Choosing Valentine’s Day as the perfect day to get engaged? Why not! For sure, she is going to recall those moments for the rest of her life. Every year, no matter what, she will look for the pictures you took together that day and watch them again and again to remember how crazy you were and still are about her. If you want your Valentine’s engagement to make very special than think ahead so you have plenty of time to organize something unusual and surprising.
A perfect example is this lovely Indian couple that came all the way from London for a ‘day trip’ to Rome. Suraj & his sweet girlfriend Priti, got engaged in a very original way. Suraj contacted me with his wonderful idea to organize a flash mob proposal on Valentine’s Day. I must say how excited I was to be a part of this engagement. Arranging a proposal that’s full of energy, emotions and so innovative is just cool.
From the very beginning Suraj had a rough idea of how he would like to do the proposal. I helped him to change few things to make the itinerary perfect for the time he had available in Rome. His main request was to visit sites, propose with a flash mob and have a nice, romantic lunch to celebrate before getting back to the airport.
When it came to planning I suggested Suraj how and where to arrange for the proposal of the lifetime. I proposed a couple of ideas and Suraj decided for the following program:
- Private car pick up service
- Private car tour of Rome
- Flash mob proposal in Villa Borghese
- Romantic lunch
- Drop off at the airport
I thought the idea of having a personal chauffeur would be brilliant. I didn’t want them to waste their precious time and energy by finding the streets, monuments and the spot for the proposal. Also, another good point of having a personal driver was that in case of rain they could sit comfortably in the car and sip prosecco.
As a proposal spot, Suraj opted for the Temple of Diana. This small round temple, built in 1789, was just perfect for the flash mob proposal. There’s plenty of space for the dancers and it’s also less crowded which was also one of the request Suraj expressed at the beginning. He didn’t really want too much audience.
Once I knew the location for the proposal, I met a professional choreographer Fabiola and discussed the choreography for the song ‘What makes you beautiful’ by One Direction. This was actually the song Suraj wanted for the flash mob. Only a few days after, Fabiola, dancers and I rehearsed for a surprise performance. We decided to include some rose petals in the choreography and a T-shirt saying ‘Priti, Will you marry me?’
In the meantime, Suraj and I looked for a lovely restaurant with a romantic view. Giving that we had to arrange the proposal in Villa Borghese, we thought Casina Valadier would be ideal. We organized lunch in the restaurant Vista which is located on the fourth floor of Casina Valadier with the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking view over the city.
The trip was a complete surprise. Priti had no idea she was going to Rome. On her arrival at the Fiumicino airport, she had a personal chauffeur waiting for her and Suraj. On their way to Rome, I contacted Marco, the driver, to swap the private car tour with the proposal. The reason was the unsettled weather. Suraj knew this change could happen because I informed him about the weather forecast the day before his departure.
When Marco arrived at the spot near the Temple, Suraj pretended to stroll around the Villa Borghese with his lovely Priti. He was in charge to recognize the Temple and get near to it so we could do the flash mob as arranged. Suraj followed my orders as planned and so we achieved our goal. All went perfect! … and Priti said ‘Yes’!
And I will never forget Priti’s words after the proposal: ‘May I have that T-shirt?’ I believe she is going to keep it for all her life to remember those fantastic moments.
Right after the proposal, they kept enjoying Rome. Suraj was definitely more relaxed and Priti over the moon. Marco showed them some main monuments in Rome and then drove them to the restaurant for lunch. I waited for them outside so I could congratulate them on their engagement once again before they left to the airport.
Acknowledgements
First of all, I thank Suraj for choosing me as a proposal planner. It has been a great experience working on the flash mob proposal for you and for your sweet Priti.
I am also thankful to:
- Marco for his comfortable car service – AM Roma car service
- Fabiola de Simone, the choreographer of a Rome dance school Must Dance Studio and the dancers
- Juan, the general manager of Casina Valadier and Daniele for his assistance
- Marco Pompili for the video & photos – M.P. foto-grafica studio
- Stefano Santarelli for his assistance & photos
Me and my fantastic crew:
Marco, the driver:
