Texas couple's private proposal goes viral

AUSTIN, Texas (WHDH) -- An Austin couple has become an internet sensation after a private proposal became very public.

Joel Bush told his girlfriend, Jennifer, he needed a ride to his truck at the Texas State Capitol.

When they got there, Joel pulled his big surprise and asked Jen the big questions.

"We went for a walk and we were chatting, at the right moment I got down on one knee and proposed to her, asked if she would marry me and thankfully she said yes, and we hugged and kissed and we went home,” said Joel Bush.

Only they weren't quite alone - photographer Patrick Lu was riding his bike nearby and caught the whole moment and posted it on the web.

"I was really far away and I needed to get closer without like disturbing them so iI just sort of slowly went up and got as close as I could and took some pictures, basically,” said Lu.

“The way I sort of take pictures nowadays is that a lot of people don't know I’m taking pictures of them, like I just try to be as non-obtrusive as possible,” Lu explained.

Well, the moment was not so un-obtrusive; once it was posted on the web it had thousands of hits.

Joel's secret proposal was a secret no more.

"I had to download this image and it just said, ‘is this you?’ That it was, it wasn't pointing me to a photo on the web it was just a photo in the mail and thankfully I opened it up and I just kind of flipped."

But Joel and Jen didn't mind. Word got out to their friends and eventually they got to meet Patrick.

“Just a huge thanks to Patrick for taking that picture and taking that step and reaching out to reddit and following up on it, I mean the photo is priceless,” said Jennifer Orr, the bride-to-be.

"Yeah he's gotta come to the wedding,” said Bush, “what we gotta do today is get him to come to the wedding.”

The photographer said he definitely accepts the couple's invitation to the wedding, but he will not be the main photographer for the special event.