The ‘Nobody Wants This’ proposal was real. Its creator’s husband staged a fake wedding
To make it seem even more genuine, he played it off as an optional business obligation.
It's common to hear screenwriters lift moments from real life, but pulling a moment from your own engagement isn't something that people see every day. When Simon Tikhman proposed to Erin Foster (@erinfoster) in 2019, he staged an entire fake Napa Valley vow renewal so she wouldn't suspect a thing. Foster actually panicked on the spot, thinking he was hijacking someone else’s ceremony. Years later, the creator of Netflix’s "Nobody Wants This" used that exact chaotic vineyard setup in her script. This detail, however, only came to light after Foster shared a video of the same on Instagram on October 29, 2026, amassing over 92,000 likes.
The decoy inivitaton
Tikhman began orchestrating the setup a month prior by fabricating an entire trip to Napa Valley. He handed Foster a bogus paper invitation for a private vow renewal. To make it seem even more genuine, he played it off as an optional business obligation. "He said, ‘This is kind of a work thing. You’re welcome to come with me. You don’t have to, no pressure,’" Foster recalled. On screen in "Nobody Wants This," Noah pulled off the exact same ruse, tricking Joanne into believing they were traveling together simply to attend an acquaintance's destination ceremony.
The stealth manicure
To make sure Foster's hands were ready for the ring photos without raising suspicion, Tikhman engineered a subtle salon run. He arranged for her to pick up her young niece and take her out for manicures under the guise of an aunt-bonding afternoon. But this was just the start. He then contacted Foster's sister quietly, who flew into Napa from New York carrying the engagement ring in her luggage. While the couple made their way to the estate, relatives from both sides were already on site, hiding inside a large barn.
Panic at the altar
When the couple arrived at the vineyard, signs directed them toward the supposed ceremony. But when Foster noticed that no one was present, the staff got creative. They told her that all the guests were on a wine tour. Then they proceeded to show them the table. It was at that moment, when she turned around, that Tikhman dropped to one knee. Foster panicked, believing they were crashing a stranger’s event. "Oh, my God. Noah, Oh my God. We’re at Bryan’s wedding," she tells Tikhman.
The grand reveal
Seeing her genuine freak-out, Tikhman had to break character at last. "We’re not. There’s no Bryan. There’s no wedding. I made it up," he told her. As Foster accepted the ring, her family rushed out of the barn in tears. Reflecting on the real-life chaos that became television gold, Foster remarked, “And that’s how I got engaged to a psychotically romantic genius."
Nonetheless, most proposals in the United States remain a surprise for the recipient. According to a The Knot survey, 83% of proposees reported that their proposal was a surprise. Meanwhile, 39% confirmed being involved in some capacity, with only 9% purchasing the ring together. 83% of proposers planned the proposal in advance, while only 13% described theirs as spontaneous. Among those who planned ahead, nearly half spent one to three months preparing, just as Tikhman started constructing the Napa ruse about a month before.
Screaming, knowing it's real
The story came as a surprise for many, as they took to Foster's post to express themselves. @annakloots wrote, "I cried watching this episode, and I’m screaming knowing this was REAL." Meanwhile, @tksjuicypolls commented, "Iconic!!! One of my favorite episodes of TV ever. I loved that it surprised all of us."
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