Dayton Art Institute Marriage Proposal Art Museum

Renting Out The Art Museum

In 2024, this awesome groom-to-be hired me to photograph his marriage proposal at the Dayton Art Institute. At first, I thought he would be proposing outside. Incorrect! He actually rented out the entire museum after hours as part of an extravagant surprise. I didn’t know the DAI did this type of one-off event but was delighted to learn they do. As the day arrived, I was so excited to see how it would unfold.

When I arrived, I was greeted by the museum staff, who showed me the night’s setup. A dinner table was set on the balcony in the Gothic cloister. In the center of the cloister was a light projected design where he would later propose. There was also pre-planned audio for the evening. I love this Dayton venue!

As they arrived, I started photographing. They hung up their coats and walked the halls of the museum for about 10 minutes. Upon entering the cloister, I had to stand still behind a pillar so they would not hear me. Finally, after dinner, they got up to dance. At that point, it felt ok to come out and freely photograph. I photographed 4 songs, and then he proposed. It was an amazing moment, and of course, she said yes. Immediately after, they got in the limousine and headed back to Cincinnati.

Feeling Special And Lucky To Photograph This Dayton Art Institute Marriage Proposal

Being hired to photograph a wedding is special, but a marriage proposal is much more intimate. Usually, it is just the couple-to-be-engaged and me. It is a high-pressure situation since I don’t know exactly where the question will be asked. I do my best to stay hidden but also to capture the moment. The fact that I am invited into such a sweet and personal moment is never lost on me.

Spookiness Of An Empty Museum

We’ve all seen “Night At The Museum,” and I was pretty sure nothing was going to come alive that night. Still, walking among paintings and sculptures from centuries ago, alone and in the dark, was a little unnerving. All told, there was the couple, two DAI employees, two caterers, and me. The people in the paintings and the people carved out of marble far outnumbered us. It was spooky but such an honor to be allowed into the museum after hours. Thanks, DAI and DAIevents!