Pigeon Forge, TN — Mori Madrid stood beneath the RMS Titanic’s Grand Staircase and opened an envelope.
Meet me at the clock. Make it count, the note read.
Behind her, boyfriend Jeremy Brown stood decked out in the same tux Jack Dawson wore in the 1997 film. When Madrid reached the top, he put a ‘Heart of the Ocean’ replica around her neck.
Then he proposed.
Video Courtesy of Titanic Museum Attraction
“There’s not a better love story than Titanic. It is the ultimate love story,” Jeremy Brown said. “Every time we watch it, I feel like it’s her.”
The Texas couple has been together longer than the span of a maiden voyage. Though Titanic was a staple movie throughout their nearly six-year relationship, popping the question at The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge wasn’t always the plan. Brown originally wanted to propose in front of his grandparents in Aruba. But his grandfather passed away just one month before their trip, and so he took his time formulating another creative plan.
“Jack is adventurous,” Madrid says. “And [Jeremy] is just like that. He’s like, hey live. Live every moment. It’s okay. Do great things. And that’s what we do, every day.”
While the museum does offer a basic proposal package where guests can take about ten minutes to propose, Brown wanted to take it one step further. He envisioned a proposal where his bride-to-be ascended the grand staircase, in exact timing with Titanic’s final scene.
The staff worked tirelessly to pull off his surprise.
“When I gave them my idea: I want the music, I want the people up there clapping. I want her to feel like she is actually in the Titanic at the Grand Staircase. Just like the movie,” Brown said. "They went with it."
Madrid says it's likely she felt more nervous than her movie counterpart did walking up the stairs to meet her love. The moment was so well coordinated though, she was able to compose herself and soak it in.
“The music came on and I just took a deep breath. It was so heartwarming, it was just awesome. And once I saw it, I saw Jeremy up there. I started walking up it was just amazing.”
The couple's story already has a happier ending than Jack and Rose's. The two were able to enjoy a private tour and dinner, with an anonymous person picking up the tab for the entire proposal.
They plan to wed December 22 of this year in Aruba. The couple has invited the event coordinator who helped plan their proposal, and say Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio also have a standing invitation.