The story behind the Balboa Park flash mob proposal:
Allison and I have been together for four years, and I knew that I wanted to propose to her in a very special and unique way. Being a dancer, I thought that doing a flash mob would be an exciting way to do it. I scoured YouTube for hours watching people's videos. While all of them were great, I wanted this to be different — a step above what was already out there if you will.
Since I had previous dance background, I knew I had to have a certain caliber of dance skill, which is when my hunt for dance teams who actually performed flash mobs began. The initial few dance studios that I had reached out to were unavailable for the date I had chosen. Fortunately, they were kind enough to point me in a few other directions that eventually led me to StudioFX.
After our initial meeting, it was agreed that StudioFX would generate the choreography and I would come in to learn it. The difficult part was being able to get away from Allison late at night to attend class and learn (since practice starts at 9 p.m.). I had to make up a story that I was helping another friend choreograph for his sister's wedding and the groom and best man both had unusual schedules. She was trusting enough not to question it.
To add a dash of flare to the mix, I asked two of my good friends/co-workers (whom are now my best men), to help me make this an even more memorable day by joining the performance. They happily agreed. We practiced before work, which eventually transitioned to practicing at the studio.
With all this preparation, I wanted to make sure that I could capture that day in all of its essence. Knowing that one of my good friends was a wedding videographer for OmniStories, I asked him and his team to capture the moment. They also happily agreed. One of the great things about the way this day was captured was that OmniStories was able to be worked into the choreography. They attended late night practice and all!
With the dance troupe and camera crew, this proposal was going to have to take place somewhere large enough to accommodate us but still be a beautiful backdrop. That's where Balboa Park fits in. For this significant milestone in our lives, this will be forever a special place for us to relive this memory time after time.
Lastly, I knew that I wanted our family and friends to share in this exciting moment with us! An email was sent out giving all the details with our expected walking path with estimated times, locations and safe zones in Balboa Park. It would ruin the surprise if Allison saw multiple people she knew!
Jonathan Gerodias and Allison Harrison will be married on Nov. 14, 2015.
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