Not so long ago, when social media was yet to be discovered, engagements were pretty private affairs.
Yes, a newly engaged couple might have had a party to celebrate, if they were rich enough, but the actual proposal was a private moment between the two.
Nowadays, however, most proposals are public affairs.
It’s no wonder so many people feel the pressure to give their partners the most memorable proposal – preferably with a photographer to capture the moment – but it’s certainly not necessary.
The important part of the proposal, of course, is the act itself; the meaning behind asking your partner to marry you.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t go all-out with proposing, however, if that’s your thing!
There have been some pretty genius proposals caught on camera over the years, but not all of them involve a celebrity.
So when Tom Hanks held a Q&A at the Texas Book Festival, one young man knew that the opportunity was too good to resist.
A video of the proposal was submitted to YouTube by newly engaged Nikki Young.
She shared the story of the moment leading up to the proposal in the video’s caption, writing:
“I have been a fan of Tom Hanks since 1982 when I first saw Bosum Buddies. I followed his career and loved, laughed, cried, and sighed at every movie, every TV appearance, every skit, and more. He was my happy place.
Following the incredible reading of Tom Hanks’ book Uncommon Type there was a Q&A session. I immediately turned into a bratty child, pouting because I didn’t get to submit a question and mumbled under my breath to Ryan. He just held my hand and caressed it to calm me down in his usual loving and supportive way, reminding me that Tom Hanks was literally less than 10 feet away from me.”
It must be pretty disappointing to not have the opportunity to ask your idol a question, so it’s easy to see why Nikki was a little miserable here.
But she never could have guessed that she was about to experience something far more special!
Nikki continued:
“What happened next, I was not prepared for, but can honestly say has been the greatest moment of my life! I went from disappointment to shock to ugly tears in 10 seconds flat. But all tears of joy.”
Take a look at the video, and you’ll understand exactly why Nikki was crying happy tears by the end of Tom Hanks’ Q&A.
In the video, Tom tells his audience that he has just enough time for one last question, from a man named Ryan McFarling.
After finding Ryan in the crowd and asking him to hold up a hand, Tom moves on to the important question.
As casually as if he’s reading out any other question, Tom says:
“Here’s Ryan’s question, and it is for Nikki Young. ‘Nikki, will you marry me?'”
The reaction is instant: the crowd gasps and cheers, and the camera pans to Nikki, looking astounded while Ryan goes to get down on one knee.
But Tom knows this is a moment that’s too special to take place in the crowd.
He heads over to Nikki and leads her towards the stage, while Nikki, understandably considering she’s being proposed to on stage and has Tom Hanks’ hand on her arm, struggles to stay upright.
Once she’s safely sat in Tom’s chair, Nikki lets Ryan slide a ring on her finger and kisses him passionately, while Tom jokes:
“I’m done. Nothing I say is going to matter now.”
It’s truly a special moment, especially when Tom gives Nikki a hug and tells the crowd that Ryan’s a lucky man.
We can’t all get Tom Hanks to help us out with a proposal, which is part of the reason why this video is such an entertaining watch.
You can check out the moment Nikki is treated to the surprise of a lifetime in the clip below!
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