Most marriage proposals are carefully planned, emotional, and filled with picture-perfect moments.

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This one had all of that — plus a perfectly timed joke that nobody saw coming.

Allison Barron, then 22, thought she was heading out for a simple breakfast with her boyfriend Levi Bliss when the day took a sudden turn. The couple – who met as students at the University of Nevada, Reno – had been together for two years and already knew what they had was special.

“Once Levi and I started dating, it didn’t take long at all to know that he was the one for me,” Allison told PEOPLE. “Everything was so easy with him. I’d always heard that you’d just know, but never knew if I completely believed it. With Levi, I really just knew.”

So when Levi suggested a quick trip to meet her parents one morning back in 2018, Allison had no idea what was actually about to happen.

Midway through the drive, Levi pulled over, turned to her, and asked the question.

“I immediately started crying, overwhelmed with joy, we got out of the truck, and he got down on one knee,” Allison recalled. “You always imagine this moment, and now it was happening to me.”

It was already shaping up to be a moment she’d never forget …But then came the twist.

Unbeknown to Allison, both families were hiding just beyond a nearby hill, ready to witness the proposal. As Levi finished his romantic gesture against the scenic backdrop, her dad Jake made his entrance.

And he didn’t come empty-handed. Instead, he held up a homemade sign with one very unexpected message, written in bold capital letters: “SAY NO.”

The timing couldn’t have been better — or worse, depending on how you look at it.

Despite Levi having already asked for Jake’s blessing beforehand, the prank still caught everyone off guard.

“It was a funny surprise for both of us. My dad was completely joking with the sign, and he really likes Levi!” Allison said. “It’s really just his personality. He is always making funny little comments and ‘dad’ jokes here and there!”

Thankfully, the joke – and it is important to emphasise that it was definitely a joke – didn’t derail the proposal.

Allison still said yes, and the moment only got bigger from there.

Later that day, Allison shared photos of the proposal — including the now-iconic sign — on social media. Captured by her sister Ashlee Barron, the images quickly took off online.

Within no time, the post racked up around 160,000 likes and 50,000 retweets, with the hilarious moment quickly turning into a viral meme.

“I can’t believe that this has blown up as much as it has!” Allison said. “When I saw some of the first memes, I called my dad and he didn’t believe me. I think it’s funny, I keep seeing the pictures and my dad pop up everywhere!”

While most dads might get emotional at a proposal, Jake made sure his personality stole the spotlight — without taking anything away from the moment itself.

And if anything, it only highlighted the kind of relationship the family already had.

“Once Levi came along, my family welcomed him right in. We all have a great relationship and do a lot together,” Allison said. “We are very excited about this next step in our lives.”

The couple have since married and is living in “bliss” – which is no surprise, seeing as they’ve got such a funny dad hanging around.

Featured image credit: X/allison_barron (Screenshots)