I produced this animation as a way of proposing to my girlfriend (now wife) Natasha. I assembled a team of 20 animators to assist me, including co-workers, as well as students from my 3D character animation class at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco. We created more than four minutes of animation in just three months.
When it was completed, I surprised Natasha by bringing her to the Parkway Movie Theater in Oakland, where they played the animation on the big screen in front of over 100 of our friends and family. The entire event was filmed for the TLC television show "A Perfect Proposal."
J. P., Oakland, California
Editor's note: Congratulations to Jeff & Natasha—here's the #1 marriage proposal video on YouTube.com.
I have known my fiance, Tracey, for over 14 years and wanted to propose to her in a very unique way.
Tracey thought we were just going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon. Little did she know, I had rented the entire theater and filled it with 160 of our friends and family. I made it seem as though we were showing up a little late to the movie and went in to the theater after the lights had gone down and the movie trailers were already playing. This was done to keep her from recognizing anyone in the theater. What I had done was make an entire movie trailer that had actors portraying both Tracey and I at different times in our lives, both present day and in the future. After a few trailers played including one for Lord of the Rings the one I had made started. Tracey thought it was just another trailer for a movie soon to be released. Tracey was just perplexed as to how many different things had similarities to our relationship, she kept nudging me throughout the trailer. Tracey had no idea this was a marriage proposal until the last three seconds of the trailer.
Nine months earlier in September of 2006 I started by hiring a professional production team, securing two and a half million dollars worth of film equipment (THANK YOU PANAVISION), and writing a script that would show what would go through someone's mind (Tracey's) if they were about to die. It is said "moments before you die your life flashes right before your eyes". JUST A NOTE: Ever since Tracey was a young girl, she has had a reoccurring dream that she was going to die in a plane crash. Actors were cast to portray both Tracey and I at different times in our lives (twenty years in the future as well as present day).
The explanations of the flashbacks are as follows:
HORSE JUMPING - Tracey has been an avid equestrian her entire life, both competing and teaching professionally. The location that we filmed, was the exact location Tracey won in, back in 2006.
DODGER STADIUM - Tracey and I have season tickets to the Dodgers. We both grew up in L.A. and are big baseball fans.
SKYDIVING - On Tracey's father's 70th birthday we both went skydiving for the first time. The plane in the trailer is the same plane we jumped out of in real life. The actress portraying Tracey even wore the same jumpsuit.
KITE FLYING - This was filmed in the exact location Tracey and I have flown a kite before.
FISHING - When Tracey and I fell in love; we were down in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. One of our greatest memories in Mexico was chartering a boat and going marlin fishing. In the movie trailer both actors were wearing the exact same clothes, both Tracey and I were wearing when we went fishing. As a side note this scene was actually shot on location down in Cabo San Lucas.
RUNNING ON THE BEACH - Tracey and I had one of our best days ever on this exact beach near San Diego.
SAILING - I own a sailboat. Both Tracey and I love sailing. The exterior shot was not my boat, but the closes up shots were actually filmed on my sailboat.
AERIAL SHOT OF BEACH AND HOTEL - This was the actual place we stayed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is our very favorite place. Tracey always thought I might one day ask her to marry her there.
PROPOSAL LOCATION - Same hotel as mentioned above. This one area at the hotel was our very favorite spot.
Eric proposed to me on Friday, Oct. 5, 2007 and, in my opinion, it was one of the most romantic proposals ever.
Our good friends, Ben and Krista, were in on the entire surprise. They told us that they had a gift certificate to restaurant on the beach in Santa Barbara, California, called The Brown Pelican. When we showed up around dusk. They called to say they were running about 45 minutes late and that they would meet us there. Since we had just parked at the beach (by the restaurant) Eric suggested we take a stroll on the beach. I still didn't suspect anything at this point. It was pretty windy out so I was looking down while walking so that my hair didn't blow in my face!
We finally got to this private cove and Eric just stopped suddenly. I looked up and saw a red sheet laid out with white rose petals scattered all over it. Just behind it were two lit tiki torches, a picnic basket with a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes. He even thought to pack two sweatshirts because it was a cool and windy evening! As soon as I saw it I immediately began crying—happy tears of course! He positioned me to face the ocean and he got down on one knee and laid out all of the reasons he loved me and why he wanted to ask my hand in marriage. Then he popped the question.
We sat on the beach and drank champagne while people walking on the beach yelled, "Congrats!" and, "Good job, man!" to Eric. Even dogs ran up and tried to get a whiff of the beautiful rose petals. Once the sun set the tiki torches illuminated the entire cove and it was breathtaking!
Eric then told me that we had dinner plans at Something's Fishy, which is our favorite Teppan grill in Santa Barbara. Well, I was in for another surprise. He told me that we didn't have dinner plans with our friends and, in fact, just wanted to have a romantic dinner alone.
We arrived at the restaurant and our friends were there waiting for us and immediately started clapping when we walked in! I was in a state of shock all night! One of the biggest surprises was that that Ben had helped Eric set up the whole beach setting that afternoon and while Eric was proposing he stood from afar and took pictures of the entire proposal! (So we now have pictures to document the night). We had a great dinner with our friends and afterwards they told us they then had a surprise for both of us. (Eric actually didn't have any idea about this). We headed over to this bar/lounge called Blue Agave and they had a table waiting for us with a bottle of Wilson Creek Almond Champagne on ice! They knew it was our favorite champagne so they bought it in advance. We had such a great time and toasted to a wonderful night!
To recap the story...Eric and I have decided to get married at Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula, CA. It's not only our favorite winery, but we have celebrated a past Valentine's Day there and the champagne was part of our engagement night.
N. W., Santa Barbara California
He set me up, telling me that we have no money, and could never afford to pay for a wedding, buy a house, or afford to have children. Then all of a sudden he was on his knee asking me to marry him. I was so shocked, said I was too confused to make a decision.
He was so upset, he took the ring and put it back in the box. After talking for a long time, and straightening out a few issues, we began to plan our 9/23/00 wedding, which happens to be our mutual birthdays.
He showed up at my office around 5:00, dressed in a Winnie the Pooh costume, complete with big head. He played the Pooh song on a Fisher Price tape recorder, read me a poem he found on the Internet called "Next To Me", took off the head, got down on one knee, presented me with the ring and asked me to be his wife.
N. T., Maywood, New Jersey
He took me to a wonderful dinner on my birthday and told me to pack a bag. After dinner we went to a beautiful bed and breakfast. When we walked in the room there was a dozen roses and champagne chilling. There was a fire place with a beautifully upholstered chair in front of it.
He told me to sit in the chair while he lit the fire. He gave me my birthday card in which he professed his love and wrote of how special this day was to him. After I read the card he asked me if I knew why this day was so special. I said, "Why?" He kneeled down if front of me and proposed. And gave me a beautiful ring that he picked out himself - I nearly passed out.
He planned a weekend snowboarding trip at Mammoth, where we stayed at a cute B & B. On the first night, a snow storm hit, but it was beautiful! He took me for a walk in the knee-high snow, brought a blanket and camera. He had me sit on the blanket for a picture, and then pulled out the ring.
After I said yes, he pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of our favorite wine. Beautiful!
K. R., San Diego, California
I knew he had the ring and I hinted that I would love to go to Celebration in the Oaks (A Christmas Festival in New Orleans City Park) We drank hot chocolate, strolled around the park looking at the lights, listened to Christmas music. Then he found a beautiful place in the park, underneath a magnificent live oak which had lit up doves hanging from it.
To the sounds of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" Brian hugged me and asked me to be his wife. Giggly, I said yes and we opened the small wrapped box that he pulled from his jacket. We went home and opened a bottle of champagne and celebrated with family and friends.
