An Australian man’s elaborate beachside proposal backfired after he got down on bended knee only to realize that he had lost his engagement ring in the sand.
The aspiring groom — known only as Zay — popped the question to his ladylove at Sydney’s Coogee Beach on Saturday evening in front of a throng of onlookers.
Zay had gone to extreme lengths for the nighttime proposal, lighting hundreds of candles and erecting an electric “Marry Me” sign.
A TikTok video filmed by a spectator shows Zay’s girlfriend, Sai, arriving on the beach before the crowd cheers as he gets down on bended knee.
Disaster ensued, however, as a frantic Zay failed to produce the ring. The clip cut to a group of friends scouring the sand trying to find the jewel in the darkness.
The video quickly went viral, clocking up more than 1.1 million views and comments from people who were mortified by the botched public proposal.
“Public proposals are my biggest nightmare,” one bluntly declared.
“Absolute nightmare,” another declared. “I literally would hate a public proposal because it isn’t about the people. It’s just a show.”
However, it was later revealed that the engagement ring was found in the sand and that Zay was able to properly propose to Sai, who said, “Yes.”
The bride-to-be shared her joy in an Instagram post, writing: “Completely taken by surprise and completely in love. I never could have imagined a proposal as perfect and magical as the one you gave me. You have a way of making everything so special and unforgettable. Thank you for making me the happiest person in the world. I am so grateful to have you as my partner, my best friend, and now, my fiancé.”
In a subsequent post, Sai re-posted the viral TikTok and poked fun at her husband-to-be’s botched proposal.
“Pro tip from my fiancé: Don’t propose with a loose ring on the sand. Knew we’d end up on TikTok and news.”