One warm day in December, Yuval meets up with his parents and his partner, Mark, for brunch in New York City, unaware that his day is about to take a drastically happy turn. Mark has been planning a flash mob proposal for months, letting family and friends in on the surprise. Luckily, there is only one moment of tension on the day of, when Yuval’s taxi cab almost bypasses the designated area for the dance.
Once in place, the dancers begin their performance to the couple’s special song, “In This Life” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. The touching lyrics of this song speak of a love that sets you free and allows you to be found. As a homosexual couple in a still judgmental world, it is easy to see how the song may symbolize the obstacles their relationship has faced and how they saved each other. That thought lingers as the couples dance delicately to the music, and Yuval sings along happily beside Mark without any suspicions.
When the popular song “Marry You” by Bruno Mars begins playing, Yuval is still oblivious and unsuspecting to Mark’s surprise, even though he recognizes some of the dancers. The excitement rises when Mark gets pulled into the dance by one of the dancers, but Yuval laughs, believing it is random. A few seconds later, though, his mouth becomes an O of surprise when Mark joins in on the choreography and realization finally dawns on Yuval that this is all just for him. Yuval’s teary reaction is certain to break anyone’s heart in the best way, and is worth watching several times over. It is endearing to see Yuval cry tears of joy while Mark dances happily and almost giddily in the midst of the dancers.
As the song nears its end, Yuval is escorted over to Mark, who professes his eternal love to Yuval as the dancers stand in a circle around them, as the ultimate symbol of unity and endlessness. Undoubtedly, Yuval accepts Mark’s proposal, to the cheers, applause, and loud congratulations of everyone in the area. The strong and passionate love between the couple is visible, and nearly tangible, as the ring is slipped onto Yuval’s finger. Inscribed inside the ring in Hebrew is the romantic expression:
“I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”
This sentiment clearly only hints at the deep connection this couple shares, and leaves you with the sense that their bond will only grow as their marriage lengthens.
