STORY | AMSTERDAM

A Double Surprise Proposal on a Canal Bridge

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 6 November 2026

Kneeling on a canal bridge in a cream trench coat, she opens a ring box for her partner in a red wool coat, the first surprise proposal of the day

Joanna and Rae flew in from the United States for a week in October, and each of them had packed a ring. Neither knew about the other’s. They had picked Amsterdam on purpose, because the Netherlands was the first country to open marriage to same-sex couples. What followed was a double surprise proposal on a canal bridge.

Joanna booked one of my couple photoshoots in Amsterdam as a proposal session, while Rae thought it was simply a couple walk. After the booking, I sent Joanna a map to the bridge and a few simple preparations. I knew about one ring. The second one surprised me as much as Joanna.

One Bridge, Two Secrets

I chose a bridge where canals meet, with arched bridges on both sides and trees just starting to turn yellow. When they arrived, I was already in place. While they stood back to back for a first photo, Joanna kept one hand at her side, around a small black box.

Back to back on a bridge where canals meet, two women smile in a cream trench and a red coat, one hand hiding a small black box at her side — A canal crossing in October, just before the first question

The First Surprise Proposal

Then Joanna caught my eye, waited for my signal and went down on one knee. That moment is the frame at the top of this story. Rae said yes and pulled her up into a long hug.

The two women hold each other tight on the bridge right after the surprise proposal, arched bridges and autumn trees along the canal

Joanna slid the ring onto Rae’s finger, and Rae grinned straight into my camera.

Sliding a ring onto her partner’s finger, the woman in the cream coat looks down while the woman in red grins straight at the camera

Close to the lens, a ring slides onto a hand beside a red wool sleeve, the gray water of the canal soft in the background — The first ring, on Rae’s hand

A Double Surprise

I thought the moment was over. Then Rae laughed, took both of Joanna’s hands and said she had something too. Joanna pressed a hand to her chest, laughing.

Laughing with a hand on her chest, she faces her partner in red just before the second surprise proposal, an arched bridge behind

This time the woman in the red coat kneels on the bridge and holds her partner’s hand, the double proposal complete as both laugh

A moment later, Rae was the one on one knee, on the same bricks.

So the second ring found its place on Joanna’s hand. That is the double surprise proposal I still smile about: two rings, two questions and two yeses on one bridge.

Her partner slides a second ring onto her finger on the canal bridge, both laughing, an arched bridge and a white boat behind them

A ring slides onto a hand with long dark-red nails, held by fingers from a red wool sleeve, an arched stone bridge soft behind

Two hands side by side, each with a new ring after the double proposal, long burgundy nails against a cream sleeve and a red one — Two rings, a few minutes apart

Still laughing, Joanna held up her hand to show me.

Hand at her mouth to show her ring, she laughs with her partner on the bridge after their double surprise proposal, the canal behind

Fallen Leaves and an Old Lamppost

Every proposal session continues with a relaxed couple walk nearby. On a bridge over a narrower canal, they threw out their arms as if to say: can you believe this? Under an old lamppost, among fallen leaves and parked bikes, they did it again.

On a bridge over a tree-lined canal, the two women throw out their arms and laugh, a cream trench coat beside a red wool coat

Each with one hand on an old cast-iron lamppost, they kick up a leg among fallen leaves, parked bikes and a parking sign

On a street of tall canal houses, they hugged while people walked past.

Hugging on a canal street of tall brick and black-painted houses, the newly engaged women laugh while people walk past in autumn

Close together on the quay, her hand with a ring rests on her partner’s waist as both laugh, white and brick gables blurred behind

I welcome all couples equally, and nobody has to perform a version of themselves in front of my camera. Here, I only had to keep up.

Holding hands at arm’s length, the two women stretch out their free arms on a bridge over a wide canal lined with yellowing trees — A wider canal, the first yellow leaves along the far bank

A Long View Down the Canal

Later, we walked to a bridge with a long view: arched bridges one after another, and a church spire at the end.

Leaning on the railing of a bridge after their surprise proposal, one smiles at the other, a long canal with arched bridges behind

They leaned on the railing and laughed, then held each other close.

Arms around each other on a bridge, the couple stands close over a long canal after the double proposal, a church spire far behind

Then they sat on the railing with their foreheads together.

Foreheads touching, they sit on the bridge railing, her ring hand on her partner’s knee and the long canal soft behind them

After that, they looked into the camera together, with the canal behind them.

Sitting on the railing of a canal bridge, both smile at the camera, parked cars, gabled houses and arched bridges along the water

Planning a session like this together? My guide to LGBTQ+ couple photos in Amsterdam shows places and ideas from real sessions.

Planning a surprise of your own? Discover how my couple photoshoots in Amsterdam work.