A Park Proposal
It took only one visit for Tanmay Shetty to decide that Avondale Park was the perfect place to pop the question
photos by Clay Causey
Prior to July, Tanmay Shetty and Chloe Williams had never been to Avondale Park. Now the park holds a special place in their heart, and they hope to return often.
That’s because on July 18, Tanmay dropped to one knee on the stage of the park’s amphitheater and asked Chloe if she would marry him. And this was no spur-of-the-moment proposal. Tanmay has specifically chosen Avondale Park to be the site for this memorable moment, and had carefully planned the occasion to the point that family members and friends were in attendance.
So why Avondale Park, especially since neither of them lives in the Avondale area? Well, Tanmay works as an architectural associate and Chloe is a landscape designer, and Tanmay says he was looking for a place that blended their two passions.
On the recommendation of a friend – photographer Clay Causey of Lucky Shot Media – Tanmay stopped by the park in early July to check it out. He quickly determined it was the ideal proposal location.
“I just fell in love with how good the park looked,” Tanmay says. “It has interesting architecture, and at the same time it’s out in nature with the lake and the rose garden, so it combines things we both like. It’s just a beautiful, peaceful park that I knew Chloe would love. It was an easy decision for me.”
Friends of Avondale Park member Claire Parker happened to be working in the rose garden that day (as she often does), so Tanmay approached her and mentioned his proposal plans. Claire told Tanmay she could help him have access to the storage facilities on the side of the amphitheater stage, so family members and friends could hide there before the couple arrived.
Barely a week later, Tanmay told Chloe he wanted her to go with him to a work event being held at Avondale Park. When they arrived, Chloe commented that there didn’t appear to be anything special taking place, so Tanmay suggested they check the amphitheater. As soon as they got there, family and friends emerged, Causey began taking photos and Tanmay popped the question.
“That was the first time Chloe had ever been to Avondale Park,” Tanmay says. “Now we’ll want to visit it for years to come.”