14 Tips for how to surprise propose in Red River Gorge, Kentucky
How to propose in Red River Gorge — Surprise Edition
So, you’re thinking of proposing to your partner in Red River Gorge? I can’t think of a more lovely place. Whether you and your partner are climbers that know the Red well, or you just picked a random place on a map, you’ve selected a great spot to pop the question.
Proposal planning requires more logistical planning than some might think, but I’ve photographed dozens of proposals over the last decade and several of those have been in Red River Gorge. I’m sharing my tips (and mistakes) below on how to make sure that your proposal goes smoothly & beautifully.
1) This is probably a no-brainer, but make sure you and your partner are on the same page. Not just about marriage, but also for how they want to be proposed to. Do they want to be alone on a hiking trail, comfortable and wearing their hiking boots? Do they want a photographer there? Do they want to be all dressed up, hair and makeup done? Or do they want their whole family there? Make sure you talk this through with your partner beforehand. And for the love of god, make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to marriage. Personally I haven’t had to photograph any “no” proposals, but I’ve heard horror stories from fellow photographers.
2) If you’re wanting for this to be a surprise and have a photographer, you’re going to have to lie a bit to pull this off. Be sure to hide your phone when you’re working out details with the photographer. It might feel weird being secretive from your partner, but it’s for a good cause!
3) Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can work through some of the details. If your partner is the type that wants to be wearing a cute outfit, makeup done, professional pictures taken etc, you might think that proposing in Red River Gorge is out of the question . . . but that’s not actually true! There are tons of beautiful little sunset spots right off the road that don’t require a long hike at all. (If you hire me to photograph your proposal, I will help you pick a location. There are also apps like All Trails that allow you to pick short hikes in Daniel Boone Forest, so you can pick the level of hiking that you’re comfortable with.)
How do you surprise this sort of person? It does require some more effort. One idea is to tell them you’re going to have photos taken. Or tell them that they need to dress up for a surprise, then when you get there, they think the surprise is that there’s a photographer who is going to do a mini photoshoot but the real surprise is that you’ll pop the question during the photo session. This worked on Jada (above!). She was super surprised that her girlfriend Kennedy had hired a photographer, then even more shocked when at the beginning of the session, Kennedy asked her to marry her. But they still got to be all cute with their coordinated outfits!
One more idea: Book an airbnb cabin with a hot tub for the weekend, tell your partner to get dressed up and that you’re taking them out for dinner (Redpoint BBQ is a pretty fancy place - the fanciest in the gorge, anyway!). On the way to dinner, tell them you’re going to watch the sunset together. Have your photographer and location ready to go and you’re golden!
4) Don't think your partner would mind not being dressed up or do you want to just ensure that they’ll be totally surprised? In this case, you can still get beautiful photos, just make sure you work out a game plan with your photographer and expect the photos to be more natural, genuine and “you” (which I think is just as adorable as dressing up). Or you can forgo the photographer completely … I’m not going to advise that, but I am a bit biased. ;)
You can pick a spot close-by like I mentioned earlier, again, there’s tons of little short hikes in Red River Gorge or spots to pull off the road. If you’re going to hike out, make sure that you plan out your hike and map out the exact proposal spot for your photographer. I’ve done lots of photos along Auxier Ridge and that trail makes for some great sunsets. If you’re going to hike for sunset photos, make sure that everyone is prepared to hike x amount of miles and that you have flashlights for the dark hike back. Bringing extra snacks doesn’t hurt, either. And don’t forget the ring. ;)
If you’re going to hike and hire a photographer, I’m going to recommend not to meet your photographer until you’re at the spot where you plan to propose. It’ll definitely seem too obvious if you’re all hiking out together with your photographer - trust me, I’ve made this mistake!
You can ask your photographer to hide at the chosen proposal spot, or you can have them be more involved to ensure that they get all the right angles, lighting and are more prepared. I’ve got some secret tricks up my sleeve when it comes to this - so reach out to me!
5) If photography is important to you and your partner, please do your research! Make sure that the photographer is responsive to emails, has good reviews and hire someone you can trust. Ask the photographer if you can see examples of proposals that they’ve done before. A proposal is a lot more involved than hiring someone for engagement photos, so make sure that you feel confident before booking. There’s always a lot of back and forth when I help clients plan out proposals, so you want to make sure that your photographer isn’t taking weeks to respond and is familiar with the area or willing to become familiar.
