When planning to pop the question to partner Karlie Russell, photographer Dale Sharpe wanted to surprise his bride-to-be with an experience to remember and did just that with his Northern Lights marriage proposal. Both parties are landscape photographers so conducting the romantic gesture amidst the Arctic Circle was fitting, given their appreciation for nature's many wonders.
The now viral engagement photo was first posted by the photographer via his Facebook profile and was an instant hit among his creative fan following. Garnering over 8000 likes, this creative marriage proposal is reflective of Millennials' appreciation for experience over material goods.
In addition to a multitude of viral proposals that are being spotlighting across social media channels, major brands are following suit with publicity stunts that take traditional romantic gestures to new heights.
Natural Phenomenon Proposals
This Northern Lights Marriage Proposal Celebrates Nature's Beauty
Trend Themes
1. Nature-centric Proposals - There is a growing trend for proposals that celebrate the beauty of nature, providing opportunities for the wedding sector to offer atmospheric locations and new packages that focus exclusively on these experiences.
2. Social Media-driven Engagement - Thanks to social media channels, more and more engaged couples are looking to share their proposal stories online, offering opportunities to wedding and photography businesses to create new packages that focus on the sharing on social media.
3. Experience Economy Takes Over - The focus on providing unique and memorable experiences rather than material goods has been on the rise, inspiring businesses to embrace this trend and to offer more personalized, immersive, and unforgettable experiences to their customers.
Industry Implications
1. Wedding and Photography - With more couples looking to capture their proposal stories and sharing them on social media, there is a disruptive innovation opportunity for wedding and photography businesses to offer atmospheric, unique, and nature-centric locations and packages to meet the demand.
2. Experience-based Business Model - With a growing interest in the experience economy, there is a disruptive innovation opportunity for businesses to shift their focus from material goods to experience-based models, offering personalized and immersive experiences that involve nature and the sharing of these experiences on social media.
3. Tourism and Hospitality - As more people seek out nature-centric experiences, there is a disruptive innovation opportunity for the tourism and hospitality industries to create new packages and partnerships that cater to this demand, such as Northern Lights tours and eco-lodges in remote, scenic locations.