For some people proposing marriage is a private affair: You, a ring, and your beloved. Maybe some champagne. Then there are people like Matt Hulbert, who roped in not only all his girlfriend's friends and relatives and pets, but also had the proposal emceed by actor-director Zach Braff (Scrubs). Hulbert enlisted Braff's help after donating to his make-a-movie Kickstarter campaign.
Watch the incredibly elaborate (slightly voyeuristic) video above. A slight spoiler: It goes better for Hulbert than it did for these guys.
But Braff isn't the only celebrity who has signed on to help a fan pop the question. Here are five other memorable, star-aided marriage proposals:
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Beyoncé
In June 2009, a little over a year after she herself got hitched, Beyoncé paused during a concert in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — after performing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" — and said to the darkened theater: "I need a light — I'm not sure if production knows about this, but Lindell has something he wants to sing." She handed the microphone to a man in the audience (presumably named Lindell), and he did his thing.
"Beyoncé, you told me if I like it, I need to put a ring on it," he said. "Well, I like it." He then got down on his knee in front of his girlfriend — and the entire audience — took out a diamond ring, and asked if she would marry him. The video isn't the greatest, but you get to see him pose his question, and the future Mrs. Lindell nod yes.
The cast of How I Met Your Mother
There were a lot of Beyoncé fans cheering on that proposal, but in terms of showcasing your "big question," it's hard to beat the season finale of a popular network TV show. That was Timothy Russo's trick. Russo's brother is friends with one of the writers of How I Met Your Mother, a show he and girlfriend Jana Rugan watched religiously. Russo managed to get them written into the show.
Rugan thought they were extras in a pivotal scene in which protagonist Ted (Josh Radnor) is dining out with Robin (Colbie Smulders), who finds an engagement ring in a glass of champagne. She freaks out — and not in a good way.
Ted says this isn't his ring, and Russo walks over, says it's his, walks back, and proposes to a shocked Rugan. She was so overwhelmed by the moment, in fact, they had to overdub her "yes."
Cory Booker
The Newark, N.J., mayor and Senate candidate takes his constituency services very seriously. So when Israel Burns (a former constituent, current fan) tweeted him a special request in February, Booker said yes within 10 minutes:
Burns had Booker call his girlfriend, Misha Wright — also a big Booker fan — at a party and tell her to meet him upstairs at the VIP section. Instead of Booker, it was Burns waiting with a ring and two glasses of champagne.
Russell Westbrook
If Booker coordinated his contribution through Twitter, Oklahoma Thunder star point guard Westbrook used the microblogging platform to actually pop the question on behalf of fan Charlie Bright. At the preordained time (4:30 pm) on June 21, Bright had his girlfriend, Rachel, check her Twitter feed. She saw this:
Rachel was nice enough to keep Westbrook looped in:
Boyz II Men
Stephen Pether didn't use Twitter to propose to girlfriend Nikki, but he did enlist the help of carmaker Kia, which hooked him up with Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. On a trip to Los Angeles, Pether and his girlfriend were eating dinner at a nice restaurant when the trio walked in and sang their ballad "On Bended Knee," a cappella. Pether got down on his knee. Kia captured it for posterity, and publicity:
