How to Crush Your Grove Park Inn Proposal
Grove Park Inn proposal sessions have become a great way to capture the big moment. With the city of Asheville and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, this is kind of a no-brainer. If you’ve decided Grove Park Inn is the spot you want for your proposal, then you are halfway there. The next step is getting a photographer to capture this amazing moment. I have photographed countless proposals all over Asheville, but what I love about capturing a Grove Park Inn proposal is the amount of variety in close proximity. There are so many spots off the beaten path that are amazing for a proposal session. I like to break things down right off the jump and give you the main tools you need to confidently crush your proposal. I will go into greater detail for you, but I like sweet and simple lists. If we follow these 3 steps, all will go well and you will be fine.
- Create a Solid Plan for your Grove Park Inn Proposal
- Show Up On Time or Early
- Implement Said Plan
What is a Proposal Session?
You may be saying to yourself, I’ve never done this before and I don’t really know what I am getting myself into or what to do. Don’t worry, I can help with the planning and implementation and to do so without tipping your special someone off. I basically provide planning, capturing the proposal itself, and a 60-90 photo session afterwards. If you’ve ever traveled somewhere and had a local planner to help you, you may have found that the investment was well worth your time and money.
My services include coming up with a game plan based on what you want to do and what will look best from a photographic perspective. I serve as more of a guide than someone who says we have to do things a certain way. We will find the ideal location for you to pop the question. If you’ve never been to Grove Park Inn, don’t sweat it. I’ve been to GPI countless times as I grew up in Asheville going to check out the ginger bread houses around Christmas time, so I know the area quite well. I am able to give you simple instructions as to where to go and where to stand so lighting looks best.
Create A Solid Plan
Planning your Grove Park Inn proposal doesn’t have to solely rest on you. Think of me as your proposal spirit guide. I will keep this simple. Step one: look through these images and see if there is an area that resonates with you to pop the question. I like to have an initial conversation to see if we vibe and then once you have booked, that is when we get into the details of planning. I consider myself to be an expert, as I have photographed over 100 Asheville area proposals. I’m not being cocky, it’s just real talk. For such a big moment, you will want to find someone that you mesh well with. I do not recommend going with the cheapest person you can find. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Many people like to propose on one or the other of the terraces. People love to get a view of Asheville and the mountains in the background. These are nice spots, but often times the light can be harsh and it can be difficult to expose for both the couple and the mountains because of the amount of contrast between highlight and shadow. What bro? You just lost me. Sorry friend, this was not my intention. I recommend thinking about an alternative for popping the question. You may consider somewhere that is nicely shaded without having the background super bright. You will have an amazing image for the proposal itself. I always suggest this and 90% of the time dudes go with one of the terraces anyway. But, it is worth considering a nice evenly lit shot and then we can get amazing sunset images on the terrace. I can actually direct or pose to get the perfect shot during sunset.
Show Up on Time
Yo Fellas, this is really important, so I will say it again. Be on time, you are asking someone to marry you, not going to a party where it is cool to be fashionably late. We will plan the session for about an hour and a half before sunset. We are working against the clock (sunset), so you will maximize your time and your money by being timely. Evening traffic is crazy in the downtown Asheville area. Show up early, grab a drink and walk around.
When you pull in to the Grove Park Inn, turn to the right. There you will see a ticket booth that leads to the parking areas. Grab a ticket. The first 3 hours are free. Alternatively, you can pull up to the front and valet. I’d save the money and treat your lady to a tasty beverage. Don’t be late or I will be sitting around with my thumb up my ass and you will be missing out on photo coverage. Everything gets rushed and it is hard to get into a rhythm. Why am I pointing this out? I have had this happen twice, and the sessions never go as well when dudes are late. I still get great images, but I feel like I don’t connect with the couple as well.
Implement Said Plan
We spent all that time coming up with a plan for your Grove Park Inn proposal, you better damn well stick to the plan. One thing that is super helpful is for you to really think about what you want to say to your lady (or fella if that’s your gig). Most every guy I have talked to said their mind goes blank right beforehand, even if they know what they want to say. Maybe come up with 3 main points that you want to get across. This will make the moment more special and it will also help me to get as many frames as possible. Be as long winded as you want. This will help me to get a lot of variety while you are proposing and will ensure the moment is not missed. Side note, I have never missed the moment. We will come up with a time. I will send you a photo of me so you know what I look like, and I will have you send a recent photo of you and your significant other. We plan everything out to ensure things go smoothly. I shoot you a final email with all the info. All that is left at that point, is sticking to the plan and crushing your proposal.
If you would like to check out pricing for planning your Grove Park Inn proposal, check out this link: Proposal and Engagement Pricing.
If you want to check out some of my other proposal work, hit up my article titled How to Crush Your Biltmore Estate Proposal.
Grove Park Inn looks beautiful! I especially love the fall colors and the warm light at golden hour. And I love those views of the mountains in the back!