Photographer Captures Surprise Proposal at Tennessee Overlook

The viral video of the proposal has received over 41 million views online.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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A Knoxville photographer, Alina Giles, secretly helped a man, Michael Onate, plan a surprise proposal to his girlfriend, Ana Carrillo, by pretending to "bump into" the couple at a scenic East Tennessee overlook. Giles captured the moment Onate dropped to one knee, and the proposal video later went viral online, racking up more than 41 million views.

Why it matters

The story highlights the power of social media and how a simple, intimate moment can capture the hearts of millions of people online. It also showcases the creativity and thoughtfulness of the photographer and the boyfriend in planning a memorable proposal.

The details

Giles had been contacted by Onate, who was planning to propose to Carrillo and wanted help finding a scenic location. Giles suggested the East Tennessee overlook, and they agreed to pretend to "bump into" each other when Giles arrived. When the couple arrived, Giles struck up a conversation and asked to take their photos. Carrillo had no idea the encounter was staged. As Giles continued taking photos, Onate proposed, and she captured the moment. Giles later shared the video on social media, and it quickly went viral, reaching over 41 million views.

  • Giles arrived a few minutes early to the overlook and began photographing the scenery.
  • When the couple arrived, Giles struck up a conversation and asked to take their photos.
  • Onate proposed to Carrillo while Giles was taking photos.

The players

Alina Giles

A 26-year-old editorial and wedding photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee, who helped plan and capture the surprise proposal.

Michael Onate

The man who contacted Giles to help plan a surprise proposal to his girlfriend, Ana Carrillo.

Ana Carrillo

Onate's girlfriend, who had no idea the encounter with Giles was staged.

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What they’re saying

“Michael reached out to me about proposing to his girlfriend somewhere that had beautiful views. 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.”

— Alina Giles, Photographer (PEOPLE)

“Ana was very sweet, immediately told me where the dress came from, and agreed to let me take couple portraits of them when I mentioned that I'd been wanting to take photos at this location.”

— Alina Giles, Photographer (PEOPLE)

“She definitely did not seem to expect that there would be a photographer there to capture the proposal.”

— Alina Giles, Photographer (PEOPLE)

What’s next

The couple plans to share more details about their engagement and wedding planning process on their social media accounts.

The takeaway

This heartwarming story showcases the power of social media to amplify and spread joy, as well as the creativity and thoughtfulness that can go into planning a memorable marriage proposal.