Red Bud Isle Surprise Proposal

If you own a dog and live in Austin, then you’ve no doubt heard of Red Bud Isle. The whole island is a dog run. A paradise, if you will, for dogs to run and play. But Red Bud Isle is more than just a dog run. It is a tranquil forest escape, away from the chaos of urban Austin – and it just so happens to be the perfect place for a photo shoot. In today’s blog post, I’ll share with you photos from a Red Bud Isle surprise proposal to prove to you this is the secret spot you’ve been missing for your next photo shoot.

Meet Jacob and Hassibh

Let’s start off by meeting Hassibh and Jacob. These two lovebirds met the old-fashioned way – online. Their love story began four years ago, and now Hassibh ‘is his everything’ Jacob so romantically phrased it in his proposal.

While Hassibh had an inkling that the proposal was going to take place soon, she was completely caught off guard by the proposal itself. Indeed, she was shaking with nerves afterwards! You’ll be happy to know, however, that they did go ring shopping together. So, the ring itself was not a surprise.

Red Bud Isle Surprise Proposal – The Good

Background Variety

The main draw to Red Bud Isle is, of course, it’s natural wilderness. This forest refuge is its own ecosystem offers a variety of backgrounds, from the Colorado River views to swamp-like cedar trees to climb on. Unlike at say, Phil Hardberger Park in San Antonio where you have the same type of terrain throughout the park, moving from the Red Bud Isle parking lot to the very tip of the island lets you explore an adventurous landscape within a small stretch of land.

My biggest complaint with Texas parks is that they tend to look the same throughout: blah, bland stretches of greenspace with the same trees. Parks like these are difficult to shoot in because it’s simply tree after tree with identical backgrounds. The variety of environments at Red Bud Isle, by contrast, lets your subjects skip rocks in the river, walk down a tree-lined pathway, or sit on an interesting group of roots by a huge cedar tree. You’ve got imaginative backgrounds which leads to interesting photos.

Shade in Abundance

Shade is as equally in abundance as the backgrounds at Red Bud Isle. When I asked Jacob what time he would like to propose to Hassibh, he told me 11:00 a.m. I, of course, advised against this since this is the middle of the day when the sun would be at its highes, and highlights would be at their worst. I’m happy to say, however, that I was able to find plenty of shade on the island. Shooting from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. was not an issue. Dappled light was definitely something to watch out for, but the tree cover was thick enough to handle the harsh overhead glare. I would still recommend scheduling any photo shoot closer to ‘golden hour,’ but I also would not be scared of a noon shoot here either.

No Permits Required

As opposed to some parks in the city – Auditorium Shores, Mount Bonnell, Zilker Metropolitan Park, and Mayfield Park – Red Bud Isle is a permit-free zone. If you’d like to schedule photo shoot here, there are no permits required.

Red Bud Isle Surprise Proposal – The Challenges

The Crowds

Did I mention that Jacob asked for his surprise proposal to be scheduled at 11 AM on a Saturday? For both Jacob and I, our initial visits to Red Bud Isle had been on days when the island was not very crowded. As such, our assumptions were that this was not a very popular spot. Oh, how wrong we were.

On the day of the photo shoot, this is what greeted me:

I did not have fisherman galore on my bingo card. Not only were their fisherman, there were also two photo shoots going on at the tip of the island. Luckily, people were kind enough to move so that Jacob and Hassiby could propose. Still, note that the tip of the island is the most popular spot at Red Bud Isle.

I still maintain that Red Bud Isle is a fantastic place for a photo shoot – but on a weekday. As with most public parks, the trick is that you have to avoid the weekend crowds. Saturdays and Sundays draw Austin pet families, and you know just about everyone in Austin has a dog. It also seems that there are a lot of people who were visiting the island without animals, so perhaps Red Bud Isle has become a tourist destination all on its own.

In any case, everyone always makes it down to the end of the island. If Red Bud Isle is your proposal location of choice, then do yourself a favor and schedule your proposal for a weekday. You do not want to have to ask people to move at the very last second as I did.

Parking is Scarce

Along with the crowds, comes the Austin fact of life: parking is hard to find. The parking lot at Red Bud Isle is the size of a postage stamp. There is some additional parking to be found across the street, but that’s it. I’m not sure what you would do if you could not find parking in either location. It’s a long walk from the next destination to the park. Yet another reason to plan your proposal on a day when the crowd level is low.

The Dogs

For me, this isn’t a challenge at all. You’re coming to a dog park, so you should expect dogs. Also, they are all off leash. I did not have any dogs jump on me or my clients while we were on Red Bud Isle, but the dogs are definitely roaming free. If you are the least bit scared of dogs, then this is not the location for you.

No Bathrooms

Lastly, you should know that there are no facilities for humans on Red Bud Isle. The island is one giant bathroom for dogs, but there are no bathrooms for humans. Not even a porta potty in sight. So, if you need to change outfits, you’ll need to do it in the forest. Also, the closest bathroom I would recommend is the H-E-B at the corner of Lake Austin and Exposition Boulevards.

Red Bud Isle Surprise Proposal Tips

My top tips for a Red Bud Isle surprise proposal are the same as would be for any location:

Plan ahead with your photographer for your exact time and meeting point for your proposal.
Share your location with your photographer, and have your photographer share her/his location with you. This is the most important piece of advice for a photo shoot on Red Bud Isle. While the island is quite small, it is easy to get lost. Furthermore, as seen from the chaotic photo down at the tip of the island, your photographer may need to move people out of the way for your proposal. So, a heads up on when you will be arriving is appreciated.
Wear comfortable shoes and plan to be walking over rough terrain. This is not really a location for a dress and high heels. There are no paved paths on Red Bud Isle, so plan to be walking through sand, dirt, and mulch.
Get there early to get a good parking space. You don’t want to miss your proposal because you had to walk a mile from the H-E-B to get to the park.
Take a break before you arrive. Reminder: there are no bathroom facilities anywhere on the island.

Final Thoughts

Red Bud Isle is a great place for a photo shoot. As opposed to some other sprawling parks in Austin, the island packs a lot into a very small space. You can go from the parking lot to the tip of the island and encounter any number of different environmental backgrounds: from the waterfront, to the swamp, with plenty of rocks and benches in between. The crowds are manageable, especially if you schedule your proposal on a weekday. And if you’re planning on having your furry friend be your ring bear at your wedding, then bring your pup along for the proposal. To me, that would be the perfect way to ask someone to marry you.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

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If you find this article on ‘Best Places to Propose in Austin’ useful, then check out these articles:

Looking to say get down on one knee in Austin or San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my wedding photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com