Woman Eating Chicken Wing Photobombs Friend's Proposal

A picture of a woman photobombing her friend's marriage proposal while eating a chicken wing is proving a source of much amusement online.

Former elementary school teacher turned electrical lineman Chace Hart, 31, told Newsweek he had always planned to pop the question to his fiancée Lauren on New Year's Eve.

"I knew I wanted to propose on New Years as it was the same night Lauren's dad proposed to her mom so I thought it would be cool," he said.

"Originally, I had planned to wait until midnight but the power had gone out during our big storm we were having here and I also had a hunch that by midnight, we'd all be really tired."

The couple, who live and work in Northern California, had been dating for just over a year but Chace said he knew he had wanted to marry Lauren "for a while" and had already purchased the ring and had "the talk with her father" prior to New Year.

All that was left was to propose in front of their fellow partygoers. But, as is occasionally the case with public proposals, plans can go a little awry.

Public proposals might be a popular fixture in the world of TV and film but research suggests many would prefer someone to pop the question in private. A recent study published in the Journal of Family Psychology analyzed 374 first-person accounts of accepted and rejected marriage proposals.

When it came to analyzing what made for a successful proposal, the majority of respondents preferred something private, noting that public proposals often garnered unwanted attention for those involved.

In this instance, however, it wasn't Chace and Lauren who found themselves the focus of attention.

According to Chace, the group had been playing a game when he spied a potential opening to pop the question. Having "covertly approached" the host and asked for permission to propose ("she gave an emphatic yes") he quickly set up a speaker to play his fiancée's favorite song before producing the ring.

"At this point, I'm so in the zone and focused on what's happening that I don't realize our other friend is in the kitchen milling about grazing on hors d'oeuvres," Chase said.

"Lauren is in shock when she sees the ring and I move around the table and get down on one knee in front of her. Her friend, still in the kitchen, has not seen any of this while her husband and the couple hosting the party are watching me propose."

Chase said several party guests tried to get the photobomber's attention but she was "really busy with the wings" and saying things like "Aw, this song is so cute it should be at a wedding!"

He said that at this point they were both "looking at her and laughing hysterically" having not "officially popped the question yet."

"When she finally did look over, she realized what was going on and that's when the photo was taken," he said. "Her husband got her out of the kitchen then I was finally able to get through my proposal and much to my relief, my fiancée said yes."

In some situations this kind of photobomber might have ruined the moment but, if anything, Chase said it added to the experience and he was eager to share the resulting snap on social media.

"The minute I saw the photo I knew it was going on Reddit," he said. "I thought they'd appreciate the humor in it. I mean, who doesn't love a proposal and hot wings?"

The post earned over 73,000 upvotes with users commenting on the picture split into two distinct camps. For some, the image was an opportunity to share stories of how their public proposals ended up being derailed due to outside interference.

PharmaDinagi said: "I did it in front of a giant Christmas tree at a hotel. Someone from the balcony shouted, 'OMG are you proposing?' Then embarrassed, she said, 'oh, I'm sorry. Did she say 'yes' though?'"

Ravensgirl2785 commented: "My husband proposed to me on the water in Fells Point in Baltimore on a beautiful summer day, with a woman actively shouting, 'Don't do it, girl!' in the background. Oh, I did it."

FistyMcTavish, meanwhile, wrote: "I took my wife to Niagara falls to try and be romantic and an entire group saw me and started taking pictures of me and pointing."

For others, it was all about the woman eating the chicken.

Ricky-from-scotland praised the photobomber, writing: "The friend 100 percent has her priorities right!" while YouPeopleAreGarbage declared: "Women will come and go, but the love of fried chicken will last the test of time."

However, the best comment came from Equivalent_Reason582 who couldn't resist writing the pun-tastic gag: "With this wing, I do thee wed."

Has a wedding come between your relationship with a loved one? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

E.T. 9:32 4/1/2023 Updated with comment from Chace Hart