Emma turns 50 shades of pink as Vivian proposes in the cinema
When Vivian Shalloe brought his girlfriend Emma Keating to the Arc cinema in Wexford last weekend to see the latest Fifty Shades of Grey movie, he had an unforgettable surprise up his sleeve.
As the lights went down before the film, a video appeared on the big screen and there was Vivian popping the question and asking Emma to marry him.
Against a backdrop of Carrickbyrne Hill where the couple often went for walks when they were first going out together, Vivian spoke about how much he loved Emma and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Telling the packed cinema how they had been together for eight and a half years and had a three-year old son Tadhg whose photo then came on the screen along with a picture of the couple’s home in New Ross, he said: ‘I love you with all my heart. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife’.
When the lights came back on, a nervous Vivian produced an engagement ring and asked again. A shocked Emma exclaimed ‘Oh My God, of my God’.
As people couldn’t hear what the couple were whispering to each other, a woman in the audience shouted out ‘Did she say yes’ and the loud reply came back ‘Yeah she did’.
A member of staff arrived with glasses of champagne for the couple who were also congratulated by members of the audience before everyone settled down to watch Fifty Shades of Freed.
The cinema posted a video of the proposal on its Facebook page and the romantic news spread like wildfire with Joe.ie,. Ireland AM, the Irish Post, Ray D’Arcy Show, Independent.ie and other media outlets sharing the video which was watched by thousands of people.
‘It was like a whirlwind afterwards’, said Vivian (37) from Campile who works in Viking Glass in Wexford town and is known as ‘Shalla to his friends. ‘The phone never stopped with people ringing up to congratulate us’. Emma (27), also a native of Campile, is a make-up artist who works in New Ross.
Vivian said he planned the pre-Valentine Day proposal with the help of cinema manager Declan Kelly and the staff over the past few weeks and Emma didn’t suspect a thing on the night.
The video was made by his friend Shane in OC Photography in New Ross. The Arc cinema was delighted to be able to facilitate the proposal, according to regional manager Shane Faulkner who described it as a ‘seriously heart-warming moment’ when Vivian proposed on Saturday night.‘Needless to say there was rapturous applause’ said Shane who was delighted that Valentine’s Day came early to the cinema. The Arc video post was viewed by more than 16,000 people people by Monday.