THE BALLOON MOVIE PROPOSAL

The Short Take

If your future wife is “a Pixar nut and her absolute favorite movie is Up,” (as Glamour magazine put it), what better way to propose than with the film’s iconic balloons?

How He Did It

Joe decided to recreate his girlfriend Laura’s favorite scene from the movie “Up,” which the two of them “have watched so many times” that they could “practically recite it.” It took weeks of hardcore shopping; he visited garage sales and antique shops to hunt down each piece of furniture to make the proposal perfect. Joe even learned how to reupholster to make chairs match their movie counterpart.

Hard to Miss the Balloons and Chairs He Set Up

It took weeks to set up everything, and a few minutes of luck, when the weather cleared up just in time for this personalized proposal. With the help of his father and best friend, he was able to pull it all off, including collecting the 100 iconic, multicolored balloons.

Details Matter: Use Helium, Splurge on Color Range

Props

• Large outdoor space to set up the furniture
• Permits or permission to set up in said large outdoor space
• Two large chairs that resemble the movie’s interior (one with a tall back, one with a short back)
• Several weeks to learn how to reupholster chairs to capture the “movie magic”
• 100 multicolored balloons and something to tie them to

Location: Somewhere completely unexpected…

Find somewhere that she would never expect to find everything set up just so. Joe set up the furniture and balloons outside in the open, completely surprising his now-wife, Laura. 

Did We Mention She Really Likes Balloons?

Caveat: You’re Praying for No Rain

This type of proposal involves getting help from friends and family. If you’re looking to wow your wife to-be with something personalized and grand like Joe did, you’re going to need a meticulous plan—and ample helium.

Prep

You’ll need the furniture, including side tables and lamps, as well as balloons, lots of balloons. If the weather is a concern, consider either covering this set up with a tent or moving it indoors.

Joe had the help of a photographer friend to take the photos in real time. You might want to consider keeping someone (either a photographer or a friend with a camera) on standby to capture the moment.

You Don’t Even Get to Keep the Balloons

What’s important is knowing what movies she likes and what you can do to show her that you want to spend your life doing things that make her happy. That you’re not just full of hot air.

As profiled on Galmour. Photos courtesy of Michael Scicolone.

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