The proposal video later went viral online, racking up more than 41 million views
NEED TO KNOW
- A Knoxville photographer secretly helped a man plan a surprise proposal by pretending to “bump into” the couple at a scenic East Tennessee overlook
- The girlfriend had no idea the encounter was staged — until the photographer captured the moment her boyfriend dropped to one knee
- The proposal video later went viral online, racking up more than 41 million views and thousands of emotional reactions from viewers
When photographer Alina Giles arrived at an overlook in East Tennessee, she already knew the moment she was about to capture would be special.
Giles, 26, an editorial and wedding photographer based in Knoxville, Tenn., had been contacted by Michael Onate, who was planning to propose to his girlfriend, Ana Carrillo, and wanted help finding a scenic location.
“Michael reached out to me about proposing to his girlfriend somewhere that had beautiful views,” Giles tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I sent over location ideas with photos to Michael and let him know that I had been wanting to take couple photos at an East Tennessee overlook, and he liked the location.”…