Last week I had the opportunity to meet a very interesting and fun couple,Melanie and Rick. They came to my home to meet with me about their wedding photography. Our meeting was one of the most interesting and fun client meetings I can recall. They told me that the wedding was to be at The Huntingdon Valley Country Club.
As the meeting went on I could tell they were fans of my work. More importantly we just hit it off. We spoke to each other like friends. I could tell they were a fun couple, good sports and very much in love,just the type of folks I love to work with. As the evening went on Rick had mentioned that he met Dave Grohl. I also had met Dave ,in Times Square NYC just walking down the street. I have met many celebrities some talk with you some not. So I was figuring it was kinda like one of those “hey I got his autograph things” no not even close…. I was BLOWN AWAY !
Here is their story in Rick and Melanie’s own words and pictures!
Foo Fighters Memphis Proposal 05/20/2011
We boarded the plane in Philly at 5:50 AM on May 20th and ended up in Memphis, TN. After picking up our rental car and checking in at the Hotel, we head to the Gibson Memphis Factory. As a woman, Melanie had to primp herself, making us late for our tour at the Gibson factory. When we arrived at Gibson we had missed our 12 o’clock tour and had to wait for the next one. We decided to walk across the street to the Fedex Forum the where the Foo Fighters were playing that night. After a while we headed into the Starbucks across the street for some water. It was May and it was hot! Before walking into the Starbucks, I said to Melanie, “What is with your obsessions with Starbucks?“ We walked in and asked for 2 bottles of water when we both overheard a conversation. I looked over my shoulder and saw long hair and tattoos. I took a double take and we both realized that it was Dave Grohl, from the Foo Fighters. He was just about to leave while I’m franticly trying to pay for the bottles of waters. Finally we both approach Dave. We introduce ourselves and talked to him for a minute, when I turn to Melanie and say “I need to talk to Dave in private.” She looked at me like I was crazy but listens and goes outside. At this time people realize that Dave Grohl is in Starbucks and he’s getting ready to go. I have to ask him a favor and I can’t let this chance slip away, so I approach him and say “Dave, can I talk to you for a second?” He says yes and I told him that we flew down from Philly to see them and that the Foo Fghters were the first show Melanie and I saw together when we started dating in 2007. Finally I said, “I want to ask her to marry me and I was wondering if you could help me out.” Dave responds, “No bullshit, your gonna do it, right?” I told him I had the ring and he tells me his game plan. I wrote my name down on a piece a paper and he said “I’ll put you on the list.” He finally wiggles his way out of the crowd of people in Starbucks and while he is walking out the door he turns to Melanie and says, “I’ll see you at the show!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaFNBp6bYsA
The rest of the day, I was a nervous wreck and Melanie could tell. I constantly was checking the will call window for the passes, but they never came. I started to think that maybe this was not going to happen, when I saw a security guard holding a door open to the Fed Ex Forum. I began to talk out loud to myself, wondering if I should talk to her. Melanie, at this point, was becoming upset because I was not acting like myself. She turns to me and says, “Just go and talk to her. STOP!” So that’s what I did. As I talked to this woman, she stopped Tim, the venue promoter. I pled my case, showing him the picture we took with Dave, and our tickets. He said he would talk with the tour manager and come find me in the stands during the show to let me know what is going on.
We went for dinner and I still had no clue what was going on. My stomach was in knots, so we tried to find the lightest food in Memphis, since everything is bbq and friend. This happened to be the Hard Rock Café. We walked in and they were playing, on continuous rotation, the Foo Fighters. This was killing me. After barely eating dinner, we went to the show.
The first band played. Then Motorhead came on. Still nothing. Then, as Motorhead started playing one of the last songs in their set, I saw a silhouette of a man. He waved me down. It was Tim, the venue promoter. He slipped me passes. Quickly, I handed them to Melanie and we put them on. Then we tried to get on the floor so I could follow Dave’s plan from this morning. The venue staff weren’t letting us down, so eventually I found Tim and he told me to relax, enjoy the show, and he would come a get us.
The show was awesome, but Melanie was so nervous because she didn’t know what was going on. Eventually, All My Life came on and Tim came to get us. I literally pulled Melanie out of the row and ran down the stairs. We walked down the aisle of the floor, following Tim. He took us backstage. I was set. No butterflies. I knew it was going to happen. Melanie, on the other hand, was not. She had no clue what was going on. She tried to hold my hand, but I wouldn’t since I was holding the ring. I think this gave her a little hint. We were backstage, waiting, when Dave started to tell the story about Starbucks and the favor that was asked of him. He brought me on stage, bantered a little, but then gave me to mic to tell the real reason I was up on stage with one of the biggest rock bands in the world: I wanted to ask my girlfriend to marry me. The crowd roared. My girlfriend of almost 4 years, who is never quite and is always in a rush, walked s-l-o-w-l-y on stage. I got down on one knee, with prompting from Chris Shiflett, the guitar player. I did it. Melanie said the screaming was so loud, she couldn’t even hear what I was saying, but she knew what it was. She had no words and just put her hand out.
The Foo’s then kept us onstage and sat us on Taylor Hawkins’s drum riser. Dave then said, “This one’s for the happy couple.“ They dedicated Everlong to us. The whole band was so nice and congratulated us on our engagement. Seriously, the nicest guys ever. When we were leaving the venue, people were screaming, “CONGRATULATIONS! and honking at us in the street. We were recognized throughout our trip in Memphis, from Graceland to Behle Street and everywhere in between.
Rick
P.S. Thanks guys for choosing me as your photographer:) I look forward to a very Foo Fightin’ Wedding!
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