A man in love sparked a heated debate when he dropped down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend in the middle of a wedding.
Josh Stepherson was merely following his heart when he offered a ring and the rest of his life to Alyssa Fowler.
But the timing of his grand gesture left netizens wondering whether he asked the permission of the bride and groom, whose wedding he hijacked for his own proposal.
Josh Stepherson‘s proposal to Alyssa Fowler sparked a fiery debate online
Josh and Alyssa began dating in 2021. The couple were attending a wedding in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2023 when he popped the question.
The bride’s jaw-dropping reaction was captured in a viral video that Alyssa shared on TikTok earlier this month to follow the “My moment that felt like Hozier’s yell” trend.
Social media erupted with a heated debate on whether Josh’s actions were appropriate, with one saying, “This is so inconsiderate.”
“Lazy and uninspired. Are they gonna get married at someone else’s wedding too?” one asked, while another wrote, “The fact y’all decided to choose someone else’s wedding is insane.”
“I would have made you leave lol,” a social media user said about the proposal at the wedding
“Way to steal someone else’s moment. Your boyfriend is that lame he couldn’t find a unique way to do that for you?” another wrote. “This feels so hillbilly trailer parkish.”
“The bride looked shocked, then uncomfortable, and then just accepted it—cause what else is she gonna do or say?” another wrote.
Alyssa spoke about the proposal and said it was an “in the moment decision” that Josh made
Alyssa, who turned off the comments on her TikTok video, later said the proposal was a complete “in the moment decision.”
Recalling the events that led to the proposal, Alyssa said the wedding had winded down and they were in the middle of cleaning up when the bride decided he hasn’t done her bouquet toss yet.
“She asked all the single guests (female and male) that were still present to get together so she could do one,” Alyssa told People.
@alyssa_ryannn♬ Northern Attitude – Noah Kahan & Hozier
The person who caught the bouquet was none other than her boyfriend Josh himself, and in that moment, he decided to make a decision that would change the rest of his life (as well as Alyssa’s social media status).
Josh happened to have his proposal ring with him because his initial plan was to propose to her the night before.
After catching the bouquet, Josh decided to pull out his ring and pop the question to his girlfriend
“When [the bride] tossed the bouquet, Josh caught it,” she recalled. “In that moment, he decided he would get down on one knee and ask me to marry him.”
Despite the rush of excitement, Alyssa’s initial thoughts included concerns about whether the bride would be okay with her saying “yes” at her wedding.
@alyssa_ryannn Gorg love her #greenscreen ♬ original sound – alyssa_ryannn
“I was obviously over the moon that he was asking me to marry him, but also realized that we were at someone’s wedding and immediately made sure the bride was okay with what was happening!” she shared.
Alyssa had a quick word with the bride while Josh was still on one knee.
The bride appeared in TikTok videos with Alyssa following the viral proposal
“I asked her, ‘Did he ask you? Is this okay?’ To which she responded, ‘No he didn’t but it’s okay! Say yes!’” she said.
“All guests that I have spoken to since have said the timing couldn’t have been better, and everything played out perfectly,” she added.
@alyssa_ryannnBride has entered the chat 🫡♬ original sound – Blameitonkway
Acknowledging the wild reactions people had to the proposal, Alyssa said the bride and groom did not know about the proposal “because it was not planned to happen there.”
“We do acknowledge that it would have been more appropriate for Josh to have asked beforehand, but it was an in the moment decision. They were both very happy for us,” she told the outlet.
Alyssa admitted it would have been better if the bride and groom were informed beforehand but said her proposal happened “organically”
The bride-to-be said he understands the backlash because it’s “not typically acceptable.”
“However, it all happened very organically and it was a beautiful proposal,” she added. “We appreciate everyone’s concerns, but we are happy with everything that happened.”
Alyssa has clapped back at critics in a series of videos online
Alyssa has continued posting about the proposal and reacting to the hate comments as well.
She also included the bride in her videos, but netizens still weren’t ready to accept the timing of the proposal.
@alyssa_ryannnmy flowers 🧡 *they are not finished! I still need to trim down the ends and put the wrap on *I am NOT a professional♬ sonido original – SONIDOS LARGOS
“Oh she is lovingggg this attention,” one said after she tried to justify the proposal at the wedding.
“He had 364 other days to do this…” another wrote.
TV presenter Ryan Seacrest also shared his thoughts on the proposal that left the internet divided
TV presenter Ryan Seacrest also brought up the proposal during a podcast episode and said he could understand why Josh did what he did.
“I see why he did it,” said the former American Idol host.
But another speaker on On Air With Ryan Seacrest said it was “tacky.”
@onairwithryan Do you agree with @ryanseacrest or are you on team @sisanie & @tanyarad in this #dividingtheinternet debate?! Is it EVER ok to propose at someone else’s wedding? 💍 @alyssa_ryannn ♬ original sound – OnAirWithRyan
As Alyssa now shares updates about gearing up for her own wedding, some netizens said someone should end up proposing on her special day.
“Someone pls propose at her wedding,” one said.
Many said online that they “feel so sorry for the bride”
