THE PUBLIC KARAOKE PROPOSAL

The Short Take:

Surprise your girlfriend with a public karaoke rendition of a classic love song, backed up by a flash mob brass band.

“I love you baaabby!”

How He Did It

Gabriel Wong wanted to channel a moment from the 1999 film “10 Things I Hate About You” when proposing to his girlfriend Sueyi Lai: the scene where Heath Ledger’s Patrick serenades Julia Stiles’ Kat with a rendition of Frankie Valli;s 1967 hit “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.”   

He knew that to get the full effect, his performance should be in public, and would have to include a brass band. For location, he picked the iconic mirrored sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park locally known as The Bean (it’s official name is “Cloud Gate”) and for the music he hired Chicago’s Four Star Brass Band. Finally, he made sure the entire thing was documented by wedding photographer Emma Mullins.

Gabriel  told Sueyi they were meeting at The Bean for a friend’s birthday celebration.

As they arrived, the brass band broke into “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.”

Gabriel walked up to a karaoke machine that just happened to be set up there.

While we don’t have video documentation of the moment, witnesses agree that he killed it.

Finishing the song on one knee and with a ring in his hand, Gabriel asked Sueyi to marry him, and she tearfully said yes.

Parents, friends, and a celebratory cake suddenly appeared and everyone wished them well.

Props

A karaoke machine

A brass band

A public place to set the scene

Location: Chicago’s Millennial Park

Or any other public square with good photography potential.

Cost: $1,000 – $1,500

As you’d expect with a more elaborate proposal, this one doesn’t come cheap. If you factor in the live band, the karaoke machine, and the photographer, you’re looking at north of $1000. Fortunately, the venue for this one is free.

Concerns

There’s not a ton that could go wrong with this proposal, other than a rejection of your offer, which is theoretically true of any proposal. Of course, you might get in trouble with the park authorities, if there are rules against making too much noise. And there is always the possibility that someone else will start using the karaoke machine before you get your big moment. But all and all we think it’s worth it.

All photographs by:

 Emma Mullins Photography

https://emullinsphoto.com/

Instagram: @emullinsphotogram

Facebook: @emullinsphoto

The band he hired was Four Star Brass Band

http://www.fourstarbrassband.com/

Facebook + Instagram: @fourstarbrassband