Surprise Proposal at the Montreal Botanical Garden

Jimmy planned a surprise proposal at the Montreal Botanical Garden, during a tour of the gardens with his girlfriend Brianna and their friends.

Check out this surprise proposal at the Montreal Botanical Garden below:

I followed the group around taking a few spy photos as they visited the gardens with their friendly tour guide Danielle.

Then, Jimmy popped the question and I photographed the big emotions of the moment!

It was so fun that their friends were there to celebrate with them!

We took a few relaxed portraits in the gardens after the proposal.

Montreal Botanical Garden access and rates

The Montreal Botanical Garden is open year round. Access to the outdoor gardens is free to visitors during the winter, but starting in May, you’ll need to purchase entry tickets.

In 2024, admission is $23.25 per adult. If you are a resident of the Greater Montreal area, admission is $17.50.

If you are a Montreal resident, the better option is to get yourself an Accès Montreal card for $8.50 at your local municipal office. The card is good for 1 year and gives you free access to the outdoor gardens during opening hours at the Botanical garden.

Choosing where to propose at the Botanical Garden

Because the Montreal Botanical Garden is a huge space with many windings paths and over 20 unique garden areas with different themes (alpine, food plants, rose gardens, shrub garden, shade plants, arboretum, etc.) the possibilities are endless and it can be tricky to find your way around.

If you’re going to propose at the Botanical Garden, it’s important to choose a spot that will be easy for you to find and with nothing that can obstruct the view of your big moment. You want it to be so easy for your photographer to find you as well!

Best places to propose at the Montreal Botanical Garden:

• The Perennial Garden is close to the 2nd entrance of the Botanical garden. It has lots of flowering plants and doesn’t have too many too many structures that could block the view. It also has a lovely lily pond. See map and info
• The Garden of Innovations is nearby and also close to the 2nd entrance. It has lots of flowering plants as well as beautiful vines. See map and info
• The Flowery Brook and Lilacs Garden is an open space with flowing gardens, lilac bushes and a few trees that has a countryside feel. See map and info
• The Arboretum is a vast green area filled with different trees and wildflowers. It’s less landscaped and feels more like a natural space. If you’re proposing in the fall, the maples in the arboretum can be perfect for some beautiful fall colours in the background of your proposal photos. In the spring, there’s also the chance of beautiful blossoms (find the pear trees, cherry trees, plums and lilacs). See map and info
• You can check the Blooms of the Week page to see what areas of the garden are in bloom during your planned visit.

Where NOT to propose

• While the Rose Garden might sound like a romantic place to propose, I’ve found that the flat flower beds in the Rose Garden are more interesting for horticulturists than for photos. The large sections of low rose beds don’t make a great visual backdrop for photos. There is one advantage: it’s very close to the main entrance, so it’s easy to find.
• The Japanese Garden is beautiful and even has a open pavilion where you can take shelter in case of rain. I love the tall pine woods near there. The little bridges over water near the koi fish are lovely too. However, it’s a very popular garden and can be quite crowded. There are also many areas you have to stay off the grass, making it a challenge to take surprise photos.
• The Chinese Garden with its distinctive pavilion and structures can make an amazing photo location, but the architecture can get in the way when it comes to a surprise proposal. Last time I photographed a proposal there, construction and pavilion columns got in the way of the photo and I had to quickly run to get a different angle of the big moment. For that reason, I’d recommend sticking to the more traditional flower gardens, which don’t have as many decorative elements to block the view.
• The Alpine Garden is full of winding paths around rocky outcroppings and small mountains. It’s very hard to get an unobstructed view.
• The First Nations Garden is culturally significant and a great place to discover indigenous ecological history. But it’s mostly in a forest setting with dim, green lighting so it’s not ideal for photos.
• The Peace Garden is a beautiful little garden with a fountain and tulips. However, it’s so close to the restaurant terrace that proposing here might be very public and distracting.

For more tips to help you plan your surprise proposal, check out my how-to guide with all the best locations to propose in Montreal: