When Jimmy Fallon mentions your marriage proposal during his opening monologue on The Tonight Show, you know you've done something momentous.
Last weekend, New York City television producer A.J. Hall enlisted the help of his girlfriend's boss and the Sony Jumbotron in Times Square to deliver an epic proposal to Nicole Pagano.
Pagano, who is a communications associate for The Daily Mail, was out with some friends when her boss called saying he unexpectedly had to leave town. He asked Pagano if she would like to have his reservations at the swank Polo Bar, a place she's always wanted to go. In addition, he asked her to be in Times Square at exactly 9:15 to view a Daily Mail video that would be debuting at that time on the mammoth Jumbotron at 1 Times Square, the same building that hosts the descending Apple on New Year's Eve.
Pagano called Hall with the good news and the two planned for an exciting night on the town. The date marked the two-year anniversary of their first date. Unbeknownst to Pagano, the Polo Bar/Jumbotron story was an elaborate ruse devised by Hall.
She and Hall arrived at the the four-story-tall video board at exactly the right time, but it was showing an odd piece that made no mention of The Daily Mail. The video depicted images of New York City landmarks and then a series of titles that completed a message: "We Fell In Love — Tonight — History — Happens — Again — Are You Ready?”
“I was just thinking, ‘I can’t believe they approved this! It has nothing to do with the brand!’” Pagano told madworldnews.com
But, then a bunch of images looked very familiar. Hall, a producer for Fox & Friends, had created a video that was a story of their relationship. The next image showed Hall kissing Pagano on the cheek and then one of Hall holding a large cue card with the phrase, "Marry Me?"
Pagano screamed, "Oh my god!’ and held her hand over her mouth in disbelief as her boyfriend of two years knelt down in the middle of Times Square and popped the question with a diamond engagement ring in hand. Pagano's answer was a resounding "Yes," as onlookers cheered their approval.
With the ring safely on her finger, Pagano kissed her fiancé and stared wide-eyed at the raucous Times Square crowd, which included a larger-than-life Elmo and Cookie Monster.
A moment later, Pagano's parents — who had been hiding out of site — emerged on the scene to offer the couple hugs and their congratulations.
“She’s the best and she deserves the best, so I wanted the best possible idea,” A.J. told The Daily Mail. “I wanted to go big or go home.”
Last Wednesday night, the story caught the attention of Fallon and the comedy writers of The Tonight Show.
"Here's a local story. I saw that a man from New York proposed to his girlfriend by playing a video on one of the giant billboards in Times Square," Fallon said to the "awws" of his studio audience.
"It was a beautiful moment until Times Square Elmo said (at this point, Fallon takes a puff from an invisible cigarette and transitions into his toughest New York City accent), 'I give it two months. They don't look like they like each other... Wanna take a picture?'"
Pagano noted the awesomeness of the moment with this post on her Facebook page...
See Fallon's monologue here...
See the Times Square proposal below...
Credits: Screen captures via YouTube/Inside Edition and YouTube/Brian Michael Tully, NBC/Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; Instagram/Nicole Pagano; Facebook/AJ Hall.
