Two Illinois high-school sweethearts got engaged during a trip to Idaho before the groom-to-be reveals a T-shirt announcing: “That’s my fiancée.”
Avery Williams of Rockford, Illinois, shared the touching moment on TikTok with her 880 followers — and it went viral with nearly 3 million views in just two days.
Avery and her fiancé, Jared Spickler, also manage a YouTube channel, where they share clips about their lives together.
In a longer YouTube video about the proposal, Jared explained the plan was a surprise to Avery, which involved the help of both families. The couple said on YouTube on Jan. 22: “Jared had been planning this entire thing for months, and last Saturday it finally happened!
He organized a trip to Idaho, where they had previously talked about getting engaged, and made up an excuse to travel there together.
The footage shows Jared popping the question to Avery before they share a hug, and he reveals his custom-designed shirt. The video also features footage of Avery playing basketball with her high-school team as Jared shows off another T-shirt that says: “That’s my girlfriend.”
“Jared took both our families and flew out to Idaho to surprise me … and propose!
“This video explains and shows more about what Idaho means to us, so be sure to watch!
“The most shocked I’ve ever been in my life, but such a sweet day that I will always look back on and cherish.”
Avery said in an interview: “My fiancé is the best. He is caring, sweet and my best friend. He has the best sense of humor, and always enjoys making other people laugh. He will always help others before himself, and is an extremely giving person in that sense.
“I’ve actually known Jared since elementary school. We’ve always lived in the same area and gone to school together. While we have always known each other, we didn’t start dating until sophomore year of high school.
“I definitely didn’t expect the TikTok to blow up like that. People have really enjoyed seeing the side-by-side comparison of our relationship.
“Jared and I love hiking and exploring new places. We always try to find outdoor places to explore when we have time. Since we are both full-time college students, we don’t travel as much as we’d like. But once we graduate, I know traveling more places will definitely be in our future.”
Avery said: “For those who don’t believe in love, I just want to say that it’s definitely real and everyone deserves it. Everyone deserves to have someone treat them the way they want to be treated, and to love them unconditionally!
“If you haven’t experienced it yet, you just haven’t met the one quite yet.”
Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler
