The Most Amazing Marriage Proposal Ever
Really, this is not only sweet and moving (and yes, I laughed…I cried…) it’s also entirely unfair. For those poor saps not yet married, there’s simply no way they’ll ever top this.
For those of us already married, we must hang our heads in shame. It’s not just the creativity of the proposal, either—for me, the wonderful thing about this video is seeing all the friends and family who helped out.
Marriage isn’t just between two people, after all. It’s a social contract that is as much about family and community as it is about love; or rather, it’s about a broader kind of love than merely romance. The terrible thing about divorce is often not merely the end of a marriage, but the awkward and devastating impact of that separation on children, extended family, friends, and so forth.
I don’t want to preach politics here, but I do want to note that this is why I consider myself pro-family, and why I think it would be good if more people were given the right to marry rather than fewer. (It’s also why I tend to support pro-family politics such as better safety-nets, paid maternity—and paternity—leave, and education spending.)
Marriage should bring communities and families closer together, even if that isn’t always easy. Perhaps widening the scope of who is allowed to marry in this society would help heal some deep and persistent wounds.
In any case, this is fantastic. What a joy to watch.
Shame? Not me, brother. I asked my wife to marry me at the top of the Eiffel Tower, just as the sun was slipping beneath the western horizon.Report
Yeah well, for those of us who’ve never even been to France, this puts us to shame…Report
(sfx: raspberry)Report
If you’re in love, your own lover’s proposal will always top whatever some other schlub does. But this guy is permanently out of the “schlub” leagues for pulling that off. Congratulations to the lucky couple.Report
Isn’t this from last year? Old viral video is old.
And I will be the contrarian and go against these videos that take very private moments and put them on public in youtube. I know a lot of women who get very uncomfortable about the idea of being proposed to in this manner. They are private and want the proposal to be private. They also think that public proposals are sort of sneaky and underhanded. Who wants to be the woman (or man) who says no in front of hundreds or thousands of people? Not many people.Report
My wife would have died if I did something like this, and then died again if it was posted to YouTube. But this bride to be seems to be charmed. Diff’rent strokes!Report
Obviously there are also people who would be charmed by this. I was just playing Devil’s Advocate by stating that there are people who would consider it horrible and manipulative if they were proposed to in this way.
A proposal should be individual and between spouses. I don’t think that this video should be pressure on people to propose in far out ways or a requirement to step up.
Don’t ask me how I feel about the baby-gender parties. This is where couples get a sonogram, put said sonogram in a sealed envelope, deliver it to a baker, baker makes a cake with blue or pink filing inside. Couple cuts open cake in front of friends and family, and then puts the entire thing on youtube.Report
If you’re not intensly aware that your intended would be charmed by something like this, you’re not ready to be married.Report
This was my thought. I know some women love stuff like this. But not me. The singer in my husband’s band is a romantic, and likes to introduce songs he’s written for me with their stories; I finally asked her to please stop; put the romance into the music, instead.Report
when someone does something like this it is unlikely the answer will be noReport
At least on camera….Report
I’m pretty sure nobody does this sort of thing if they suspect the answer will be “no.” Not everyone asks the big question blind.Report
I would like to hope that MOST people don’t ask the question blind.Report
I had the same reaction. It’s manipulative. Too many people get married because they’re going with the flow of the relationship rather than maturely deciding if they’re right for each other.
The other thing that bothered me is the theatrics now associated with every single aspect of the wedding. The multiple showers and bachelor/ette parties, dinners, receptions, et cetera. Every step of the way, each particular costs a few months’ potential rent. It’s as if couples are trying to drown out the divorce statistics by shouting even louder that they’re the loviest couple of all. Now, obviously, I’m not reflecting the kind of temperment that would go for a youtube dance number proposal. I realize that. But isn’t there something seriously unhealthy about the one-upmanship of all this?Report
Wow, you guys are depressing. This is a really fun, happy video but half the comments here are complaints about “other people” who apparently just go with the flow instead of “maturely deciding” something something.
How is this one-upmanship anyways? How is this not just a really neat way to propose? I mean, you really think this guy is all about drowning the divorce statistics?
Sheesh. Lighten up.Report
It seems more thoughtful then one-up like. I imagine her significant other tried to do something that was meaningful to them, and it doesn’t look like it would cost a whole lot of money.Report
I agree. I find those sporting event proposal incredibly manipulative, but this one, despite the fact that I’m not much for the overly saccharine, and that I hate the song (and Burno period), seems just sweet and wonderful. Involving not thousands of strangers, but friends and family who clearly love them both is different, especially since I suspect everyone involved knew she would say yes no matter how he proposed.Report
I will not lighten up! I refuse to lighten up!
