Surprise Proposal on Manchester’s Merchant’s Bridge

The plan was simple, “go for a walk along the canals to a specific spot from our first date, and then propose.” However, there is magic in simplicity, because this was one hell of a proposal!

After a few messages and exchanged streetview screenshots the plan was set. It was pretty straightforward, but city proposals can be tricky. It’s totally plausible to be wandering around with a camera when you’re out in the wild. It’s a little less common around the canals of Manchester.

I absolutely love it when friends and/or family can be involved in the proposal because it kicks the excitement up a notch, and surprise friends are even better! Nathan had spent months planning the perfect proposal, making sure it was personal to him and Tanisha, bouncing ideas off their closest friends and as you’ll see everything went exactly as planned.

Their friends watched the whole thing from an upstairs window and apparently had been shouting “What’s he doing?! He’s too close! She’s going to see him!” But this wasn’t my first proposal 😉 and Tanisha had no idea what was about to happen…

Once the proposal was over, and it had started to set in, that’s when they all rushed over to congratulate them. They hugged, cried a little and drank champagne from the bottle, before heading to Dukes 92 to carry on the celebrations.

Nathan & Tanisha’s Manchester Proposal

I asked Nathan to answer a few questions and share some proposal wisdom – this is what he had to say!

1. How did you two first meet?
   We originally met at a University society, the OTC (basically Army Reserves but for university students). We knew of each other for years, we even sat next to each other at a formal dinner once! We weren’t really in a position for a relationship until COVID-19 happened. My lecturers made silly Star Wars slides which I put on my Instagram story, and Tanisha did the same! We started chatting and then we got together.
2. How did you know Tanisha was the one?
   We’d met a few times but on our first proper official date casually, we went for a walk through town and ended up going by the canals (where I proposed) and she just started chatting to some geese, making geese noises at them for a good 5 minutes and didn’t talk to me. I thought it was brilliant, she barely knew me and yet she was so comfortable with herself and me that she felt she could talk to geese. Love that.
3. Had you talked about getting married before?
   We talked about getting married loads, even so far as to plan an unofficial guest list and wedding party. But she thought the actual proposal was well away, with no hints of rings or anything.

1. How long did you spend planning your proposal?
   It took a good 8 months to figure out the perfect proposal. I spent a few hours spread across those 8 months coordinating with her friends to get the right ring etc. I knew I wanted to propose by the canals, just the fluffing around it was needed to fill in. I had the idea to get a photographer, and to have her friends meet us too, I honestly don’t know where I got the ideas from, but I know I wanted it to be personal. No restaurants or grand gestures.
2. Did you tell anyone else about your plans or ask anyone for help?
   Most of our friends knew so that I could brainstorm ring ideas, but all kept quiet about it somehow!
3. What advice would you give to someone planning their proposal right now?
   Make a group chat of trusty people and bounce ideas off them to make sure you’re not crazy. Don’t go big with location, do it somewhere personal, even if it’s not the prettiest place in the world. Buy a promise ring and get that measured properly so that when it comes to buying a real ring its less suspicious because you already have the ring size.

1. Ok, so briefly, what was the plan?
   The plan was to have a nice chill brunch at home, then head out in the afternoon for a walk that replicated the same route we took on our first date. Along that walk, give her a codex that required her to put in a code with a clue, the code being Geeses (it made sense to us don’t worry). Inside was a note that said will you marry me? and then BAMN I get down on one knee. Job done.
2. Did you know what you were going to say?
   I honestly just had to give her the clue, I didn’t do much talking in the end. I had run the route just to be sure there were no major disasters in the way or bad photography angles. But speech-wise I didn’t do any rehearsing.
3. Did it go to plan?
   It all went to plan, though I had to improvise with regard to a bar for drinks. I had planned until 15:00 which is when I proposed, and we had a reservation at 18:00, and I had planned for drinks in between, just not where. This was pretty easy in Manchester though there are loads of places to drink. It was everything I had imagined, with nothing going wrong as well.
4. How did you feel in the build up to your proposal?
   I was pretty chill about it for months and weeks before, but in the last two days before the proposal I was completely shaking with nervousness. I usually don’t have nightmares but they were out in full force and I could hardly tell Tanisha why. I felt so relieved afterwards that it had all gone okay.
5. How did you celebrate afterwards?
   I had organised her friends and brother (as well as my groomspeople) to join us afterwards. So once the shock of the proposal was out the window, even more shock came on when her friends started racing towards her. We went for drinks and then an excellent meal at Canto (one of our fave places in Manchester).

1. Where did you buy the ring?
   Lily Arkwright
2. How did you go about choosing the ring?
   I knew exactly what gemstone I wanted to get her a lab-grown aqua spinel. However, what band to get I hadn’t even thought about. So I asked her mates to casually ask about what rings she likes. Somehow, Tanisha didn’t catch on despite how good she is at sussing out Movie endings. In the end we went for the most flower-like appearance to make her feel like a Fairy princess.
3. How long did you have the ring before you proposed?
   I had it for a good month or so. I hid it in my misc drawer in our bedroom, inside a fanny pack I use for holidays. She wouldn’t have found it anyway, but when she said “I’ve hidden your anniversary gift in X drawer, ” I said that I’d hidden hers in my misc drawer. That way we were double secure.

1. And finally, how many people have asked you if you’ve set a date yet?
   Oh my god, SO MANY TIMES. Some people have been asking what year??? And I’m like what I haven’t even thought that far ahead please calm down.

Manchester Surprise Proposal Photography

If you’re planning on asking your partner to marry you, I hope this has been of some help to you. But, please feel free to drop me a message if you’d like to talk through any ideas or want some general advice. Also, check out this link if you’d like to see more Secret Proposal Photography.