Woman Surprised with Flash Mob Proposal While Walking Dog in Sweatpants: 'You're Doing This Right Now?' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Caitlin Wilayto during her proposal.Photo:Courtesy of Caitlin Wilayto (2)

Courtesy of Caitlin Wilayto (2)

It was a rainy Monday in New York City, and Wilayto had just returned from work, intending to take their dog out for a walk. Each night, one of them would walk the dog while the other stayed home to start dinner. When Spellacy insisted they walk the dog together, Wilayto sensed something was up. Nevertheless, she quickly threw on a random outfit — sweatpants and rain boots — and the couple, who’d been together for eight years, headed out the door.

“Blake turned to me and said, ‘This song reminds me of you,'” Wilayto, also an actor, recalls. “And I was like, ‘Okay?’ " At that moment, their friends, including two of Wilayto’s best friends from college, popped out from behind the tree and began a flash mob.

Courtesy of Caitlin Wilayto

“I was really, really surprised,” Wilayto says. “It felt kind of out of body. We do theater; we met doing musical theater, so we’re actors and do shows, but to have something like this happen in real life — when I saw my friends Mike and Zach pop out behind the tree, I thought, ‘Oh my God, you’re doing this right now. I can’t believe it.’ "

“The first thing I said was, ‘I look awful,’ but of course that didn’t matter,” she continues, laughing. “It’s funny because I usually dress up, but he caught me on that one day. I was just so overwhelmed. He timed it perfectly, too; there weren’t many people around in the park, which was nice because it wasn’t this huge spectacle.”

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“He just told me he was doing landscaping for a rooftop installation,” she explains. “He’d say, ‘Oh, this install is going really late; I’ll be home later.’ I never thought anything of it, but it was funny to know my friends were involved.”

Caitlin Wilayto watches her husband and friends dance during proposal.Courtesy of Caitlin Wilayto

Caitlin Wilayto and Blake Spellacy during their proposal alongside their friends.Courtesy of Caitlin Wilayto

“Blake got such a kick out of it,” she continues. “It’s funny because he’s an actor, but he wasn’t thinking about social media when he did this. He knew I’d find it funny, but I think he loves it because it was his idea and everyone else thinks, ‘Wow, this is a dream.’ He’s a keeper.”

“As for my family, they would’ve loved to see it, but I’m very close with them, so he didn’t tell anyone except my dad,” she adds. “He asked my dad for permission, so my dad knew something was going to happen, but my mom and I are best friends, so he didn’t tell her. Afterward, I had to FaceTime her, and Blake said, ‘Sorry, Susan, I couldn’t tell you because you and Caitlin are best friends.’ She was so surprised. It was great that they had this video to be a part of the moment.”

source: people.com