Zilker Botanical Garden Proposal

When I say this shoot was one of the most stressful events of my life, I’m not exaggerating. Jennifer is my oldest and dearest friend (15 years!), so when her boyfriend Chris decided it was time to propose, it wasn’t even a question- I was going to be taking the pictures.

The plan was simple: Chris would take Jennifer to Austin for her birthday. He had bought them tickets to the Zilker Botanical Garden for Friday morning- where Grant and I would be waiting incognito. We had scouted the location two weeks prior, we had our disguises and equipment ready to go, and we were feeling very prepared.

Well, that is until Thursday afternoon when we realized the forecast showed thunderstorms for Friday morning. We scrambled to make new plans without Jennifer catching on.

Thankfully, the people at Zilker Botanical Garden were so kind and understanding- they allowed us to switch our tickets last minute to Thursday right before they closed. And thankfully Chris is such a good actor he convinced Jennifer to switch their plans without her suspecting a thing!

Once the new plans clicked into place, we had less than 30 minutes to get to the garden and into our hiding places before Chris and Jenn arrived.

By the time they showed up, the park had cleared out. It was beautiful outside, with the perfect overcast lighting. We managed to get the shot without Jennifer ever seeing us.

Chris did an amazing job, and it turned out to be one of the most special and magical proposals. I am so grateful to have been a part of such an incredible moment.

For anyone considering proposing at the Zilker Botanical Garden, it is an absolutely gorgeous spot. It’s quiet, intimate, lush, and dreamy. We had originally considered two locations within the park, the bridge and the waterfall, and are very thankful Chris chose the bridge because the waterfall was turned off the day of the shoot. They charge a $50 fee for a 2 hour photography session, which includes two admissions.