‘All you ladies! Take notes’: Sydney proposal goes viral

Footage of a young couple getting engaged in Sydney has divided online because of one detail.

Footage of a woman proposing to her partner by Sydney’s harbour has divided online.

The clip posted by Personalized Proposals and Co, which organises memorable Aussie proposals, has been going viral.

In the video posted, a young woman who looks stunning in a red dress is seen leading her partner, who is blindfolded, to a breathtaking harbourside location in Sydney.

Once they arrive in a quiet grassy spot, he takes off his blindfold, and she gets down on one knee and asks him to marry her.

The man accepted the proposal and kissed his partner’s forehead in celebration.

“He said yes,” the Instagram caption reads.

The man was blindfolded for the event. Picture: Instagram/personalised.proposals.and.co

She got down on one knee. Picture: Instagram/personalised.proposals.and.co

The sweet video of two people in love has sparked a divided reaction online, with some people finding the fact that a woman proposed to a man hard to digest.

The issue some Aussies seem to have with the video entirely comes down to gender.

There’s barely any criticism about the location or the way the woman proposed, but rather about the fact that the woman was the one to propose.

“Girl! Get up and stop embarrassing all of us,” one wrote.

“I’d rather wrestle a shark in Sydney Harbour than get on one knee for a man,” someone else argued.

While someone else claimed that if a man is “interested” in you and “loves you” he’ll propose to you, and someone else called the whole thing “cringe”.

He accepted the proposal. Picture: Instagram/personalised.proposals.and.co

Plenty of people also called out the backwards commentary around the proposal. Its 2024 … why shouldn’t a woman propose?

“This girl is breaking the norm, and any man would appreciate it. She’s strong and knows what she wants. All you ladies take notes,” one argued.

Another pointed out that it is a “challenge” to find a man in Sydney and there’s nothing wrong with a woman “taking control” of her romantic destiny.

Someone else pointed out that it was mostly women shaming the woman for proposing.

“If social media has taught us anything, women dislike each other more than they hate men,” one theorised.

While someone else said, the response exposed people as “hypocrites” who aren’t as evolved as they think they are.

“They want equality! They want the same pay! They want and now a woman proposes to her man they want her not to as it should be the man! Get over yourselves,” one raged.

Psychologist Carly Dober said that a woman proposing to a partner can be “confronting” for some people.

“It’s because it challenges traditional gender roles and societal norms around marriage,” she said.

“Historically, proposals have been framed as a ‘man’s role’, which reflects broader patriarchal norms where men are seen as initiators in relationships.”

Ms Dober said cultural expectations also play a role, as some still view a woman proposing as unconventional.

“This act can be seen as disrupting ingrained ideas about traditional femininity and masculinity, leaving some to question what this might mean for the balance of roles within the relationship.”

The psychologist said that a woman proposing to a man, though, is an entirely healthy act.

“I applaud women who don’t wait around, who communicate their wishes and who remind us that relationships can look different,” she said.