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International Edition
May 21, 2013 Last Updated: 10:47:PM EDT

Spray the Question! 8 Tenderly Tagged Street Art Marriage Proposals

Spray the Question! 8 Tenderly Tagged Street Art Marriage Proposals

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Courtesy the Artist / Photo by Caroline Aufdemorte
A marriage-proposal mural by artist Kyle Brooks (a.k.a. Blackcattips)
by Terri Ciccone
Published: February 14, 2013
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While many spend their days trying to remove graffiti from their fences and walls, these couples are keeping it forever in their hearts! With marriage proposals becoming more elaborate than ever, as couples use tactics like movie trailers, flash mobs, and even through a series of memes to pop the question, those looking to get down on one knee in a creative way may be feeling out of ideas. Perhaps they can take a cue from some of these couples below, who commissioned or created street art to play a role in one of the happiest days of their lives.

Do You Like Me? Circle Yes/No

 

Houston-based Ack!’s hunched and oft-drooling graffiti avatar doesn't exactly suggest romance — but for his friends Shannon and Jessica, the street artist's character represents a meaningful memory. When Shannon asked Ack! for some help proposing to his girlfriend, the artist was more than happy to oblige, creating a mural-sized display of the spray-painted figure holding an oversized diamond ring in front of a banner with the words “Will you marry me,” alongside a checkbox with the options “yes” and “no.” Happily, when Shannon led his girlfriend to the spot, Jessica immediately tagged the “yes” column. The video was shot and edited by Pr!mo, who also created “Stick ‘Em Up,” a street art documentary.

Tour de Street Art Proposal

Art played an important role in Aaron Vandenbroucke and girlfriend Tamara Marie Altherr's history as a couple, so Vandenbroucke, a Kansas City-based artist, decided to take a creative approach to making his proposal. Friends and family helped him create a street art tour that led all over Bend, Oregon, eventually to two pop-up characters holding a sign that said “Marry Me.” The unsuspecting Altherr was oblivious to any type of ruse, and though extremely surprised when Vanderbroucke knelt down in the snow to unwrap a ring from a red bandana, she did, of course, say yes. 

Scrabble Points

Artist Jeff Gurwin's girlfriend Caitlin thought she was just meeting him on a corner in Alphabet City to go to dinner nearby. Little did she know that Gurwin had commissioned Bronx-based street artist turned professional muralists Tats Cru to help create a visual piece asking her to marry him. The mural incorporated Scrabble, the couple’s favorite board game, as well as Caitlin’s beloved family pug.

Smiling is My Favorite

Like the characters in his mural, artist Kyle Brooks describes the process of creating street art to ask his girlfriend to marry him in the simplest of terms on his blog. “I got a sunburned arm. I saw a lot of yellow jackets. I used some spray paint and some brush paint. I took Pup with me. I cut some bushes down with a hand saw.” He took his girlfriend on a walk, who recognized his characters in the painting from afar. Brooks describes the outcome as, “I asked her to be my bride and she said YES. I smiled a lot.”

A Room With a View

Everyone loves an apartment with a view, but street artist Jay Shells’s girlfriend was in for more than a nice sunset when she climbed up to his rooftop one evening. The etiquette-obsessed New York City-based artist painted the words “Rachel will you marry me?” across the tops of five rooftops below, and asked her to look down for something he painted. While it took her a few minutes to actually locate it, it did not take her long to respond, in positive, to the proposal. 

Ironclad Heart

Checking off “yes” or “no” to a proposal via spray-paint is so much more fun than just weeping “yes!” in crowded restaurants, so it's no surprise that interactive graffiti mural proposals may now have become a trend. It worked in favor of one iron worker, who gained the support of a member of street-art and music collective Clogged Caps willing to create a lovely mural of the husband-hopeful holding a ring out from the scaffolding of a cityscape. When the couple met at the spot, the future bride had already tagged herself as “yes” before her new fiancé directed her view to the camera above. The duo then rode off into the sunset, hopefully symbolizing many happy-ever-afters, on a motorcylce. 

Forever in Central Park

Tats Cru is at it again, revealing that they may just have a soft spot for creating murals for young couples in love. Here we see a lovely young couple taking a walk in Central Park, only to stumble across a strategically placed sign that reads “Caitlin, Forever Starts When You Say Yes.” The ring itself? Shortly after the future bride has noticed cameras, muffled laughter with mittens, and kissed to seal the deal, it's revealed to be hidden within a cleverly folded (origami-style) dollar bill. Nothing says love quite like the art of disguise. 

LED Marry Me

New York commuters trudging home to the subway may be too exhausted, or preoccupied, to pay attention to signs above the station. But few things catch the eye as much as a digital display blinking lights that read: “Will you marry me?” We commend this romantic for using technology in his (or her) street art proposal; we imagine it made its targeted local's commute home much more enjoyable, and likely warmed the hearts of any subway-trekking newlyweds who also crossed its path. 

Contemporary Arts, Street Art, Valentine's Day, Terri Ciccone
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