‘Happily Ever After’: A Look Back At The Most Magical Disney Proposal Of All Time

Back in January 2020, a video was uploaded that changed many Disney fanatics’ idea of a proposal forevermore — the “Sleeping Beauty” proposal that shook the world.

The viral clip garnered millions of views across platforms, and it’s easy to see why. In it, a man proposes to his unknowing high school sweetheart at a movie theater, using an edited version of “Sleeping Beauty” she could have never expected. The best part? Fast forward to today, and the couple are married, living their “happily ever after,” and made a Disney-style animation of their wedding, too.

First time hearing about this magical proposal? Here’s everything to know

Brookline, Massachusetts natives Lee Loechler and Sthuthi David were happily in love, tracing their romance back to high school. As they later explained to Buzzfeed, they met in freshman year while rehearsing for David’s dance performance. Loechler worked on stagecraft, and David remembers him as “the weird guy” in the corner. Still, she knew he was “really special.”

By the end of the show, everyone went onstage to dance, and Loechler made his move. He remembers grabbing a red rose, biting it “tango” style, and dancing with David. They started dating, and with a gap in between for college, they were together ever since. Basically, a fairytale even before the whole “Sleeping Beauty” thing.

As the filmmaker and self-professed “Sleeping Beauty proposal guy” put it, he soon started asking himself: “What if I put myself into her favorite movie and popped the question that way?”

As David described on The Kelly Clarkson Show, “Sleeping Beauty” has always been her favorite film. She said, “‘Sleeping Beauty’ has been my favorite movie since I was 4 years old. Basically, my parents would put it on to keep me entertained.” She also said she has watched the movie about “a hundred times” in her life. It’s no wonder Loechler knew he had to make her favorite Disney movie come to life for the proposal.

Once the filmmaker knew his proposal idea, it was time to get to work

He enlisted Australian illustrator Kayla Coombs through Instagram to help him make his dream come true. As a filmmaker, Loechler knew exactly how to go about it— he knew he just had to edit the scene where Prince Phillip wakes up Aurora with true love’s kiss. Well, with a few changes. Princess Aurora would become Sthuthi, and Prince Phillip would be replaced with an animation of him holding an engagement ring. Maybe no spell-breaking here, but definitely just as magical.

Coombs came through with top-tier illustrations, and brought the “classic Disney style” to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the movie. The new movie was done, with the edited portion right at the end that David could never expect. So how to make sure the proposal was as otherwordly as possible?

Loechler wanted all of their friends and family there, so he rented out an auditorium at the independent movie Coolidge Corner Theater. He told David’s mom to invite her to a “Sleeping Beauty” screening there, telling her they should all go because it’s her favorite movie. David didn’t think much about it, and actually invited Loechler to go with her. Sneaky.

Even more amazing? To make the crowd less obvious, Loechler made friends and family sit in the back, and invited random strangers through Reddit to sit in the front. In the video, you can actually see how David finally sees her loved ones there much after saying “yes.”

The couple got animated one more time for their wedding

While the video went viral back in 2020, we love seeing that the couple is still living out their wildest, Disney-themed dreams. The two married in late 2021, and… well, our hearts just swelled: illustrator Coombs animated their wedding as a perfect gift to the couple. She drew them “riding off into the sunset” on a Cinderella-style carriage that says “Just Married.” Swoon!