Help with Chicago Proposal - Buckingham Fountain

[BB2]

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I will be traveling to Chicago at the end of next month and I'm thinking of proposing while we are there. I haven't been to Chicago in quite some time, but I was thinking the Buckingham Fountain would be a nice spot to pop the question.

If I recall, the fountain has a beautiful light show at night. I thought it might be cool to go out for a nice dinner, take a walk and propose while checking out the fountain. Naturally, I have some concerns. I'm hoping some Chicago people may be able to help.

-How crowded do you think the fountain would be on a Thursday or Friday night around 9 PM? I don't mind if a few people are standing around, but a big crowd would sorta kill the romance.
-How late does the park stay open? Is it a pretty safe place to hang out after dark?
-Do you think the dim lighting would be a poor spot to debut a diamond ring?

If you have any other suggestions or Chicago proposal stories, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[jjdav]

Hi BB2,

First of all, congrats! Second, my fiance and I were attempting to book our wedding ceremony in the Rose Gardens near the fountain for 6/26 and found out that the Taste of Chicago (world''s biggest food festival) is starting on that very same day. This event will run for about 10 days and we were told by the City Parks department that there will be potentially thousands of people milling around in that general area. Since you mentioned you will be in Chicago at the end of June, I thought I''d give you a heads up.

Best of luck with your proposal!

 

[Ashley21]

Wow! Buckingham Fountain sounds like a beautiful place to pop the question, especially at night with all the lights. Good luck! I''m sure she''ll love it.

 

[brilliant fire]

You might want to have a backup location in mind because the fountain was (is still?) being restored. See is the Chicago Park District has any information about it.

 

[Narwhal]

The fountain is now open and operating. I don't see it much at night, only drive by to and from work, so I'm not sure about crowds around that time. But options if you get there and its not working would be a quick walk into the parks, to the water front or to the Bean/millennium park.

Usually things in the Loops are considered safe. Just be smart. I've hung out in the parks late but usually for things like the Taste or Fireworks.

But if you are coming at the end of June, the Taste will have taken over. There will be people, but i think it starts to wind down later at night.

Another AMAZING spot would be on top of the Hancock Tower. There is a bar up there, so you dont have to spend a fortune on dinner to get the view, you can just drop in and get a seat. Def a gorgeous view. If you make it up there for your trip, make sure she uses the bathroom. Thats the best view.

 

[vetrogrl]

If you''re planning on going at the end of June the Taste of Chicago will be going on through the weekend of 4th of July. Which means large masses of people. The last 2 years I''ve been downtown during that time was hectic...but its up to you...just a heads up from a Chicago person...