Bride-to-be Christina McGinnis agrees to model a wedding dress as a favor to her photographer friend, but the Christmas tree behind her hides a life-changing surprise.
Everyone loves a good flash mob, especially when the ruse is this clever. These types of schemes typically result in a marriage proposal, but McGinnis’ fiancé Brian Green ups the ante with the stunt he pulled on Dec. 14, 2014.
According to WXIA via USA Today, McGinnis and Green had been together since 2010, engaged since 2013, and have a daughter named Aspen. In fact, aside from having a formal wedding ceremony, the couple had already begun building their future. The daunting task of planning a wedding had taken its toll on the bride-to-be, who would “freak out” each time she would begin. Green explains, “It took away the purpose and excitement of being married. … The wedding is just the ceremony. The marriage is what’s important, so I just wanted to focus on the marriage.”
To alleviate his fiancée’s stress and frustration, Green hatched a brilliant plan. As explained in the video below (uploaded to YouTube by Green’s brother, Chris), McGinnis was under the impression that she was helping her photographer friend with a wedding dress “photo shoot” at the Mall of Georgia. After donning the wedding gown and getting her hair and makeup done, McGinnis poses in front of a massive Christmas tree for the fake photo shoot.
But perhaps one of the best things about Christmas trees, particularly large ones like the one in the video below, is how effective they are at concealing the most impressive gifts. While the bride-to-be is distracted, the groom and his accomplices carry out the rest of the surprise. During the photo shoot, the photographer leads McGinnis to the other side of the Christmas tree, where her father is waiting for her with a bridal bouquet and four monumental words — “You’re getting married today.” Upon realizing the implications, McGinnis takes a few moments to compose herself while Green and the guests rush into place on the opposite side of the Christmas tree for the “flash mob” element of the surprise.
Green’s flawlessly executed plan caught the attention of the Belize Tourism Board, which teamed up with McGinnis to surprise her now-husband. According to WSOC-TV, the Belize Tourism Board gave the newlyweds an “all-expenses-paid, five-day honeymoon in Belize” while allowing McGinnis the opportunity to give Green a taste of his own medicine. The article states that the couple planned to embark on their adventure in March.
Of course, this stunt was not without its critics. On the YouTube video, there were numerous comments expressing horror at the notion of a surprise wedding, especially given the lack of input McGinnis had in the logistics of the ceremony. McGinnis, however, could not have been happier about Green’s secret plan. In an email correspondence with ABC7 News, she defends her husband, stating, “to those who have criticized the wedding and how Brian did it — Brian knows me SO well. … He knows exactly what I would ever want and made my day exactly that.” She gushes, “I was so relieved that I was getting married and didn’t have to lift a finger!”
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