Currently unfolding online is the multi-city, multi-day “surprise engagement” of fashion blogger Marissa Fuchs to her longtime BF Gabriel Grossman.
Social media went into a mini-frenzy when Fuchs, known as @fashionambitionist, posted a video to Instagram of Grossman announcing he had planned an elaborate scavenger hunt to pop the question. However, it may not be as much of a surprise as many initially thought.
Related: Bride’s Future Mother-In-Law Wears White To Her Wedding Day!
Ch-ch-check out the video in question:
Seems romantic… right?
From there, Marissa ran around NYC, all while documenting the “adventure,” before shortly after making a trip to the Hamptons, and then to Miami. Along the way, she’s been gifted jewelry, been photographed, gotten glammed, gone shopping, and met with friends.
Before heading to Miami, one of her friends hopped onto Fuchs’ Instagram Stories to say:
“It’s come to our attention that a lot of people somehow got into their hands the rest of the plans for Marissa’s adventure, and we are asking that you guys kindly keep this information to yourself. Do not post about it, do not tell anyone about it. Definitely don’t send any info to Marissa. You don’t want to be the one to ruin this for her.”
Around the same time, a pitch deck — typically used for advertising campaigns — began to circulate online that detailed the entire itinerary for the whirlwind journey. Included in the deck are specific times and locations for potential branded moments, outwardly asking for brands to “align with this momentous occasion,” stating that the engagement will come alive “with the help of Marissa’s most beloved brands.”
I do love studying pitch decks. This one, for a viral "surprise wedding proposal" for a fashion influencer, is something else. pic.twitter.com/A1IHWcEXDc
— Andrien Gbinigie (@EscoBlades) June 20, 2019
According to reports, the deck was circulated ahead of the scavenger hunt — and while it’s unclear if partnerships were scored, the Goop director of brand partnership’s has prominently featured and tagged numerous companies for their gifted goods and services.
It’s important to note that no where in the pitch deck does it actually say that this was a surprise for her. Sure, they’ve been together for a long time, so she must have known he would pop the question at some point… but don’t you think it should be noted somewhere in the deck that THIS IS A SURPRISE FOR HER?
Grossman, the soon-to-be fiancé spoke to The Atlantic, who first broke the news, and was adamant that his future bride had no prior knowledge of the deck, but explained that it was her friend Elicia Blaine Evans, formerly on the social media teams of Michael Kors and Audi, who helped put things together, not Marissa.
Furthermore, he clarified that they received no direct payment for any of her 300+ posts to her 196k followers, but did receive a free private class from FlyWheel, free glam services from GlamSquad, and a discount on Jade Trau jewelry, among other perks.
None of these perks were advertised as #gifted, #spon, or #sponsored, as most influencers would use to indicate that they were working in some capacity with a brand. The Federal Trade Commission has cracked down over the past several years on influencers who have failed to disclose such information to their followers.
Gabe, who works in finance, explained his reasoning behind such an elaborate proposal:
“I was trying to do something that I knew Marissa would love. It’s not like the rest of my life is going on Bravo. I can be public for a bit for this one moment in our lives, then it will go back to normal.”
Per WWD, a source at Goop says that many at the company led by Gwyneth Paltrow were surprised by the extensive branding, but had no knowledge or prior involvement of it.
Fuchs’ has already documented every step of the over-the-top proposal, and there are still multiple days and cities left according to the deck, so it’s expected that more will continue to unfold as the days go on. He hasn’t even actually asked her to marry him yet!!
Don’t be surprised if this shows up as episode of Black Mirror next season!
What do U think of this proposal, Perezcious reader?! Share your thoughts (below) in the comments!
[Image via Marissa Fuchs/Instagram.]
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