Telling someone that you love them and want to spend the rest of your life with them is a very hard thing to do. When you don’t have any idea how to make it as heartfelt and special as the individual, you might need to ask someone for help. For all you guys out there that might need some help, here is a recent engagement that I arranged.
Our guest was coming from overseas for their first trip to Chicago as a couple. He wanted to propose on 9/9/09 in a romantic location, have an officiant present to go through a small ceremony, take a limo ride, and then go for dinner. But, not knowing how to go about it without spending a ton of money, he contacted me to help.
First, we needed to agree on a location and time. About a block from the hotel, there is a small park adjacent to Michigan Ave. that has a wonderful white gazebo that has been used by numerous weddings. As for the time, it had to be at sunset for the maximum effect.
Second, we needed someone to officiate a small ceremony – not something normally requested. I got in contact with a reverend that performs civil and religious ceremonies and after speaking with her, she gave me some sample ceremonies to choose from and customize. I gave the information to the guest and he added in vows (his and hers) plus a poem to read during the ceremony. Since they were not planning on going to City Hall to fill out the proper paperwork, this would not be official, but still memorable. The reverend was gracious enough to include an unofficial marriage certificate as well as a binder that included all parts of their ceremony.
Third, we needed a restaurant fit for a special occasion but wouldn’t break the bank. I called the Chef Concierge at the Park Hyatt Hotel and enlisted her help with a special dinner at NoMi. This progressive French restaurant has excellent service, a great wine menu, plus they have a great window table that overlooks the Water Tower plaza – perfect for this occasion.
Lastly, I arranged a white stretch limo to pick them up after the ceremony and take them around town before dinner. Nothing too complex for a concierge, but perfect for the occasion.
The Plan:
Now that it had all been arranged, how do we get the girl to go along with everything without finding out? After talking with the guest we came to the conclusion that I would create something saying they won a free dinner through the hotel and needed to be in the lobby at 7 p.m. to go to the restaurant. I also agreed to walk them through the neighborhood to show them some sights on the way to the restaurant, conveniently passing by the gazebo where the reverend would be. Proposal, ceremony, pictures, car, and dinner – it sounded like a great plan.
Problem – I had to come up with a believable reason why they won a free dinner. I thought and thought and finally drafted a letter stating they were picked at random for this dinner because all Millennium Hotels in the U.S. were directed to provide a special “gift” to one of their guests. For the Knickerbocker, it was a special “White” dinner to honor the 1893 World’s Fair – The White City. Note: This dinner was just a creation of my imagination and nothing to do with NoMi - although it is a cool idea…I also added in that the chef requested them to wear white clothing to go with the theme. I presented this letter upon check in and explained in detail about how they were chosen, when to meet me for the tour, and the special dinner that the hotel had created for them.
Note: It was a long letter with plenty of hotel jargon but very believable – mainly because I wrote it using my General Manager, who is also the SVP Operations USA, as the author…Sorry Mr. Kinnear.
Fast forward to the big day:
Of course there is always something that changes – this time it was the location. There was a better park near Navy Pier that has a great view of downtown plus a ledge going over the water; small change, but well worth it.
The couple met me in the lobby at 7 p.m. as directed, each wearing some white clothing. I explained we were going to stop off at one attraction before dinner so I could further explain the concept for their “White” dinner. We rode in the limo to the park where I spoke about the typhoid fever outbreak of 1892, construction and importance of the Water Filtration Plant, different buildings that create the skyline, and ended it with a photo of the couple overlooking the water. After the photo, the gentleman got on one knee and proposed. I went over a got the reverend, who was dressed in white and sitting nearby. The ceremony started and I continued to take pictures – it was full of love, laughter, and tears. After they were pronounced husband and wife, they signed the certificate and made it somewhat official. The four of us walked back to the limo and the newly wed couple was off for their mini tour and dinner at NoMi. For me, the job was almost done; I headed back to the hotel to decorate the room. Rose petals, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries awaited them for their return.
It was a great plan that turned out to be the perfect evening.
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