6) Speaking of photography, if you’re going to hire a photographer for the proposal, add on some time for engagement photos! I highly recommend this, as it’s going to be one of the happiest moments of your life and couples are giddy & over the moon. Capturing that joy is going to be so meaningful to look back on. Red River Gorge also has so many countless beautiful spots and it would be a shame to not get some pretty photos of you & your love snuggled up. And if you want, you can skip doing a formal engagement session and just use the photos from the proposal!
7) If you and your partner are familiar with Red River Gorge, pick a location to propose that’s sentimental to you. Maybe it’s that you hike to Creation Falls every time, or maybe it’s a cabin that you’ve stayed in, or there’s a camping spot where you went on your first weekend trip together. Get creative with sentimental spots - the more thoughtful, the better!
8) Book a cabin at least for the night. I mentioned this earlier, but I do recommend booking somewhere for the night, especially if you’re proposing at sunrise/sunset (the best time for photos!). Make a trip of it and soak in some time so you and your fiancé & celebrate together!
9) Want privacy? Plan for a weekday. I know it’s not ideal, but if you want your proposal to be secluded, I highly recommend proposing Monday - Thursday. Even a Friday is better than Saturday or Sunday. It seems like everyone in Kentucky (and all over) comes out on the weekends during the fall, I don’t blame them. If you’re proposing late Nov - April, it should be quieter on the weekends. You can also be ambitious and aim for a sunrise session if a weekend is unavailable for you. You can grab coffee & breakfast at Miguels later!
10) Wondering what to say when you get down on one knee? (or if you decide to propose standing up/sitting down - that’s cool too, you do you!) Tell your partner how you felt when you first met them or when you first knew that you wanted to spend forever with them. Speak from the heart, I’d keep it short and meaningful and don’t break eye contact when you do. I’ve had people take the ring out of the box or just have the box open when they propose - it’s up to you! After you hear the “Yes!”, put the ring on their left hand.
I’ve had people ask me what knee to kneel on and I don’t think it matters, it’s whatever feels more comfortable to you. You do you! If you haven’t noticed already, I tell couples that a lot.
I have polaroids available as an add-on!
11) What’s the best time of year to propose in Red River Gorge? This question is one I get a lot and probably deserves its own blog post. The short answer is that any time of year in Red River Gorge is beautiful. If you are going to propose in the summertime, make sure you bring lots of water with you and maybe try for a sunrise proposal. If you’re trying for winter, it can actually be really beautiful … I feel that the Gorge is underrated during this time. A lot of the cliffs and arches are more visible this time of year and sunsets can be just as pretty. Just make sure you’re wearing lots of layers and bonus points if you pack hot hands! Spring and fall (especially fall) are usually a bit more crowded, but less to worry about weather-wise. Though it is Kentucky - so who knows sometimes! With anytime of year, you really can’t plan a prettier backdrop with a Red River Gorge proposal.
12) Speaking of weather, what if it rains? It does rain quite a bit in Red River Gorge, but usually passes through quickly or at least lightens up, so you could still venture out in a raincoat or with an umbrella. Clear umbrellas make for pretty pictures! I’ve done a few rainy proposals (though not at the Gorge) and they’re very romantic. If rain isn’t your thing or it really is storming, you can plan the proposal at the cabin! (Remember I told you to book one? ;)) You can set up some candles and music, or just let the rain on the roof be your soundtrack. It doesn’t get more cozy and romantic than that.
13) Do you need a pass to have a proposal in Red River Gorge? Not as long as you’re not bringing in any big props or decor. Who needs that when you have the prettiest natural backdrop, anyway? However, your photographer will need to get a permit from the Forest Service.
14) Can we bring alcohol? I know it might be tempting to pop some champagne after getting engaged, but it’s actually not allowed on National Forest Lands! I’ve made this mistake before - it’s something I’ve become more recently aware of so I’m not perfect. Swap it for something non-alcoholic if you’d like. And if you need to hide it from your partner, I’m happy to carry a bottle of non-alchohlic bubbly for you in my gear backpack. You can save the bottle of wine or bourbon for your cabin hot-tub experience!
I hope this helped you feel more comfortable and confident about proposing to you partner. Excited for you all — being engaged is a blast! Soak it in. I’d love to chat with you and see if I’m available to photograph your engagement … if I’m booked, I can refer you to someone else, so don’t hesitate to reach out. hello@kendrafarrisphotography.com
About Kendra …
I’ve been photographing couples since 2014 and consider myself very lucky to be doing so. Besides taking photos, I love being home in Louisville, Kentucky with my husband, our 5 cats and 11 chickens. I can’t seem to stay away from Red River Gorge and have a dream of moving there one day.
