Her dad always gave mom 11 roses. Years after he passed, her boyfriend did the same — with the last rose on one knee

Abby Chain (@abbychain_) grew up in a household where love was always celebrated and honored. In fact, her dad always gave her mom eleven roses because, for him, she was the twelfth one. Now, Matthew, Abby's boyfriend, knew about the little tradition, and so when he decided to propose to her, he knew he had to incorporate it in his proposal. The beautiful video with 3 million views so far was posted on Instagram on May 11, 2025. 

On her graduation, Matthew, Abby's boyfriend, decided to go down on one knee and propose to her. He planned the proposal very meticulously, involving almost everyone Abby loved. Matthew got people to stand all across the campus with roses and a handwritten note for Abby, while he waited at a distance with the twelfth rose to propose to her. "When I received the eleventh rose, it came as a surprise — from my brother. He reminded me of how our dad always gave our mom eleven roses and told me this rose was from him, in place of our dad. He said he knew Dad would have wanted to be the one giving it to me," she said. After a heartfelt discussion, Trey, Abby's brother, led her to Matthew, who was waiting for her at a beautiful location. The moment that Abby had been waiting for finally unfolded, and the man of her dreams asked the most precious question. She was so excited that she even jumped like a toddler before saying yes to Matthew, and that's how they began their new life by honoring a ritual that meant everything to Abby.

Every proposal is beautiful, but Matthew just made it a little extra special by including Abby's family. In fact, in 2019, The Knot released a report where they found nearly 60% of U.S. adults seek parental permission before proposing. In fact, they also found that 32% include loved ones in the proposal, proving just how important it is to involve family during such milestones. Meanwhile, reacting to Matthew's proposal, @macvaness commented, "Huge green flag! This is the sweetest, most thoughtful, and most loving proposal! Congratulations!" Echoing the sentiments, @brookie1015 wrote, "That's how you know you picked a good one. One that puts a lot of thought into you and makes things special for you. So beautiful, every girl deserves to feel this loved!"

Similarly, @angie_campbell97 wrote, "Wow! I love this! I don't even know you all, but this is the sweetest thing ever, and my tears are falling like crazy! Congratulations from one Aggie couple to another!" @_kelseylynneo shared, "He gave me 12 roses, 11 real and 1 fake, and said, 'I love you until the last one dies.' This was what my first boyfriend and best friend told me. He passed away in 2009, and I now have a single rose tattoo to represent the last rose that never died. It’s beautiful that your family carried on such a special tradition." 

You can follow Abby Chain (@abbychain_) on Instagram for relationship-related content.

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