Strangers join couple in celebration after beach proposal to make their big day extra special

A proposals is as special for a couple as the wedding that follows and while it is deeply personal, the grand gesture or spontaneous move that is followed by the big question is also seen as the ultimate declaration of love. As people choose public spaces or major events such a baseball games for proposal, videos of such moments often go viral in the age of social media. Something similar happened with Nicole Faith Cochrane, who goes by @itsnicolefaith on TikTok, when she was on the beach facing her fiancé with no idea that he was going to pop "the question." However, a group of onlookers understood what was going on and went on to capture the unfiltered moment on camera. In the video, which she later uploaded, the audience was heard saying things like, "This is the cutest thing ever" and "I have chills all over my body!"

In an interview with PEOPLE, Cochrane said some people were cheering for them after the actual proposal. "They made it 100 times better," she said. Apart from those strangers, Cochrane felt grateful for having her best friend, Astrid, who is a wedding photographer by profession (@astridjohanaphoto), by her side. Astrid offered her skills as a professional wedding photographer, and also documented her engagement. She even helped plan the entire engagement by leading her friend to the beach, making her think that it was for some girly best friend pictures before a nice dinner, she told the outlet. "I was the one that pushed us to get new dresses that day because we walked by a boutique," Cochrane said adding, "I did not think anything of it."

According to Cochrane, she was met with a large audience, with approximately 10 couples and several young kids. She recalled, "I remember thinking, seeing all them like, 'Oh my gosh, me and Taylor, I need to tell Taylor about this.'" She further added, "Because we would want that when we have a bunch of kids. All out on the beach, playing games, grilling." Initially, she thought those people were judging them for taking photographs on the beach when everybody had their eyes all fixated on them. "All of these thoughts are crossing my mind, and then when Astrid kind of gives me a look to look ... where he's standing, that's kind of when I look back at them and I'm putting two and two together, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh. That's why they were staring at me.'"

One of the spectators later airdropped the candid video of the proposal with sweet remarks by them, and it went viral, garnering over 5 million views on the platform. People took to the comment section to talk about the proposal, while others added how they loved Cochrane and made those strangers feel included despite not knowing them personally. "The way she looked over at you guys like, you guys were her besties and you were supposed to be there," @mallorymurad wrote. "The fact that they are so happy for you and they don't even know you. I love being a woman," @_lover remarked. Cochrane not only walked out engaged but also made a few new friends due to the way things unfolded. 

You can follow Nicole Faith Cochrane (@itsnicolefaith) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.