🙂
Look, I wish these two the best. My gut instinct is that in 5 years, she’ll be saying “I still love you, but I can’t help it that I don’t feel in love with you any more”, and he’ll be asking “haven’t I done everything right?”.Report
*shrugs* my parents in law got married in the courthouse, and had to bribe someone with a pocketknife to be a witness.
we got married in the county jail (arraignment court).
It was fun!Report
NewDealer – funny thing about the internet and me: I miss the occasional viral video. It’s a flaw, I admit, but there you have it.
To your other points (in this and later comments) I’m not sure it’s for you to say that this should be private. It’s not your marriage proposal, after all. Some women may be uncomfortable with this, others would likely be made enormously happy. I’m sure the gentleman in the video had a good idea what his future fiance would or would not like.
You pass judgment, but I’m not sure why you think you have the right to.Report
I didn’t say mean to say that all proposals should be private. I don’t harbor any illusions about my thoughts influencing anyone in these matters.
I was merely pointing out that not everyone wants to be proposed to in public or with everyone involved.
Also, telling people we have to hang our heads in shame for not thinking of this or wanting to propose like this is passing judgment.Report
Actually no. That’s what we call a “joke.” As to whether everyone likes to be proposed to in public, I think that’s an observation that simply goes without saying.Report
For personal reasons, I am not in a particularly romantic mood this week.
Please pardon any snarkiness.Report
*hugs*Report
True dat. Worst for the parties, of course, but the ripple effects can go a long way.
H1 & W1 split up. H2 & W2 consoles and offers friendship to H1. H3 and W3 consoles and offers friendship to W1. W1 accuses H2 & W2 of “taking H1‘s side” and starts drama. H3 and W3 buy in to this argument. Now, H2 & W2‘s friendship with H3 and W3. H4 and W4 now must mediate between being friends with H2 & W2 or H3 and W3, even though they don’t even know either H1 or W1. Hopefully H4 and W4 at least agree on how to go about doing that, or H5 and W5 and H6 and W6 and their friends H7 and W7 better look out.
…I blame the lawyers.Report
Not to mention what happens when H3 consoles W1 in the most direct and effective way.Report
Blame human nature, not the lawyers. When a couple splits, it’s inevitable people take sides. He usually ends up with his friends; she ends up with hers; and the mutual ones decide between the parties.Report
This was one of the stories reported on Greta Van Susteren when I did my FOX marathon. What I live-blogged then:
“And a guy from Oregon choreographs a wedding proposal with 60 dancers to make it look like a scene from Glee, an act which even though he and his new female fiancé are straight will, I believe, make their marriage void in North Carolina.”Report
I’ll be the grouch here who says that the wedding proposals and also first dances at weddings are getting a little out of hand as of late. But with that said, I totally smiled at this one. My proposal to the wife was much more tame although it did involve snow falling on cue, an unexpected gift from Mother Nature.
What I will also say is that the older I get the more I realize being married is pretty awesome and making it successful is pretty much my #1 goal in life.Report
My proposal to the wife was much more tame
Other than tying her to the railroad tracks.Report
Thanks for posting Erik. It’s a good reminder that I need to start putting my creative abilities to work on putting together something at least 1/10th as special.Report
I recommend including fire and chainsawsReport
This, and other offerings on their YouTube channel suggests the couple in question enjoyed performing.
http://youtu.be/y2a65VfnbWEReport
The would be husband or now husband is an actor.Report
I’m sort of troubled by the notion of a ‘proposal,’ to be honest. We — my sweetie and I — talked about getting married for a long time. We talked about the pros and cons, about my fears as a child of divorce, about his as a child of a long-term marriage.
In the end, we just sort of decided because we trusted each other, knew we suited one another. We came to the decision as partners. And that’s at the root of my discomfort, beyond the public display, for there’s something about the whole notion of proposal that suggests an asking man, and an obliging woman instead of two people making a serious and (hopefully) life-long decision.
That said; romance deserves attention throughout a marriage, not just the proposal and wedding. It’s something to strive for each and every single day.Report
“romance deserves attention throughout a marriage, not just the proposal and wedding. It’s something to strive for each and every single day.”
