Shine OnMan proposes to girlfriend through infographic
If you've thought of how your other half might pop the question, you're not alone. We're socialized to believe that a marriage proposal is going to be one of the most romantic times of our lives, which is why some might be surprised at a new online marriage proposal trend. The online world isn't exactly the most intimate of spaces, particularly not for a declaration of love.
This proposal published on Mashable shows an elaborate infographic Drake Martinet made for his tech-savvy girlfriend Stacy Green, using it to propose to her on her company's website.
While at first his proposal seems odd, the fact that the bride-to-be is vice-president of marketing and communications at Mashable, makes this proposal more understandable. He's proposing to her in a way that matters to her, which speaks volumes. To date, his proposal has received 5,077 Tweets on Twitter, 5,329 likes on Facebook and the comment section to this post on Mashable is full of pats on the back and enthusiasm for how elaborate and creative the proposal.
Related: Filmmaker proposes with stop-motion LEGO animation
It's not just inforgraphics's that people are proposing with. Men are also proposing by creating websites, sending e-cards , and buying a spot on Groupon so the proposal goes right into their girlfriend's inbox.
Julie Spira, online dating expert and founder of cyberdatingexpert.com, has witnessed a number of these online proposals first hand and says it's the modern equivalent of people proposing by skydiving or on a Jumbotron at a sports game. "They are living in a world that is surrounded by online activity. They look at it in the same romantic way as someone who is being proposed to at a game," says Spira.
"The people we are talking about that are proposing this way they are in the social media world and this is an offshoot of their personality habits, which are more online than offline. It's a way for someone to get cute and creative outside of the box," says Spira.
Related: Montreal pilot's proposal, 6 years in the making, goes viral
Alison McGill, editor of Weddingbells disagrees. "When you propose to somebody it is a highly personal moment between two people," she says. "Doing it virtually when there is no physical contact really takes away from that connection between two people," says McGill.
But there's no doubt that online wedding proposals are all the rage. Knowing this, it's important to remember if you're doing it online, there will always be a digital footprint of it.
"I'm curious to see what's next. Proposals are taking all kinds of leaps and turns," says McGill. "There's never a dull moment when it comes to proposals."
