“The expression on her face is priceless. It was truly the most amazing day of my life. March 7, 2015 at 8:36am is captured in both of our hearts and our cameras forever.”
– Marlon LeWinter, Founder, NRGized Media
There are proposals, and then there are epic proposals. Marlon LeWinter pulled off an amazing marriage proposal to Ashley Yanover live on TV that will remain etched in their memories forever.
A Serendipitous Encounter
Marlon and Ashley met in 2014 at their gym. Her date stood her up and she ended up running almost into him at the gym. To avoid an awkward encounter, Ashley moved to an area where Marlon was working out. Marlon reminisces, “I was literally hanging upside down doing an abs workout. She had never seen anyone doing that before; so she came over and started talking.”
The two soon discovered they had a lot in common. Both their families lived in South Florida, just 20 minutes apart. Marlon had been pitching story ideas to a producer who turned out to be her cousin. They hit it off instantly.
Meticulous Planning into Making the Proposal a Success
Marlon needed three months to carefully craft a strategy to ensure the proposal went smoothly. Three factors were integral to the plan: a unique method, an event captured on video without Ashley’s knowledge, and the presence of both their families.
Marlon, along with Ashley’s cousin, the producer, crafted a convincing email that he forwarded to Ashley. The plan was to go on the show’s “Plaza Fans of the Day” segment together where Marlon would propose. Marlon had to work hard on convincing her to go on camera and be part of the segment.
Marlon also worked with Ashley’s brother Josh, who was in New York along with his girlfriend, in making sure that Ashley’s parents were also in New York for the show during the proposal. Of course, he already had his parents on-board. Having both their families together wasn’t easy, but Marlon was motivated to make it very special for Ashley.
The Big Day
Marlon is all praise for the staff of the Today show. He says, “Right from arranging cars for timely pick up of families, to putting families in separate green rooms and managing everything perfectly.” Ashley even called her mom and told her to watch the show.
Marlon was given 30-40 seconds for the proposal. Instead of leading the show into a commercial break, Marlon turned to Ashley and proposed. Completely surprised, she reacted with “Stop it. Are you serious?!” Marlon continued, and Ashley said “yes.” Ashley was overwhelmed seeing their families enter the set after he proposed. The moment couldn’t be more special.
Marlon’s proposal shows that even a small but meaningful act like a marriage proposal can have an everlasting impact. Striving to make your loved ones feel special is key to a life of happiness. To view the live proposal, click here.
About Marlon
After 9 years managing PR for Under Armour, Marlon worked with Venus Williams to promote her clothing line EleVen. With over 16 years of PR experience, Marlon founded NRGized Media, a full-service public relations and brand consultancy.
