Kathy Barton will never have another lunch break like it.
Hauled up in front of dozens of singing and dancing strangers in the Richmond Mall food court, Kathy was handed a bunch of flowers before the “flash mob” split leaving her partner Craig Kempton standing ten metres away in a tie and holding an engagement ring.
“I was stunned,” she says, “Completely shocked. I was like a stunned mullet, it was surreal.”
Craig spent six weeks organising the wedding proposal and included the expertise of Soundstage for the “flash mob” of singers and dancers, belting out the song “I think I want to marry you”.
He also organised for one of Kathy’s friends to meet her during her lunch break from Farmers and for their family members to appear at the end of the proposal.
“I got three hours sleep on Friday night,” says Craig. “I was so nervous but 99.9 per cent sure it would end the way I wanted it to. I had no exit strategy.”
The proposal started with Kathy enjoying lunch before two Soundstage members broke into song, by the second verse dozens of others, ranging from children to older adults had joined in and had the mall rocking.
As the song came to a close, Craig’s youngest son Shaun approached Kathy with a bunch of flowers, took her hand and led her to the front of the flash mob.
There she stood with her hand over her mouth as the mob split and Craig was left standing with the ring.
The crowd broke out into applause as he walked towards her, got on one knee and proposed. Shaking, she said yes.
Craig says he got the idea from a Youtube clip and was thrilled with how it turned out.
“We were just buzzing, absolutely buzzing. It went off better than I could have dreamed.”
Kathy says while the engagement was a complete shock and surprise she’s warned Craig to not even try to beat it. “I’ve told him he’s not even allowed to try,” she joked.
On Sunday the pair said they were still “on cloud nine” after the engagement but had no firm plans about when or where the wedding would take place.
