Man Proposes to Girlfriend by Hanging Artwork in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

A marriage proposal is one of the most nerve-wracking questions that a person can ask—even if they know that their beloved will say yes. And as if that’s not challenging enough, some brave souls plan elaborate ways to pop the question that tiptoe the line of legality, and are definitely against the rules. Redditor krysxvi (Chris) took a chance on one of these precarious proposals and it paid off. Not only was his now-fiancée (Marybeth) surprised, but his stunt also got them kicked out of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art!

The fiancé-to-be had been planning the event for weeks beforehand for one of the most ambitious marriage proposal ideas we’ve seen. He had Marybeth’s mom buy a red polka dot dress for her in advance of the museum trip, and Chris convinced her to wear it that day. Although the request seemed mundane, the outfit would play an important part later on.

As the couple walked through the museum, they eventually approached a room of Picasso paintings—Marybeth’s favorite. Among all of his colorful works, however, there was one piece that didn’t belong; it was drawn by Chris and showed the exact proposal scene, polka dots and all. “My brother and sister in law were able to then hang the painting,” he explained. “After I was given the signal I brought my girlfriend to the painting where she began immediately began crying when she realized that the painting was of what was about to take place.” Through the tears, Marybeth said yes. The entire proposal was caught on camera by her cousin, Kelly Joyce, who was undercover the entire time.

While it was certainly a happy moment for the couple, the museum was not amused. Soon after Chris rose back to his feet, a guard told them to remove the painting from the wall and then instructed them to leave. “After a few more quick photos,” he recalls, “the gang left the building and the rest is history or should I say…art history.”

Redditor krysxvi thought of a sneaky way to propose to his girlfriend, Marybeth.

In one of the best marriage proposal ideas we've seen, he painted a picture of them getting engaged and hung it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It was a complete surprise! The couple was happy…

… but a museum guard was not and asked them to leave—but not without a few photos.

Kelly Joyce Photography: Website | Facebook
h/t: [Reddit]

All images via Kelly Joyce Photography.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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