Fortunately though, there was good news to report after the proposal.
Josh Mullin had no need for theatrics in asking his girlfriend to marry him. He planned the simple bended-knee approach – but he didn’t plan for his proposal to be aired on live television.
Mullin had just disembarked Thursday morning at the Kansas City International Airport from Greeley, Colo., to visit his girlfriend Ashlee Baldwin. As he loaded his bags into her car, he bent down on one knee, ring in hand, framed perfectly in TV reporter Brenda Washington’s liveshot.
(MORE: The World’s Greatest Wedding Proposal)
Washington was reporting live on Kansas City news station KMBC, interviewing travelers about eating healthy. And as she spoke to the studio, Mullin bent down in the classic, unmistakable pose. Just as he did, the shot cut to b-roll of fruits and vegetables, dulling what was likely a very romantic post-proposal celebration.
But when the photographer alerted Washington about what had happened while she was speaking to the camera, she abandoned her original story in favor of this breaking news. Calling Mullin and Baldwin over, she shared their moment of joy on live television. She even spun into journalistic mode, asking, “Is this for real?” KMBC posted what viewers didn’t see, as the camera was still trained on the couple even as the b-roll aired.
Mullin, an elementary school teacher in Greeley, Colo., flew into Kansas City to help the 20-year-old Baldwin move back to Colorado, where she attends the University of Northern Colorado. In continuing their reporting on the story, KMBC says the couple is planning a September wedding.
Nick Carbone is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @nickcarbone. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.