By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 28 October 2026

Surprise proposal at Keukenhof: a man on one knee on a curving path, rows of red tulips behind and white tulips in front

Marcus and Joanne came from Singapore at the end of April. Joanne thought they had booked an evening photoshoot among the tulips; Marcus had a ring in his pocket. I photographed his proposal on film at Keukenhof, on Kodak Portra 800.

Their session started in the evening, when the garden is at its calmest, so I could easily stay out of sight. A proposal like this is one of the most moving things I photograph during my tulip photoshoots at Keukenhof.

Where
Keukenhof, near Lisse
When
Late April, evening
Session
Couple Photoshoot
Light
Soft evening light, the sun low behind the trees

White Tulips and One Knee

At Keukenhof, Marcus chose a curving path lined with rows of red, pink and orange tulips, a dark hedge behind them. In front lay a bed of white tulips with purple flames. I stood across that bed with my camera, far enough away to look like any other visitor. Then Marcus turned to Joanne and went down on one knee.

Just after six in the evening, on the tulip path

Joanne looked down at him for a long second, then said yes. Back on his feet, Marcus slid the ring onto her finger, grinning.

Back on his feet after the proposal, he slips the ring onto her finger on the tulip path, rows of tulips behind them on film

A Surprise Proposal on Film

I photographed the proposal on Kodak Portra 800, a fast color film made for lower light. On film, every press of the shutter is one frame, with no burst to fall back on. So I waited for the moments that mattered: the kneel, her answer and the first laugh. If you are planning one yourself, this is how a surprise proposal shoot works.

Close view of white tulips with purple-red flames, soft and grainy on Kodak Portra 800 color film at Keukenhof
White tulips with purple flames beside the proposal spot

Afterward we walked. Somewhere along the way, a long bed of red and white tulips curved like a ribbon, and the two of them looked tiny at the far end. Further on, they wandered hand in hand between beds of every color.

Long curving bed of red and white tulips under dark trees, a couple embracing far away at the end of the path
Couple walking hand in hand between wide beds of red, pink and yellow tulips under fresh green spring trees
Man in a plaid shirt and woman in a long black skirt strolling hand in hand past purple and yellow flowers

Marcus could not stop teasing her. He pulled a shocked face while she held up her hand to show off the ring.

Man pulling a mock shocked face while his new fiancée laughs and shows her ring, bright tulips and trees behind them

A Ring, a Tulip and Delft Blue

For the details, I went close. Her hand rested above a yellow tulip, and the ring sat inside a pink and white tulip, sharp in a soft blur. I also filled one frame with nothing but tulips.

Woman’s hand with a new engagement ring held above a yellow tulip, a man’s hand supporting hers from below
Diamond engagement ring resting inside a pink and white tulip, its petals melting into a soft, grainy blur on film
Red tulips and yellow tulips with red flames side by side in a bed at Keukenhof, on Kodak Portra 800 film

Marcus had one more surprise: a tiny Delft blue figurine of a kissing Dutch couple, bought that morning in Amsterdam. They laughed at it together and copied it, with the little couple between their hands. On a chair covered in mosaic tulips, Joanne leaned over Marcus from behind while he laughed.

Couple laughing at a small blue-and-white figurine of a kissing Dutch couple after the proposal at Keukenhof
Couple kissing while they hold the little blue-and-white figurine of a kissing couple between them among pink tulips
Woman leaning over her laughing fiancé from behind as he sits on a chair covered in colorful mosaic tulips

Laughter on Film at Keukenhof

In one corner, the low sun came through the leaves in a soft haze. The two of them pointed at the ring like tourists at a landmark, laughing at their own joke.

Couple pointing playfully at her ring in front of red and yellow tulip beds, low evening sun glowing through the trees

One of my favorite frames from the evening is also the simplest: the two of them close together, their joined hands held out toward the camera. It was a proposal on film at Keukenhof that stayed playful to the very end. Before we said goodbye, Joanne showed off her ring once more in a selfie with the three of us.

Close portrait on film of the engaged couple smiling and holding their joined hands toward the camera at Keukenhof
Selfie of the newly engaged couple and a woman holding a film camera, the young woman showing her ring on a garden path

Dreaming of a proposal among the tulips? Discover how my tulip photoshoots at Keukenhof work.