Photo booth proposal at New York Deli

by Nathan Cushing Nick Davis and Lindsey Scott had been dating for 18 months. Their first date was at New York Deli, so when Nick decided to propose to Lindsey last month, he knew where it needed to be. “I thought it only appropriate to go back to where it all began.” In May, he […]

September 17, 2012; 6:38 AM • by West of the Boulevard News

by Nathan Cushing

Nick Davis and Lindsey Scott had been dating for 18 months. Their first date was at New York Deli, so when Nick decided to propose to Lindsey last month, he knew where it needed to be. “I thought it only appropriate to go back to where it all began.”

In May, he purchased the ring and contacted the New York Deli manager. He wanted to use the antique photo booth at the restaurant’s rear, and needed the help of restaurant staff.

“The plan was to go in early and take a photo in the photo booth that…asked Lindsey to marry me,” said Nick. He would go by New York Deli ahead of time and take photos inside the booth while holding up a sign reading: _Will you marry me?_ But that didn’t seem good enough to Nick. “It didn’t seem cool or creative enough to just hand it to her with the photos.”

Nick decided to bring Lindsey to the Deli for dinner, where he would coax her into the photo booth. Not only would the photos of them together print, but so would the photos Nick would take earlier in the day with his proposal.

On August 24th, Nick contacted his married friends to convince Lindsey to go on a double date that evening after Lindsey’s 12-hour work shift. “So as I am driving over [to pick her up],” said Nick “I am calling and texting everyone I know that is close to us (family and good friends) letting them know the good news of my planned proposal and inviting them to show up at the Deli at 9:30-9:45.”

“We finally make into the Deli and I kind of feel like an undercover agent. I am getting a thumbs up or a nod or a wink from the bar staff and anyone else that had seen me there earlier, and I worried that it was a little too obvious, but she was completely oblivious to everything.” There was one problem: Lindsey didn’t want to use the photo booth.

“As soon as we sat down,” said Lindsey “he started asking immediately and frequently” for them to take photos together. “I was thinking to myself, ‘We just ordered food, why can’t it wait until afterwards?’” She decided to go along with Nick’s request to “get the photo over with” so he would quit bugging her. It took seven minutes before the photos printed. When they did, Lindsey was curious as why there were _two_ strips and not one.

“I was confused and it really didn’t click until I turned around and I saw Nick on one knee holding a beautiful ring. I think I was so nervous with everyone watching and just for the fact that this is one of the moments you always think about growing up. I began to hysterically laugh and smile, and I can’t honestly remember what I said to him, but I know I said _Yes!_.”

“The whole bar erupted in cheering and applause,” said Nick. “People bought us drinks and came up to us saying how cool of a proposal, and what a great idea it was. It was amazing.”

Nick and Lindsey plan to marry on a farm in Altavista, VA next fall.