#SayYesKatie! A Marriage Proposal Via Buzzfeed

by JoHarrington

Internet memes and Twitter played their parts, as Len (and the cyberworld) asked Katie to marry him.

Gaining the right answer to a wedding proposal often has the groom wanting to shout it from the rafters. However the whole world generally only gets to know after the bride-to-be.

Not so in the case of Len and Katie.

When he proposed marriage, it was a very private affair. It was kept just between the couple, and 200 internet friends, and 20 million Buzzfeed users, and the entire cyber-population of Twitter (where it went viral and trended world-wide), and anyone else who happened to be on-line that day...

#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme

How Len Kendall Proposed via Internet Meme

The Chicago based couple love Buzzfeed. But Katie Holland was in for a big surprise, when she logged on that day.

It used to be 'will you marry me?'  Now it's 'will you marry' memes. Lots of them. In fact, an entire cyber community working together to urge the lady to say 'yes'.

Katie Holland is a geek. Her world largely revolves around the internet. When there are important questions to pop to her, then on-line is the best place to leave them. Like, for example, the life-changing one that her boyfriend, Len Kendall, was about to ask.

The sheer logistics of this marriage proposal are mind-boggling. Len, a community contributor on Buzzfeed, had to mobilize over 200 forum members without his girlfriend finding out. All of this on a website which they both frequent.

However, the day came and Katie was miraculously none the wiser. The whole forum had managed not to let a hint of the plan slip, until it kicked into action. #SayYesKatie had begun!

#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme

On February 29th 2012, Katie was at work. But since when has that ever stopped anyone from checking Twitter? At least she had the perfect excuse. She works in the Social Media Department, for McDonald's in Chicago.

Katie couldn't help but notice a certain hashtag trending worldwide. #SayYesKatie was cropping up all over the place. She didn't naturally think that it was anything to do with her, as you wouldn't, would you? There are a lot of people called Katie on the internet.

Then she clicked one of the many links. She saw what it was all about and she burst into tears.

Even the Buzzfeed administrators played their part in this proposal. It had more than made it onto the front page. They had added a banner across the top of it, directing all comers onto Len's profile. Once there, Katie could view the meme.

Proposal via Internet Meme
Proposal via Internet Meme

Moreover, there were image comments. Everyone there had advance warning, so the #SayYesKatie memes were all prepared and ready to post.

It took a mere five minutes between the marriage proposal being published and Katie finding it. In that time hundreds of internet memes had been added to the thread. They were all, in their own unique ways, encouraging her to say 'yes'.

More were arriving all the time. Katie could actually watch hurriedly created additions being uploaded. The whole thing went viral within minutes!

There was even an Editor's Note, which read: [Ed. note: Len is proposing to his longtime girlfriend Katie right here and now. Help him out by leaving an image in the comments persuading her to say yes and making Len the happiest man in the whole internets! We'll update this post as soon as she responds. OMG!!!]

It appeared that the whole of Buzzfeed was waiting on tenterhooks for her response.

#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme
#SayYesKatie Internet Meme

More Cyber-culture Marriage Proposals

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Katie Holland Hears the Marriage Proposal IRL

Len didn't stop with Buzzfeed. A more formal wedding request occurred in real life.

After spending the morning flicking through an avalanche of #SayYesKatie memes, Katie was able to meet up with her boyfriend. He hadn't been answering his 'phone during all of that time!

Everything now became much more traditional. Len went down on one knee in person and popped the question. She could hardly have not known that it was coming!

Of course, the internet had to wait until the couple had nipped home, because he did want to do this right. He asked her father for his blessing on the union too. Only after all of the real life formalities were over, did Len return to Buzzfeed to let everyone know the answer.

And how better to convey that news, but with another meme?

This was now a big news story, with everyone from the Huffington Post to local news channels covering it.

The couple took a suite, at Chicago's Peninsula Hotel, to answer press queries. Then they hid away for some private time, presumably not with the internet watching!

If you're reading, Len and Katie, congratulations on your forthcoming marriage from all at Wizzley!

(And Len, u can haz 10 internetz 4 that. U asked her LIKE A BOSS. 'Spect Man.)

Internet Meme Books and Studies

Not sure what just happened? Check out these books on internet memes and it will all become clear!
Memetics: Memes and the Science of Cultural Evolution

Memetics is the name commonly given to the study of memes - a term originally coined by Richard Dawkins to describe small inherited elements of human culture. Memes are the ...

View on Amazon

The Book of F*cking Hilarious Internet Memes

WHAT THE HECK IS AN INTERNET MEME?Meme (pronounced meem): An idea, belief or element of social behavior spread that is transmitted from one person or group of people to ...

View on Amazon

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Memes

The ways of memes. Memes are "viruses of the mind"-symbols, ideas, or practices that are transmitted through speech, gestures, and rituals. Understanding how symbols like the ...

View on Amazon

Rage Comics: The Definitive Collection, Vol. 2

All comics in this book are author approved. 10 % of its low profit earnings will be donated to reddit. Over 400 of the best Rage Comics are collected in this volume. A great ...

View on Amazon

Memes in Digital Culture (MIT Press Essential Knowledge)

In December 2012, the exuberant video "Gangnam Style" became the first YouTube clip to be viewed more than one billion times. Thousands of its viewers responded by creating and ...

View on Amazon

Going Viral

We live in a world where a tweet can be instantly retweeted and read by millions around the world in minutes, where a video forwarded to friends can destroy a political career i...

View on Amazon

Updated: 03/09/2014, JoHarrington
 
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JoHarrington on 03/21/2012

And I love that you're trolling Doddsy over Rage Comics. I love the internetz.

Stephen on 03/21/2012

le merried.
le le.
le troll. le win.

Another great le article btw. le smiley face.

JoHarrington on 03/21/2012

I love that you're correcting the grammar in a Rage Comic! I have the giggles so badly! x]

Doddsy on 03/21/2012

THAT IS NOT THE CORRECT USE OF 'LE'

One of the few things that annoys me about Rage Comics. 'Le' is used to replace the word 'the.' Read that comic with 'the' instead of 'le' and you will see why it annoys me so

x]

JoHarrington on 03/21/2012

Len certainly let the whole world know! LOL

katiem2 on 03/21/2012

My pleasure this is such a touching story that has a smile on my face. I love people who shout it from the roof tops!

JoHarrington on 03/21/2012

:D Did that bring tears to your eyes? It did for me, but I thought that was being I'm such a geek!

Shonna on 03/21/2012

I'm such a sap!

JoHarrington on 03/21/2012

You know, I actually saw this as it was happening. I was on Twitter and saw the #SayYesKatie hashtag in the TT. (I'm in Britain, but I have that set to international, so I know what's hot world-wide.)

Soon as I saw it, I thought of you! LOL You're the only Katie that I know, so the inference wasn't a huge leap. And thank you for linking it up!

katiem2 on 03/21/2012

Oh how sweet I love this, gonna def be adding this to my engagement ring article. I love the name...K A T I E <3 I'll be back to read this again. Very sweet, I just love a grand gesture when it comes to engagements!

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