It’s a ‘Love Story.’ UK alum’s engagement at Cincinnati Taylor Swift concert goes viral
For University of Kentucky alumna Ana Stone, the Taylor Swift concert this past weekend was a real life “Love Story” moment — and she said “Yes.”
Stone and her boyfriend Tyler Brown attended the Eras Tour in Cincinnati when he planned a surprise proposal during the concert. Since then, a video of the proposal posted to TikTok has 6.4 million views and nearly 1 million likes as of Thursday.
“I’ll never forget the moment,” Stone said. “It was so beautiful.”
Stone, 23, had seen Swift perform in Nashville earlier this year, but her seat was behind the stage so she couldn’t see parts of the concert. She got a ticket to go to the Cincinnati show alone when Brown convinced her to sell her ticket so they could go together. They bought floor tickets, only a few rows from the stage.
Swift’s Eras Tour is the first time the artist has toured since 2018, selling out shows across the country as she performs songs from her entire discography. She played two nights in Cincinnati this past weekend to sold-out crowds. Several proposals have happened during the shows, usually during her most popular love songs like “Love Story” and “Lover.”
Inspired by videos he’d seen of those proposals, Brown decided to propose during Swift’s song “Love Story.” The two met through mutual friends and started dating last year.
Before the concert, Brown worked to keep the ring hidden and wrote out a message on his phone: “I’m going to propose to my girlfriend during ‘Love Story.’” He showed the message to the people seated around them and the crowd rallied behind him, he said, and agreed to help get the proposal on video.
As Swift sang the lyrics “He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring,” Brown took a knee and proposed.
“In that moment, I had no idea what was going on,” Stone said. “I was just happy to be there and happy to see Taylor. I was just singing and dancing, and then I turned around and he’s on the ground.”
The crowd cheered them on, including a few security guards, as Stone accepted. They were both so nervous and excited that their hands were shaking, she said.
Brown said he’s been blown away by the support they’ve received from Swifties — the name of Swift’s fan base — both at the concert and in the days since.
“It made the most special day ever even more special, with everybody coming together and helping me,” Brown said.
“We will tell our kids about this some day, which is super cool,” Stone said.
Stone, who lives in Richmond and works as a physician assistant, graduated with two degrees from UK’s College of Health Sciences. She’s a huge fan of Swift and was excited to have seats close to the stage. But the proposal was not something she was anticipating, and made the night even more special than she was expecting.
“It was already going to be the best night of my life, and then it definitely was the best night of my life,” Stone said. “I cried through the rest of the show. I was so emotional.”
The two have started the wedding planning process and are looking at a destination elopement in Colorado. Stone said she’s considering having a Taylor Swift-themed bachelorette party. And as for the wedding?
“’Love Story’ will have to be in there,” Brown said.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 10:05 AM.