Quick answer: A Times Square billboard proposal works best when you book a dated, timed screen slot, send the operator your photos and words, and place the couple and photographer facing the screen before the message plays.
If Times Square is still one option among several, our guide to the best places to propose in nyc compares the alternatives. This guide covers the booking sequence and where everyone stands once you have chosen the screens.
Choosing your route to a billboard message
There are two realistic ways to get words onto a Times Square screen. You can book directly through a billboard display service, or buy a proposal package from a company that arranges the display for you. The right choice depends on how much planning you want to hand over.
- Direct display booking suits couples who want control. One billboard service starts the process by asking you to select your preferred date and time for the display. You decide the slot and manage the photography yourself or add it at checkout.
- A proposal package suits couples who want a map and support. Proposal007 sells a Times Square package that includes a detailed map and planning support. That is useful if you have never stood in the area before the day.
- A photographer add-on suits anyone proposing as a surprise. You cannot hold the ring and a camera at once, and a second person who knows when the message plays removes a lot of risk.
Whichever route you pick, confirm the display length and total price in writing before paying. Display length depends on the package, and a screen that plays your message briefly leaves little room for error.
Screens and operators at a glance
The Times Square Alliance lists several operators selling Times Square screens: Clear Channel Outdoor, BIG Outdoor, Branded Cities, Dream Outdoor and Heritage Outdoor. Clear Channel Outdoor describes itself as the US market leader in spectacular sign displays. The table shows screens named on the Alliance advertising page and what each means for a proposal plan.
| Screen | Location and size | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Everest Digital (formerly the American Eagle sign) | 46th and Broadway; 6,200 square feet | A very large canvas, so a short message stays readable from a distance. |
| ABC SuperSign | 3,685 square feet electronic icon | Smaller than the largest screens, but a recognisable backdrop for photos. |
| Times Square Gateway | Double-stacked digital units at 50th and Broadway, facing north | Work out which direction you will face before choosing a standing spot. |
| Broadway Beacon | 49th and 7th; curved full-motion unit, 31 ft x 109 ft | The curve and motion make the message dynamic, so ask how it will display. |
| Broadway Plaza Digital | Above a main pedestrian plaza where street performances take place | Easy for a couple and photographer to stand below and look up. |
| 7 Times Square unit | Visible as far as Central Park South | Shows the message can be seen from a long way off. |
These details come from the Times Square Alliance advertising page, which describes advertising inventory; which screens carry proposal messages depends on the operator or package you book.
The same page describes a sync option in which one advertiser dominates all six screens at once, and roadblocks that give an advertiser full share for an extended period. Those are advertiser formats rather than proposal packages, but they show how screens can be combined. If a provider offers a multi-screen sequence, ask which screens play and in what order, because it changes where you should stand.
Booking a message step by step
Book as far ahead as your chosen provider allows, then work through the steps in this order.
- Pick a date and time. Choose the slot first, because it fixes the light, the crowd and the photographer’s schedule. The booking flow begins with this choice.
- Choose the package and screens. Ask which screens will show your message and whether it plays once or repeatedly.
- Prepare your content. For Proposal007’s package you submit five high-resolution, bright pictures and words. Check the exact specifications with whichever provider you use.
- Add the photographer at checkout. The billboard service offers a Photoshoot Add-On, and its photographer reaches out after you book.
- Agree a meeting point. The photo session starts at an agreed location in Times Square, so settle it with the photographer in advance rather than on the day.
- Rehearse the arrival. Walk your partner to the viewing spot without giving the game away, and allow time for the crowd.
Keep the confirmation details with someone you trust. If the plan changes, that person can tell the photographer.
Where the couple and photographer should stand
Stand where the whole screen is in view, with open space between you and the display. Pedestrian areas such as Duffy Square and the Broadway plaza are natural places to look for room, though the right spot depends on which screen you booked.
Proposal007’s layout has five large screens and two big side screens. If your package uses that arrangement, stand far enough back to take in all of them together, because standing too close forces you to tilt the camera upward and cuts off the edges. Broadway Plaza Digital sits above a main pedestrian plaza, so a viewing spot directly below it puts you under the screen. Step back from there if you want the message and the couple in one frame.
Place the photographer to one side and slightly behind the couple, so the camera sees the couple’s faces and the screen over their shoulders. Agree a simple signal for the moment the message starts. The billboard service describes the photographer’s work as perfectly timed shots to capture your billboard moment where applicable, so give them your exact slot and the screen you are watching.
Timing the message and the light
Choose the slot you can control rather than the one that looks best in theory. The screens are the brightest thing in the area after dark, and photos around dusk can show both the sky and the display. Look up the sunset time for your date on a sunset calendar and set the slot relative to it. If your package restricts the times you can pick, take the earliest slot that gives your partner a clear view.
Crowds are the other variable. Tell the photographer about any busy-hour concerns when you agree the meeting point.
Photos from the add-on come as 10 professionally shot and edited photos, delivered digitally within 5 business days. If you plan to announce the engagement the same evening, take your own phone shots as well.
Writing a message that reads on a screen
Short messages work best on a screen people glance at from a distance. Keep the words few, put the question or names first, and let the pictures carry the emotion. Typical choices are a first-name greeting, a shared joke or date, and a direct question. Because packages ask for bright, high-resolution images, pick photos with clear faces and light backgrounds rather than dark or busy ones.
Check spelling with your provider before the slot is locked, because a mistake on a screen of this size is difficult to hide in photos.
Troubleshooting on the day
- Your partner is looking the wrong way. Choose the viewing spot so the screen is in front of you both, and avoid arriving from a side street where the screen is behind you.
- The photographer cannot find you. Use the agreed meeting location and text them a short description of what you are wearing.
- The message plays early or late. Be at the spot well before your slot starts, and ask the provider how closely the start time is followed.
- The crowd blocks the view. Move to open space in a pedestrian area and let the photographer reposition, since the screen is large enough to read from further back.
- Photos are not ready yet. Delivery can take up to 5 business days, so do not plan a same-day reveal around them.
When another location suits better
Times Square suits couples who like noise, energy and an audience. If you would prefer a quieter setting, our guide to the best places to propose in central park covers calmer options, and brooklyn proposal ideas cover the other boroughs.
Frequently asked questions
How does a Times Square billboard proposal work from booking to display?
You choose a date and time, send your photos and words, and the operator displays them on the screens in your slot. A photographer can be added at checkout and meets you at an agreed location.
Where should the couple stand to see the message?
Stand in open pedestrian space with a clear view of the whole screen, such as the area below Broadway Plaza Digital. Confirm the exact spot with your provider, since it depends on which screens carry your message.
Can a photographer be included?
Yes. One billboard service offers a Photoshoot Add-On at checkout, and its photographer contacts you afterwards to arrange the session.
How many photos do you receive?
The photoshoot add-on includes 10 edited photos, delivered digitally within 5 business days.
Which companies run Times Square screens?
The Times Square Alliance lists Clear Channel Outdoor, BIG Outdoor, Branded Cities, Dream Outdoor and Heritage Outdoor among the operators.
