Couple Get Engaged, They Can't Believe What Their Golden Retriever Captures

Newsweek

4 days ago

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Many couples hire a photographer to capture the special moment when they get engaged, but that wasn't necessary for two childhood sweethearts who got their golden retriever to film the entire proposal instead.
As you can imagine, the footage is a mixture of joy, excitement, and the zoomies.
On July 4, paramedic Emily Ward and her now fiancé Jacob Oxlade, both 27, headed over to Horseshoe Bay on their boat. They went for a gorgeous sunset walk with their golden retriever, Murphy, who had a GoPro camera attached to him so they could capture as much footage as possible.
Ward, of Brisbane, Australia, told Newsweek that she "didn't question it too much" as her partner said he needed camera footage to share with their photographer friend. But as the evening unfolded, there turned out to be a very different reason for the camera—as Oxlade got down on one knee.
Jacob Oxlade and Emily Ward getting engaged on the beach with Murphy beside them.
Jacob Oxlade and Emily Ward getting engaged on the beach with Murphy beside them.
@emily.gward / TikTok
"We went for a walk as the sun set, and that's when Jacob proposed," Ward said. "It was quiet, thoughtful, and perfect—I couldn't have dreamed it better. Jacob was so thoughtful—I had only ever said I didn't want it to be in a busy place. I just wanted it to be the two of us, and Murphy of course."
With the camera on his back, 4-year-old Murphy had a very integral role to play as the engagement photographer.
The adorable footage shows just how happy Murphy was for his owners, who have been together since they were 14 years old. He sat in the middle of them during the proposal, and then when Ward started to jump around excitedly, he instantly got the zoomies.
Would you expect anything less?
Ward was left speechless when she watched the footage back, and it's become something she will "treasure forever."
She continued: "I couldn't have imagined anything more special, and I feel incredibly lucky to have a partner who knows me so well. That video is a keepsake I'll always hold close. I never would've pictured something like that for myself, but now I can't imagine it any other way."
Indeed, her favorite part of the video (aside from the proposal itself, obviously) is when Murphy turns around and realizes there's a camera attached to him, and then immediately starts zooming around once again. He ran straight past his owners and ran towards the boat instead.
No matter how many times she watches it, that particular moment leaves Ward in hysterics every time.
Ward shared the footage on TikTok (@emily.gward) and it's delighted social media users, leading to more than 644,100 views and 116,900 likes at the time of writing. TikTok users have hailed Murphy's cinematic masterpiece, and many even suggested that he should film the wedding too.
He will certainly have a role to play on the big day, as Ward told Newsweek that he will get to enjoy "his special moment" walking down the aisle.
Murphy the golden retriever filming the proposal.
Murphy the golden retriever filming the proposal.
@emily.gward / TikTok
"Every couple has their own path, and ours led us to this time and this proposal. We've been together since we were 14, and for a long time, neither of us really wanted a wedding or marriage. We both come from families where marriage didn't always work out, and that shaped our thinking early on. But as we've grown up together, we've realized we're not our parents. We're us, and I wouldn't change anything about our story," Ward said.
In just a matter of days, the TikTok video has generated over 900 comments as social media users praised Murphy's Oscar-worthy directorial debut.
One comment reads: "This is a cinematic experience. Camera work 100/10. Good boy 1,000/10."
Another TikTok user wrote: "Surely he's filming the wedding."
Another person replied: "I think this is my favorite proposal video ever."
While one commenter joked: "He's watched their whole love story...that zoomie was his standing ovation."
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