What began as a childhood dream for Sydney Druen turned into a viral sensation last month when her now-fiancé surprised her with a flash mob proposal on her family’s farm. The 4-minute video, posted to Facebook, has now surpassed 2.2 million views.
The video — which can be viewed below — shows Druen arriving at her grandparents’ property, unaware that more than 60 friends and relatives were waiting to break into a choreographed routine set to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You.”
“It truly was amazing. I was not expecting it whatsoever,” Druen said, adding that she first fell in love with the idea as a middle-schooler after seeing a flash mob proposal on YouTube.
Druen thought that her now-fiancé, Joshua Carte, was simply helping her grandfather with mowing that afternoon while she went out to lunch with her aunt. Druen’s Nana had recently passed away, and after lunch, her grandfather told her he wanted to drive her around the farm to look at several benches her grandmother had made.
As they drove toward the property, Druen noticed her own car parked where it shouldn’t have been, and then saw her mother, dressed up and smiling. A videographer stood nearby. It was in that moment, she said, that she knew something was happening, even if she didn’t yet know what.
“When I heard the music, I knew,” she said. “More and more people kept joining in. I was not expecting that many people to be there, but I’m so thankful for it.”
Carte said planning started about 3 months earlier after he called Druen’s family to ask for their blessing.
“I didn’t even know where to begin,” he said. “Do I order a flash mob? Is this something I can even get? Her mom said she already had the building blocks in place because Sydney told her when she was younger that it was her dream.”
Family and friends spent two to three hours practicing the choreography — even in the rain — to pull off the surprise.
Carte appeared at the end of the routine, stepping out from behind umbrellas as the dancers separated.
“I did get down on one knee, in the gravel,” he said. “I was nervous about the dancing, and I was nervous I was going to say something goofy.”
The couple’s video quickly spread far beyond their circle.
“I honestly thought I was posting it just for my friends and family,” Druen said. “Then everyone kept sharing it. It just got around.”
Druen and Carte met shortly after he moved to Hartford from Florida to be closer to family in Ohio. A mutual connection introduced the two, and after their first meeting, they immediately planned a date.
“The night we met, we planned our first date, and we never stopped hanging out,” Carte said.
They’ve been together about a year and a half and plan to marry next October. And yes, a wedding-day flash mob is already under consideration.
Druen’s mother, Kerrie, said the proposal reflected her daughter’s spirit and the love Carte has shown from the beginning.
“After I gave him my wholehearted yes, I said, ‘Now you know she’s always wanted a flash mob engagement, right?’” she said. “Without hesitation, he said, ‘If there’s ever an opportunity to give Sydney what she wants, I will always give her what she wants.’ Isn’t that what every parent wants to hear?”
