A public proposal, like any grand gesture, can only go one of two ways: really well or really badly. That’s why there’s the saying Aim for the Moon. Even if you fail you’ll fall among the stars. Which, depending on your perspective, either means you’ll go out in a blaze of glory or you’ll freeze in the cold, dark void, taunted by tiny points of light that are many orders of magnitude more distant than your intended target.
The fact that it’s either utter humiliation or grand celebration, the Lady or the Tiger, is what makes the public proposal so romantic but also challenging both for the giver and the receiver. I feel especially sympathetic toward anyone getting a surprise, and very public, proposal because not everyone wants that much attention, even if they’re absolutely certain. And if they’re not absolutely certain…
At least this one went well.
These two pictures were taken about a week apart but I don’t know when exactly the affirmative was added. I like to think that the person who accepted didn’t take long to say so but I appreciate that they gave me enough time to document before and happily ever after.
Love this!
Thank you so much!
It used to be a thing when I was teaching, that before prom, there would be a spate of very public “prom-posals”. Most of them went well but in one particular case, a young woman asked a young man in my class, and he turned her down in front of everyone. She fled the room in tears. Very awkward and sad.
That’s genuinely heartbreaking. I never could make that kind of grand gesture because I’d be so afraid of the humiliation of being turned down. I know it’s not any consolation but I really admire that young woman’s courage.
Thanks for going public (always a risk) with another wonderful post, Chris.
Fortunately I wasn’t proposing to anyone so there wasn’t as much concern over making this public but I’m glad you enjoyed it.