Griffith Observatory is one of the most famous landmarks in the Los Angeles. It has a lot of history, beautiful architecture, and some of the most amazing views of the city. Now you would therefore think that proposing at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is impressive enough. But you are never going to believe the lengths that one of our recent clients went through to make sure his proposal was over the top.
The Proposal Plan
Patrick contacted us and he knew exactly what he wanted. His plan was to take his girlfriend to the famous Griffith Observatory. He would walk her over to one of the telescopes in the back that look over the city (as seen below). He would then spot something in the distance and point to a white object on a rooftop. He would ask her to look through the scope and take a closer look at that object. When she did, she would be in for the surprise of her lifetime! She would see that it was a huge banner that said “Michelle, Will You Marry Me”.
Sounds pretty cool right? Sounds like it would create the perfect surprise right? Yes you are right! But something as unique and cool as this proposal idea had some challenges.
The Challenges of the Proposal
So why did Patrick hire an Engagement Planner if he already had the idea? Well, because bringing the perfect proposal idea to life can often be difficult.
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The Homes Surrounding Griffith Observatory
First, most of the homes around the Griffith Observatory are mansions or close to it. Patrick had no idea how he could get one of the owners to agree to let us put a banner on their rooftop. Also, he wanted a romantic picnic setup in front of the Griffith so that they could celebrate after. He obviously wouldn’t be able to do that if he was with his girlfriend at the time.
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The Right Telescope & Right Angle
The second big challenge was finding the right telescope and finding the perfect angle to use. Lucky for Patrick, yours truly (Marvin from The Heart Bandits) just so happens to have an engineering background and lives for this kind of stuff. We were able to find the perfect house, calculate the distance that the telescope magnified, and last but not lease, figure out exactly how large the banner would need to be. Additionally we made the lettering in the banner large enough so that when viewed through the telescope, it would be easily readable.
Trust us, this was no small challenge! It took us a few trips to Griffith Observatory to make sure that we got everything right because there was no room for error for this proposal story. Below is the house that we used and the proposal sign.
The Marriage Proposal Execution
No job is too big for The Heart Bandits. For this proposal were able to find a home owner that graciously allowed us to climb on her roof and put the proposal banner on the top of it. On the day-of we even had to secure the use of an extension ladder to reach the roof of the house. We got to the roof and put weight son the corners of the banner to make sure the banner didn’t fly away. We placed the banner and then went to the observatory to ensure it was perfect. As we predicted, the banner was perfect and would make for an amazing surprise proposal.
We waited for Patrick to arrive and as soon as he did we rushed right over and setup their romantic picnic at the front. We didn’t want it setup before they arrived because his girlfriend would see it on their walk up.
To make Patrick’s proposal day even better, that day was gorgeous and his girlfriend of course said yes! We are so honored to have been a part of such a romantic marriage proposal. See the beautiful romantic picnic that we set up for them as well.
Tips for Your Own Griffith Observatory Proposal
Yes Patrick’s proposal was awesome! If you want your own proposal at a landmark at Griffith Observatory there’s a lot of things to keep in mind. Here are some tips we learned to help you with your own engagement idea.
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Know the Observatory’s Rules
Research the latest visitor times and rules. Mondays are actually closed so bear that in mind. They also don’t allow amplified music in case you were thinking of having a musician there. Any “events” would have to go through their staff. Some “events” may not be allowed or you may need to pay permit or rental fees.
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Be Mindful of Busy Times
Yes Griffith Observatory is an amazing place. Because it is such an awesome place, that also means that others know it’s an awesome place. Because it’s an awesome place, then that means that many other people want to visit it too. It would kind of be a bummer if you plan on proposing here but the place is jammed pack. Of course, weekends and during the summer it would be more crowded so keep that in mind.
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Parking
The parking lot for Griffith Observatory is rather small. The road that leads up to the Observatory also has street parking. If you end up having to park here, then you may have to take an uphill hike to get to the Observatory. If this happens, make sure that your partner would be ok with that. If she’s decked out in heels and an evening dress, then doing an uphill hike may not have been her idea!
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Seek Help for the Proposal Idea and Planning
The home owner for Patrick’s proposal likely offer her house as a one-time deal probably means that the same idea cannot be done. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have your own great marriage proposal idea at Griffith Observatory there. During Patric’s proposal, we actually thought of some other great ideas in case someone else wanted to do something similar.
If you are interested in having your own great proposal idea at Griffith Park or Observatory, we’re here to help! If you have an idea and you just need help executing it or if you have no clue how you want to propose, we’re here for you! Contact us today!
Michele