Valerie Simone had a date planned with her boyfriend, Ryan Freeman, at the St. Louis Zoo. When the day arrived, Ryan begged off, claiming to be “sick.” Like a trooper, Simone went without him. It was their favorite place, so she was comfortable enough to enjoy the day. However, Ryan had a different plan, and all of Valerie’s friends were in on it. Ryan’s fantastic surprise proposal has to be one for the record books.
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Nova the Sea Lion was one of Valerie’s favorite exhibits. When Ryan caught up with her, she was watching the sea lion frolic. Ryan worked his way through the crowd while she faced the tank’s glass wall. Finally arriving directly behind her, he reached out and gently tapped her shoulder. She turned as he knelt on one knee, holding a beautiful ring.
As the crowd realized what was happening, they parted, leaving plenty of room for the reaction. We can’t hear the proposal because of the crowd noise, but we can see her surprise as she covers her face with her hands. Valerie drops down to her knees and the couple hug. As the couple enjoys the moment and Ryan leans in for another embrace, a curious sea lion watches.
We’re unsure when Valerie realized how many people in the crowd were friends or family. She acknowledged that the moment was witnessed by the most important people in their lives. The person who followed Ryan into the Sea Lion enclosure recorded the surprise proposal. There was bonus footage from many of the “bystanders.” Valerie collected many clips to see the proposal from every angle and compiled them into a showcase video on TikTok.
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