Hever Castle LGBTQ+ Proposal
Surprise Proposal at a Castle in Kent
Engagement photography holds a special place in my heart and this queer proposal at the Hever Castle near Sevenoaks, Kent has really set the bar. Historical setting, beautiful gardens, so much love to capture.
L reached out to me as I do many surprise proposals across Kent and London, and we immediately clicked! She planned to book a room on the grounds of Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Good thing they were guests too, but we’ll get to that. We had a bit of back and forth with the date as despite it being the hottest summer yet, there was supposed to be rain on the day we initially planned. So we ended up bringing it forward a few days and I had just one day before the weekend to get in touch with the venue to double check permissions for after hours.
Then we nearly had to switch all of our plans! Typically if you just visit the castle and the gardens you may need to pay a special photographer’s fee, which is what I was told initially. And a hefty fee at that. So me and L started thinking of an alternative plan and venue. But as luck would have it, a manager emailed me shortly after my call and told me that after hours the fee can be waived for staying guests. I do hope that’s the case typically, but just word of warning in case you are planning your engagement at Hever Castle.
Rose Garden at Hever Castle
Since we planned the proposal to happen after closing to the general public, some of the areas were not available - like the Italian garden and the Loggia. Fortunately the Rose Garden was still accessible and we agreed on a spot.
Leading up to the proposal moment once I arrive on the spot I always share my location and ask my clients to do the same, so that we definitely meet in the right place and there’s no risk of spoiling the surprise.
I arrived quite in advance to figure out my plan of action as I had no idea whether I’d be able to hide in the gardens. It was very much an enclosed yet open space, so not much wiggle room in terms of angles and nowhere to hide without going into the plants.
In the end I embraced it. I brought a cap just in case and did my best tourist impression, complete with taking selfies with the roses, whilst hiding my camera with the enormous 70-200 lens just behind my back. After all the grounds weren’t completely empty, as guests could still wander around, so K didn’t suspect a thing until L went down on one knee!
And with sunlight streaming all around the beautiful flowers, L proposed to K and K said yes! Now I could introduce myself and we began the engagement session.
Summer Engagement Photography
Typically engagement shoots last 1 hour after the proposal moment and we didn’t notice the time fly by! Summers have the best golden hours and with the iconic setting of the castle we just went all in on the photos, and the magic happened just from these two being so completely in love. And check out that gorgeous ruby ring - the perfect choice for such a regal iconic location.
Romantic UK Castle Photography
L & K both fully embraced exploring the grounds and we found some beautiful spots that brought so much variety to our photos, even though they were all within a few minutes walk of each other. From bricked archways and vines, to wild fields, to bridges, to gates, to of course the castle itself.
Each session is so different as I allow the lovers to lead the session in terms of energy. By initially taking a step back I allow the space for true emotions to unfold and am able to match the vibe. Sometimes that means going into a more experimental artistic direction. So how could I not go for some frolicking running pics in the sunset? And yes, the trendy motion blur. It just makes sense.
And of course we had to do our iconic champagne spray - hardly any of my proposals go without it, and you can add that little bit of extra magic for £20 to any of the proposal packages. Yes, we can even do it if you book the proposal only package which comes with 10 minutes after proposal for some extra photos. But most people choose the full package with 1 hour of engagement photography as there’s no other time quite like post-proposal - the emotions are flying high and you get the absolute best photographs that show your love!
Client Feedback
I always send a sneak peek within 24 hours so you can start posting and telling your family and friends the great news. Seeing your posts is incredible and of course I love hearing how much you love your photos!
“Omg those are amazing!!!”
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