Cheering fans, salty peanuts, and the spirit of competition might not scream romance to every couple, but if you and your girlfriend love the Boston Red Sox (almost) as much as you love each other, Fenway Park might be the perfect place to pop the question. (Unsure whether she’ll be rah-rah about a stadium proposal? Check out our Stadium Proposal Q&A to help you decide!)
Here’s what you need to know to pull off a marriage proposal in Fenway Park, courtesy of Stephanie Maneikis, coordinator of Fenway Fan Services & Entertainment.
When to Book: To see your marriage proposal in lights on the Fenway Park scoreboard, messages must be requested at least two days before the game, but many fill up well before. If you want to propose while the Sox take on AL East foes the Yankees, for instance, be sure to reserve your date way before the two-day deadline.
Who to Contact: To place your request, call (617) 226-6237 -- you’ll want to speak with someone in the Fan Services & Entertainment Department.
How It Goes Down: Since a proposal every half-inning might make the moment lose its luster by the seventh-inning stretch, Fenway Park allows only one proposal per game. “We try to keep that pretty strict to make it special for the couple involved,” Maneikis says. In 2009, the messages were posted in the fifth inning. The park also makes sure a Fenway ambassador is in the stands near you (discreetly, of course, so as not to ruin the surprise) to ensure everything goes smoothly.
What It’ll Cost You: In 2009, a scoreboard proposal cost a minimum $250 donation (the rate is subject to change in 2010), and it’s completely for a good cause. The donation goes to the Red Sox Foundation, the official team charity of the Boston Red Sox, which focuses on serving the health, educational, recreational, and social-service needs of low-income families across New England.
Rain Delay Insurance: Rain on the wedding day may be auspicious, but it’s a downer when you’re planning a stadium proposal. In the case of a rain delay, the proposal is good for the makeup game. If the ring is burning an unbearable hole in your pocket and you just can’t wait, just contact Fan Services and have the message put up before you leave the stadium.
-- Justine Lorelle Blanchard