A goth couple from Southern California recently celebrated their engagement in a uniquely fitting location: in front of a blooming corpse flower at The Huntington in San Marino. The proposal took place on Tuesday, with videos of the event circulating online.
The couple, identified as Nick and Laura, selected the notoriously odorous Amorphophallus titanum, also known as the Titan Arum or corpse flower, as the backdrop for their commitment. The flowers, nicknamed Odorysseus and Odora, reached their peak bloom at The Huntington on Monday and are on public display until July 19.
"He just felt like it was the right place," Laura told The California Post. She shared that her fiancé, who is typically shy, began planning the proposal as soon as he learned the flower would bloom, ordering the ring shortly thereafter. "I cried, I know how much he loves me and how much this must mean to him to do this in front of everyone," Laura added, noting that her fiancé was "ecstatic" she said yes.
The couple plans to incorporate their unusual engagement into their wedding theme, which they describe as "Black metal wedding with coffin cookies and a corpse paint table."
The Titan Arum is one of the rarest flowers in the world, known for its immense size, growing over 12 feet tall, and its brief blooming period of about 48 hours, which occurs only once every few years. Native to the rainforests of Indonesia's Sumatra island, fewer than 1,000 are estimated to survive in the wild. The flower's distinctive smell, often compared to rotting flesh, is crucial for attracting pollinators.
The Huntington has a history of displaying the corpse flower, having first hosted one in 1999. Since then, the institution has exhibited 29 blooms, drawing significant public interest. The Huntington estate itself is a 207-acre property featuring a library with rare items like the Gutenberg Bible, an art museum with a diverse collection, and botanical gardens showcasing over 83,000 living plants across 18 themed gardens.