Just who do you think you are? Tony Comstock? Quit horning in on my racket!Report
It’s a family racket.
When our kids were small, T. Berry Brazelton was the famous pediatrician. (Kinda like one Russel Saunders around here, no?) Had a TV show, and on several occasions, I heard him say, “A father’s most important job is to love the mother.”Report
Edit that, Brazelton was popular two decades ago:
A father’s most important job is to live his life partner.
Because in loving his partner, he teaches his children how to love. And that’s the greatest gift of all.Report
(sigh. Love not live his partner. Somedays I can’t spell anything wright.)Report
Spelling is not always my fort either.
Of court, this post is intentional.Report
Zic–this was pretty much how my husband and I decided to get married. We were older; he’d already been through one divorce; we each had our own respective sets of baggage. We talked it out and came to a mutual decision to marry. He didn’t propose. Worked for us.Report
It was sweet and funny and I confess to tearing up a bit.
That being said it falls into the category of romance porn.Report
Nope wrong. 17 million views and still on YouTube, ergo it is not porn.Report
What the hell does popularity have to do with whether or not something is porn? I’m told that Fifty Shades of Grey sold quite a few copies, but I don’t think you could deny that it is a kind of porn (albeit perhaps of the soft variety, I dunno).
The word porn no longer, if it ever did, strictly mean material of a sexual nature. We speak of torture porn (the Saw movies), and house porn (shows on HGTV), etc. I put the whole Harlequin category of romantic fiction in the category of romance porn.
The reason so many women object to what we standardly think of as porn, I believe, is because of the unrealistic expectations it can set up. To compete against the Jenna Jameson’s of the world they feel like they have to have this perfect body, get a boob job, wax the cooch, learn how to deep throat and really, really, love anal sex. Then they need to invite a couple of their best friends over and treat you to a three-on-one, bi-lesbian, f***fest. And do all that, like every other day.
Romance porn, I believe, sets up similarly unrealistic expectations that your average guy just doesn’t have the time, resources, or imagination to fulfill.Report
Ever read Forbes? Money porn.Report
Precisely. And Lives of the Rich and Famous. Hell, even Oprah and Martha Stewart can qualify at times.Report
What the hell does popularity have to do with whether or not something is porn?
I think you missed what came after the popularity in David’s sentence.Report
That YouTube doesn’t host porn? Sure, but only the sexual variety. That’s why his Tony Comstock videos aren’t up there.Report
Yeah, I think he was making a joke.Report
Rod,
hmm… I’m okay with saying “hon, we don’t got the money for that…” but I do think we could/should actually expect people to put more imagination towards their relationships.
Now, maybe this is just because i know really creative people. Maybe this is pretty unrealistic, in general — some people just want comfy and cozy…
And maybe it’s not an every-day sort of thing…Report
The whole thing was well-done, but I think the “Dancing Jews” were what took it to the next level for me.Report
I agree. The “dancing Jews” visual pun was simply fantastic.
And I am a total sap, so it’s no surprise that I adored this. The Better Half and I watched it in bed last night, and (as usual) he gently mocked me for getting misty.
And obviously, this kind of proposal isn’t for everyone. But just as obviously this man knew his fiancee well enough to know she would go for it. I loved it.Report
I loved it too. Especially the dancing Jews. Clever, funny, and touching–a powerful combination.Report
I actually always thought the line was “Dancing Jews” and it never made sense to me (but I never cared enough to look it up). I still don’t get “Dancing Juice” but whatevs.Report
Dancing shoes.Report
There’s a wonderful bit from the old television show “All in the Family”. Meathead (Rob Reiner) is hectoring Archie Bunker, asking “Arch, how come you’re not romantic with Edith anymore?”
Archie Bunker, sitting in his chair, winces at the stupidity of the question. “Meathead” he snarls, “You don’t keep running once you’ve caught the bus.”
If lovers put as much effort into maintaining a marriage as they did in establishing it, with this sort of extravagantly romantic gesture, it would surely be a better world.Report
It was the dancing Jews that clinched it, I’m sure. That was spectacular!Report
This proposal is so fantastic and if you are looking for something just as creative, and personalized The Yes Girls are here to help! We help guys around the world with the most important question of their lives… contact us today to start planning your perfect proposal! http://www.theyesgirls.com/proposals/services/all-packages.aspxReport
I’m trying to talk the wife into an 80 inch television. Do you have a package for that?Report
I recommend blackmail.Report
that’s not the way blackmail usually works…Report