A Perfect Proposal

I have helped coordinate many special events over the years, but this past week’s Pop-the-Question set up was certainly the most meaningful. My twin sister is the most important person in my life, so when her boyfriend Brian asked me to help him plan a romantic engagement proposal I couldn’t help but feel a whirlwind of excitement. Brian wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary while still keeping a low profile. Ever since Kate played the drums in her high school marching band music has been a huge part of her life and Brian wanted to incorporate this into his proposal. But instead of a Flash Mob or a big song and dance routine, Brian decided to hire an incredibly talented acoustic duo to perform one of Brian and Kate’s favorite songs. We chose to host this special moment on the legendary Asbury Park Boardwalk which is famously known for its music heritage. Since musicians frequently perform on the boardwalk Kate would never become suspicious of 3 West who would already be in place playing their set.

We selected a weekday afternoon since Brian was supposed to be at work. I casually asked Kate out to lunch that afternoon and chose my favorite restaurant, also located on the AP Boardwalk, to lead her close to our planned proposal location.  It was a gorgeous day, so I parked far away from the restaurant we were planning to go and told Kate that I wanted to take a walk on the boardwalk since I hadn’t been there in some time. I was so nervous while walking her to the location. I could see 3 West already performing and was so afraid that Kate would look up at one of the rooftop lounges and catch a glimpse at the photographer and videographer we had hired to secretly film the event. When we got close to the acoustic group, I led Kate closer to them by pretending to see a dolphin jump out of the water. Knowing that it was her favorite animal, I knew she would stop to look for them. Since she was looking toward the water, her back was turned from the boardwalk, giving Brian the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind her. It is at that moment that 3 West began performing “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys and Brian asked Kate to be his bride. After an awkwardly long moment of silence due to complete shock, Kate muttered the word “Yes” and Brian gave the crowd that had developed, a big thumbs up.

You can see every moment of this proposal portrayed in the images below.

After Brian popped-the-question, they were whisked away by a friendly onlooker who treated them to a celebratory glass of champagne. Later, both families came together to congratulate the couple over a lovely lunch at Stella Marina.

I feel so fortunate to have not only help plan this proposal, but to bear witness to one of the most important moments in my sister’s life. The smile on her face and the joy that both Kate and Brian portrayed is something I will cherish forever. Most importantly, I am grateful to Heyn Photography and Endless Wave Studios for making it possible to share this moment with the couples closest friends and family. I am so happy for my twin sister Kate and incredibly proud to welcome Brian into our family.

Acoustic Duo: 3 West
Photography: Marissa Levin-Rybalov of Heyn Photography
Videography: Greg Lassik of Endless Wave Studios
Event Coordination: Kelly Heyn of SociaLife

Special thank you to Watermark for opening up their rooftop patio to allow Marissa and Greg secretly film this momentous occasion and to Robert Legere Design’s for allowing Brian to hide in their retail shop while waiting for Kate’s arrival. We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and support to make this timeline of events unfold so smoothly.