Romance isn’t measured by how viral your proposal goes.
—Ann Voskamp
In an era of bigger is better, it’s easy to get swept away in the drama of directing a cinematic proposal worthy of Hollywood. But your viral proposal won’t save your marriage. Or your relationship.
I’m not saying proposals aren’t important or grand gestures of romance shouldn’t be pursued in a demonstration of true love.
Proposals absolutely should be special.
In fact, I’m one of the biggest hopeless romantics that you’ll probably ever meet. I may or may not have cried while reading the Notebook and watching the Titanic.
To quote Dwayne Johnson, “If I did cry, they were manly tears. Very manly.”
I love a good proposal story as much as the next person. When I read about filmmaker Lee Loechler’s elaborate proposal, I immediately admired his ingenuity.
He rented out a movie theater for his friends and family. Using movie magic, he superimposed his girlfriend’s face onto Sleeping Beauty. On the screen, the prince—an animated version of Lee himself — offered her a ring.
The video of the proposal went viral with 1.5 million views. People called it the best proposal ever.
On Twitter, Claudia said:
I want this much effort when I get proposed to. I’m not settling for less, nope nope nope.
I totally get the sentiment. Proposals should be creative, personal, and dramatic. But not settling for less than what amounts to Pixar production might be setting your sights too high.
What about a proposal on a private beach with just the two of you? What about a proposal on a quiet rooftop in Paris?
What I’m trying to say is that your proposal should be more about love than likes. More about follow-through than followers.
The filmmaker’s proposal, however, has nothing on one of the most elaborate proposals in history:
According to The Gentleman’s Journal:
In 2018 the world’s most expensive proposal involved exclusive hire of Disneyland Paris, private jets for 40 guests, taking over all the screens in Times Square, a fake arrest and, finally, a trip to Niagara Falls. It cost $800,000.
If you include the cost of the engagement ring, celebrity and royal proposals easily win the most expensive proposals ever. But remember, your proposal isn’t a competition.
It’s meant as a declaration of love, a celebration, and the promise of a lifetime together.
In the end, a viral proposal won’t make either of you more committed to the other. More views won’t help you at 3:00 a.m. when you’re struggling against an onslaught of financial pressures.
The popularity of your proposal won’t help you on a Tuesday when you lose your job, on a Sunday when your car breaks down, or for those two weeks in December when your baby is sick and won’t sleep.
More than anything, your proposal is about the two of you.
If you love your proposal, that’s what matters. If the rest of the world loves it too? Well, then that’s just the proverbial icing on the wedding cake.
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Thank you so much for reading! ❤️
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This post was previously published on Medium.
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Photo credit: Author via Canva