Woman filming her toddler chasing a seagull accidentally captures couple's priceless moment

Keeping a memory preserved to play and replay over and over again is one of the biggest dopamine boosters that we experience. However, there are times when we are unable to shoot the moments because we are too busy living them. Something similar happened with a couple in a park when Kristen Benett — who goes by the username @thebennettbus on Instagram —  was shooting a video of her kids playing, but serendipitously ended up capturing something else too.

The influencer power couple Kristen and David Benett — who have an Instagram page named The Benett Fam — post videos of their kids and themselves living the ideal American family life. The couple based in Portland, Maine, United States, posted a video on their Instagram page on May 8, 2025, that has gone viral, garnering over 81k likes and about 8 million views. The video features Kristen walking up to the couple to reveal how she ended up capturing something they may need.

Kristen was in the park with her children, who were chasing seagulls, running across the grassy field. Despite being shot from a distance, their joy is visible on their faces. While filming them, she accidentally pans the camera in a different direction, only to see a couple getting engaged. To surprise them, Kristen walks up to the duo sitting together, smiling and blushing in the afterglow of the proposal. Kristen shares the moment with them by showing the clip on her phone, and their faces light up.

An article by John Maxymuik shares that photographing or filming your special moments can have many positive impacts on your relationships. Through old photographs, you can trace your roots and have a feeling of togetherness while also being able to assess old emotions better. Tantowi Gilang wrote in an article, “Photos, videos, and other kinds of media have a profound effect on our lives. We keep them to remember nostalgically the past of our lives, or because they bring back a very special feeling or memory. They are a personal record for which we have no substitute. They represent who we are and what we believe.”

Many viewers expressed their feelings and opinions on the viral clip. @tinyjourneyblog wrote, “This is wonderful! When I hiked to the top of Half Dome in 2014, I spotted a proposal in the distance. I was able to take several photos without them noticing. After about 15 minutes, I approached the couple just as they were about to descend. When I told them about the photos, the future bride started crying at the realization that she had a record of the memory. It has been one of the greatest highlights of my travels.”

@purrluv13 shared, “Not a proposal, but a woman came up to my now husband and me and said she was taking a picture of the moon and we were in it and it was candid and sweet. Love those moments.” @adamdguitars also recalled a similar incident, “I’m a photographer and was walking around Central Park, NYC, killing time waiting for my friend's parents to fly in so I could photograph [their] wedding proposal. I saw a man proposing to a woman in the park, so I started taking photos. I went up to them after and got their emails so I could send the photos to them. That was 7 years ago. I wonder how they’re doing.”

You can follow The Benett Fam (@thebennettbus) on Instagram for more family-life and parenting content.