Austin had been carrying a ring around for four months by the time he finally got Sydney to Austin for what turned into a Sekrit Theater proposal. Two other plans had already fallen apart on him, a trip to Mexico and a return trip to Japan, both cancelled for reasons that had nothing to do with him. So when a weekend in Austin came together, he didn’t waste it. Sydney had never been to the city, which meant she had no reason to suspect anything was off about a guy asking her to dress up for brunch.

Planning a Sekrit Theater Proposal Around Two Trips That Fell Through

The city carried some weight for the two of them already. Their first vacation as a couple happened here, and they came back a second time on their own for Formula 1, without the usual group of friends who tend to end up on every trip they take. That second visit was rare for them, just the two of them, no one else invited along. So when Austin needed a place that felt like it belonged to just them, Austin was the obvious answer.

Getting the Setup Right

Sydney wanted nothing showy, so a big marry me sign was never on the table. Austin wanted the setup to say something more specific about the two of them instead, so he printed photos from different points over the years, moments when he had thought about proposing and talked himself out of it. His mom brought those in frames along with the champagne. I handled the linen, the flowers, the ice bucket, and the flutes. We lined the frames along the brick ledge where the greenhouse windows start, set a small iron table with the bouquet and champagne on ice, and ran rose petals across the checkerboard floor toward the spot where Austin planned to kneel.

A guitarist was positioned off to the side, close enough that Sydney would hear him the second she walked in, out of the way of the actual proposal photos. Austin’s parents helped get everything in place that morning, then moved to a second building on the property to stay out of sight until it was over.

The Moment

Sydney walked in still talking, still expecting brunch, and stopped mid sentence when she saw the petals on the floor. Her hand went to her mouth. Austin was already down on one knee. She said yes before he finished the sentence, both of them laughing, and then she was in his arms with her face pressed into his shoulder for a long minute before either of them said much else.

Champagne, Dancing, and the Rest of the Property

Sekrit Theater does this to people every time, which is part of what makes it such a good spot for a proposal. From the street it looks like a run down fence in front of someone’s house. Walk around back and it opens into a greenhouse full of brick and ivy that has nothing to do with what you just walked past. I love shooting proposals here for exactly that reason. The place hides what it actually is right up until the moment you’re standing inside it, which is not a bad way to describe a proposal either.

Booking a Sekrit Theater proposal means working out the small stuff ahead of time, from where your family waits to how much detail goes into the setup. If you are weighing this spot against others in Austin, send me a message and we can map out what fits the two of you.