I’ve been doing a lot of surprise marriage proposals recently. I think it’s because I’ve blogged about it several times, and clients must be seeing my posts. Whatever the reason, I always enjoy doing these, so I hope I keep getting more.
I believe this engagement proposal was a real surprise. She was under the impression we were doing portraits of the whole family. I took pictures of the five different couples, including parents and grandparents, up by the oak trees and then by the dunes. When it was the about-to-be-engaged couple’s turn for pictures, he picked up the ring box the family had hidden near the dunes, got down on one knee, and proposed. She was genuinely surprised, so he did an excellent job of keeping it a secret. I ended up getting a little carried away with the number of pictures that evening because I was doing five different couples, and I took over 800 shots.
![Couple on the oak tree hill in Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/001-couple-on-the-oak-tree-hill-in-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x1059.jpg)
![Couple leaning against tree together before proposal](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/002-couple-leaning-against-tree-together-before-proposal-1500x1121.jpg)
![Young married couple portraits in front of the sunlight coming through the trees](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/003-young-married-couple-portraits-in-front-of-the-sunlight-coming-through-the-trees-1500x745.jpg)
![Couple kissing against a tree in the Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/004-couple-kissing-against-a-tree-in-the-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x639.jpg)
![Couple leaning against the dead oak tree in the park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/005-couple-leaning-against-the-dead-oak-tree-in-the-park-1500x1121.jpg)
![Black and white portrait of a couple kissing in a tree](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/006-black-and-white-portrait-of-a-couple-kissing-in-a-tree-1500x1121.jpg)
![Young married couple doing fun pictures in a tree together](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/007-young-married-couple-doing-fun-pictures-in-a-tree-together-1500x1121.jpg)
![Couple laying in front of the dunes together](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/008-couple-laying-in-front-of-the-dunes-together-1500x661.jpg)
![Couple looking at each other in front of the dunes](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/009-couple-looking-at-each-other-in-front-of-the-dunes-1500x748.jpg)
![Just about to propose](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/010-just-about-to-propose-1500x599.jpg)
![Emotional surprise wedding proposal in front the dunes - Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/011-emotional-surprise-wedding-proposal-in-fron-the-dunes-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x498.jpg)
![Putting the ring on her finger - surprise proposal](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/012-putting-the-ring-on-her-finger-surprise-proposal-1500x498.jpg)
![Guy getting a really big hug after surprise proposal - Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/013-guy-getting-a-really-big-hug-after-surprise-proposal-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x1128.jpg)
![Checking out her new ring](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/014-checking-out-her-new-ring-1500x581.jpg)
![Kiss in front of the dunes after proposal](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/015-kiss-in-front-of-the-dunes-after-proposal-1500x1121.jpg)
![Lots of family hugs after wedding proposal](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/016-lots-of-family-hugs-after-wedding-proposal-1500x498.jpg)
![Family checking out the ring](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/017-family-checking-out-the-ring-1500x453.jpg)
![Making sure you can see the ring in pictures](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/018-making-sure-you-can-see-the-ring-in-pictures-1500x498.jpg)
![Young couple in front of the dunes - Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/019-young-couple-in-front-of-the-dunes-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x745.jpg)
![Lifting girl off the ground for a kiss](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/020-lifting-girl-off-the-ground-for-a-kiss-1500x745.jpg)
![Walking down the beach and a piggyback ride](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/021-walking-down-the-beach-and-a-piggyback-ride-1500x599.jpg)
![Holding fiance in front of the ocean](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/022-holding-fiance-in-front-of-the-ocean-1500x698.jpg)
![Dipping back for a kiss in front of the ocean - Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/023-dipping-back-for-a-kiss-in-front-of-the-ocean-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x1059.jpg)
![Married couple dipping girl back for a kiss](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/024-married-couple-dipping-girl-back-for-a-kiss-1500x897.jpg)
![Sunset engagement portrait in front of the dunes at the Myrtle Beach State Park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/025-sunset-engagement-portrait-in-front-of-the-dunes-at-the-myrtle-beach-state-park-1500x1002.jpg)
![Engagement portraits near the pier at the state park](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/026-engagement-portraits-near-the-pier-at-the-state-park-1500x745.jpg)
![Cute couple under the pier at the state park in Myrtle Beach](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/027-cute-couple-under-the-pier-at-the-state-park-in-myrtle-beach-1500x745.jpg)
![Couple laying in the sand in front of the pier](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/028-couple-laying-in-the-sand-in-front-of-the-pier-1500x1059.jpg)
![Couple laying beside each other in the sand looking up](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/029-couple-laying-beside-each-other-in-the-sand-looking-up-1500x643.jpg)
![Couple on a beach walkway by the sea oats](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/030-couple-on-a-beach-walkway-by-the-sea-oats-1500x1002.jpg)
![Kiss on a beach walkway by the sea oats](https://www.ryansmithphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/031-kiss-on-a-beach-walkway-by-the-sea-oats-1500x1002.jpg)