This has to be one of the sweetest and most romantic proposals I have come across. An Atlanta based photographer and filmmaker Walt Thompson invested 22 shooting hours and “God knows how long” editing this lego stop motion marriage proposal for his four year old girlfriend, Nealey Dozier.
Dozier had no idea about the entire production till the very end and kept thinking that Thompson was secluding himself in his man-cave (his studio) in order to write an anniversary poem for her, like how he did every year.
“He had been locking himself in his 'man-cave' for the past few days, no girlfriends allowed…He claimed to be working on an anniversary poem, which didn't raise any flags because he writes me one every year.” – Nealey Dozier.
On January 3, 2012 Tuesday, after taking a total of 2,600 painstainkingly posed photographs, Thompson played the video for Dozier in the living room of their Atlanta home.
“He directed me to the DVD player and told me to press play…He then came to stand behind me, and within seconds I could feel the loud thumping of his heart and his quivering hands as they grabbed for mine. It was only then that I realized this was no anniversary poem.” –Dozier. Dozier watched while Thompson waited for the exact moment the words “Will you marry me?” appeared on the screen. “When the words came on the 46” television it was playing on, I hit my knee and pulled out the box, which contained the LEGO bride and groom,” – Thompson. The lego groom was holding the ring.
Dozier could hardly contain her excitement, and wanted to know how had he made the video and when should they contact their parents, among other things. “We shared an awkward, fumbling kiss before I launched into 20 questions…It was after 10 minutes that I realized I hadn't even said yes. Poor guy had to wait it out in torture for the answer!” – Dozier.
The video has been worked on with a lot of details that might escape the eyes of casual viewers. Thompson managed to use all the stops to make the experience as memorable and personal as was possible.
Thompson took pains in finding lego pieces that looked remarkably like the couple. “I actually found clothes that we were dressed in when we met,” – Thompson.
There were other memories that Thompson tried to depict from their four year long relationship. Starting with the moment they first meet, the video follows the couple as they discover themselves and build their lives together. At another point, Dozier, a freelance food writer and founder of the blog ‘Dixie Caviar,’ is seen preparing and experimenting with different foods, while Thompson photographs his sweetheart at work.
Ultimately, the video culminates in a wedding ceremony with a ear-to-ear smiling Thompson presenting his to-be-wife with a giant diamond ring as she walks down the alter.
You would be surprised, but Thompson even paid attention to the guests at the wedding. Some of the couple’s closest friends: a boxer, a zookeeper, a ‘guy dressed in Godzilla costume,’ Luke Skywalker, Indiana Jones and a female prison inmate that Thompson calls their ‘guest of honor, complete with shiv made from bedspring.’
And ofcourse, Star Wars’ Han Solo in carbonite is on hand to officiate the nuptials.
While they've yet to choose an official date, the couple is currently planning to tie the knot as early as March or April of this year.