Woman pretends to propose to boyfriend, no clue what she’s sabotaging

A woman’s joke on a date proved wildly serendipitous in a viral video on TikTok.

The video, posted by Francessca Jefferies (@francesscaj) has made thousands laugh after she pretended to propose to her partner, only to discover he had been planning a proposal for that exact moment. Since the video was posted, it has received over 172,000 views and over 10,000 likes.

“POV: You almost sabotage your own proposal because you’re unhinged and are always making up pretend scenarios to spice life up a little, but he was one step ahead,” Jefferies captioned the video. “Either that, or my subconscious knew exactly what was coming.

“Honey’s ‘yep’ and Jake following me around with the ring because I don’t stand still are my favorite things ever.”

Viewers in the comments couldn’t believe the coincidence.

“This has to be one of the favorite proposals I’ve seen!” one person wrote in the comments.

Some saw the video as a hilarious representation of their own anticipations and anxieties about proposals: “Congratulations! I was about to go home and cry at my now-fiancé because I genuinely got it in my head that that night was the night, because of how he was full on pouring his heart out to me,” one person wrote. “Just before we left to get a taxi home, he did it.”

Engagements Are Becoming More Collaborative

The hilarious proposal exchange between Jefferies and her partner might have partly been a joke, but it does speak to some of the ways proposals and engagements are changing.

According to website The Knot’s 2024 Jewelry and Engagement Study, over half of all couples—57 percent—began discussing their engagement more than a year before the proposal, indicating a shift toward mutual decision-making in the lead-up to marriage. While 83 percent of proposees considered their proposal a surprise, over half of those surveyed reported that they knew a proposal was coming soon—just not when.

Traditionally, proposals have been meticulously planned by one partner, often in secrecy to guarantee surprise. However, contemporary couples are increasingly viewing engagements as collaborative efforts.

This is also becoming increasingly clear in ring selection. The Knot found that 39 percent of proposees were “somewhat involved” in their ring selection, and the majority of them even went shopping with their partner.

Jefferies’ video displayed the degree of comfort and familiarity inherent in joking about a proposal—and surveys show that for modern couples, this comfort is often achieved through being on the same page long before the big day.

Newsweek reached out to @francesscaj1 for comment via TikTok.