking a surprise like this can feel like a big investment of your energy and money so make sure you choose someone who appreciates how noteworthy this moment is.

How I Help my Clients Propose in Zermatt, Switzerland

When I work with clients on planning their proposals in Zermatt, Switzerland, we start out with a video call to discuss their vision! Do you want to be in the snow on the mountain? The woods? The Village? What do you want as the backdrop - the Matterhorn? Would you like me to acquire a fresh flower arrangement of her favorites? How about champagne on-site as a romantic gesture? I can help build an itinerary for a full day that you’ll both never forget. I’ll even tell you how to position yourself when you get down on one knee for the best pictures!

One of my favorite scenarios is a private helicopter ride for the couple around the Matterhorn, landing in the Alps for the proposal, with a romantic dinner in the village to celebrate. All of these dreamy details can be hard to execute without someone who knows the city there to help you. I plan not only the location but all of the events surrounding the moment so that the entire day, and the photos that document it, are flawless.

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The Logistics of a Surprise Proposal Abroad

Most importantly - a professional photographer or planner can help with the headache of logistics in a foreign city! For example, Zermatt is a car-less city that depends on walking, hired taxis and trains. When proposing in the mountains, you will need to take cable cars. I help my clients navigate to their ideal spot for a perfect engagement.  

For anyone who travels a lot, you know that as much as you prepare, unforeseen events can always throw off your plans. That’s why I recommend having a plan B that you are happy with! Here in Zermatt, the weather can often shut down lifts, cable cars and trains. If fog, clouds or snow roll in, it may change the entire landscape you had previously chosen as the perfect spot. Rather than forcing a spot that is not ideal or safe, choose a plan B that you are happy with that will always be accessible. Either that or build in the time to remain flexible! Clouds can clear, road and trail closures can open, and having that flexibility to push timing by a few hours can mean the difference between your perfect proposal or settling for plan B.

No matter where or how you choose to pop the question, getting engaged will forever be one of the happiest moments of both of your lives together. Why not take the extra effort to make this unforgettable memory as beautiful as possible? You won’t regret it!