Everything felt like it was moving at a hundred miles an hour back in 2019. If you were on the internet then, you remember the chaos. One minute, people are dissecting a cringey old clip of a cat joke, and the next, Shane Dawson is down on one knee.
It was March 19, 2019. The sun was setting. Shane and Ryland Adams were celebrating their third anniversary. They’d met on Tinder in 2016, and honestly, in the world of YouTube creators, three years feels like a decade.
He popped the question. Ryland said yes.
The photos hit Twitter and Instagram like a bomb. It was all very "Pinterest-perfect"—the black-and-white filters, the teary eyes, the massive ring. Shane tweeted, “HE SAID YES!!!!!! :,)))))” and the internet basically melted. But while the fans were screaming, a huge chunk of the internet was raising an eyebrow. The timing was... well, it was interesting.
The Timeline Controversy
You can't talk about the Shane Dawson proposal without mentioning the elephant in the room. Just days before the ring came out, Shane was stuck in a massive controversy involving a resurfaced podcast clip. Critics called it a "distraction proposal."
Was it?
Shane denied it, obviously. He claimed he’d been planning it for months to hit that three-year anniversary mark. Whether you believe that or not, the engagement didn't just stay a digital moment. It kicked off a four-year-long chapter of "when are they actually getting married?" that kept their followers hooked through multiple cancellations, a move to Colorado, and a total career overhaul.
What Actually Happened That Night
The proposal wasn't some huge, over-produced Coachella-style stunt. It was actually surprisingly intimate. Shane set the scene outside at night, lit by string lights.
- The Ring: It was a substantial rock, but not gaudy.
- The Clothing: Funny enough, Ryland was wearing a simple hoodie. Shane was in his usual casual gear.
- The Vulnerability: Shane later admitted he was terrified. Not that Ryland would say no, but of the vulnerability of it all.
Ryland eventually posted a 30-minute vlog titled "The Story of Our Engagement." It’s got over 11 million views now. In it, you see the raw, shaky-cam footage of the moment. It wasn't polished. It was sweaty, awkward, and very "them."
The Move from Engagement to Marriage
People forget they stayed engaged for a long time. From 2019 until January 2023.
They eventually ditched the idea of a massive, televised Hollywood wedding. Instead, they drove to a courthouse in Colorado. They didn't even have rings ready—they talked about getting finger tattoos instead. Ryland wore the same sweatshirt he had on during the proposal. Shane? He joked about wearing the same underwear he wore on their first date.
It was a weirdly full-circle moment.
Life After the Ring: Where They Are Now
If you’re looking for the "happily ever after," it actually happened. As of early 2026, the two are fully settled into their life in Colorado. They aren't the same people they were when that proposal photo went viral.
They are dads now.
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In December 2023, they welcomed twin boys, Jet Parker Adams Yaw and Max Chandler Adams Yaw, via surrogate. The proposal was the catalyst for this entire family unit. It shifted Shane from "edgy YouTuber" to "suburban dad vlogger."
Why It Still Matters
The Shane Dawson proposal is a case study in celebrity crisis management—or genuine love, depending on who you ask. It marked the end of the "Old YouTube" era of Shane’s career and the start of his current domestic era.
If you're following their journey, here’s the reality:
- The Engagement was 4 years long: They didn't rush the wedding.
- The Proposal was 100% real: Despite the timing, they've stayed together through more drama than most Hollywood couples.
- They chose privacy in the end: Their actual wedding was tiny and quiet compared to the proposal's social media splash.
Check out Ryland’s 2023 wedding vlog if you want to see the contrast between the 2019 proposal hype and the actual marriage. It’s a wild look at how much a person can change in four years.