There are sweet, romantic proposals, and then there is this one.
Lee Loechler proposed to his girlfriend, Sthuthi David, by taking her to a theater to watch her favorite movie, Sleeping Beauty. She had no idea that her boyfriend had spent six months, working with the Australian illustrator Kayla Coombs, altering the animation of the movie's most iconic scene, making the characters look like the couple themselves and changing the storyline to set up his Big Question. And that was only the beginning.
Watching Sthuthi's face during the scene change is a sheer delight, as her confused look shows that she has no clue what's about to happen. The set-up is amazing, but the magical moment is when Lee's illustrated self tosses the engagement ring to his real-life self.
The entire proposal—the re-illustrations, the heart jokes (Sthuthi is a cardiologist), and the bride-to-be's surprise, it's all perfection. Just watch:
The audience knows the scene before it changes
A recognizable film sequence gives the proposal its setup. Altering the characters and story lets the personal reveal grow out of something familiar to the recipient. The result combines animation with a live occasion. The six months of preparation are part of the story, not a recipe for what every memorable proposal should require.
The transition links animation with the live proposal
The ring passing from the altered film to the theatre creates the scene’s central surprise. Its effect depends on coordination between the recorded sequence and the person in the room. The personal references then give the production meaning beyond technical ingenuity; a familiar story becomes a setting for a question directed to one particular viewer.
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Where and when it happened
Loechler, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, proposed on 30 December 2019 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts. Sthuthi David was then a medical resident at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. So that she would not notice anything unusual about the audience, he recruited seat fillers through an online forum, and family and friends were invited to watch. She said yes.
Sources: KSL.com, 13 January 2020: A man re-animated ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to create an unforgettable wedding proposal WHDH 7News Boston, 10 January 2020: Filmmaker proposes to girlfriend during screening of Sleeping Beauty remake at Brookline theater
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