Dean Smith recorded one marriage proposal every day for a year, then collected them all into one video that he showed his girlfriend, Jennifer Kessel, on the day he popped the question in person.
The video of his 365 proposals has become an Internet sensation since he posted it earlier this year, attracting more than 7 million views. It has also raised the bar for modern day romance, which is refreshing in an era where many 20-somethings have succumbed to hook-up culture.
After the video went viral, Smith explained how it all came about.
"I knew that Jennifer was a fan of proposal videos on YouTube and would tear up at the sincerity and thoughtfulness of each proposal,"
he told The Huffington Post. "She showed several of them to me, and I decided that I wanted to make her tear up to her own proposal."
Not only did Smith record a proposal every day for a year, but he planned the finale and final proposal for a family trip to Aruba. It begins with Kessel being led from her hotel room down to the beach by a chain of family members, where she's then presented with a cell phone playing the 365 proposals. When she finishes watching the video, she turns around to find Smith standing on the beach, flanked by their friends and family.
He then gets down on one knee, and delivers a classic "Will you marry me?" like a gentleman.
"The thoughtfulness that went into making this video is truly beyond any words that I have," Kessel said after the big day. "When I turned around and saw Dean standing in front of me, we both broke down in tears."