--- description: Glenn Weiss discusses his Emmys 2018 to Jan Svendsen, the story behind the ring, and how he didn't plan it. title: 'I Was Expecting a Private Proposal.' The Woman Who Got Engaged During the Emmys Was Just As Surprised as You image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9af09188e6ea6ff5/69893a7c22fb856128e26b1a/70-emmy-awards-red-carpet-television-025.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'I Was Expecting a Private Proposal.' The Woman Who Got Engaged During the Emmys Was Just As Surprised as You by [Ashley Hoffman](/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 19, 2018 2:28 PM CUT  Glenn Weiss, winner of the Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special award for 'The Oscars,' waves to the audience after proposing to Jan Svendsen onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 2018. Glenn Weiss, winner of the Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special award for 'The Oscars,' waves to the audience after proposing to Jan Svendsen onstage during the 70th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 17, 2018.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images by [Ashley Hoffman](/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 19, 2018 2:28 PM CUT When Academy Awards director [Glenn Weiss](http://time.com/5399057/proposal-emmys-2018/ "undefined") popped the question to Jan Svendsen during his acceptance speech for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special at the 70th Primetime Emmys on Monday, the couple gave everyone watching the most exciting moment of the night. And on Wednesday morning, the couple shared the story behind their [Emmys 2018 onstage engagement](http://time.com/5398997/emmys-2018-donald-glover-teddy-perkins/ "undefined") — a first for the awards ceremony— in an appearance on the _Today_ show. “I was expecting a private proposal if there ever was to be one,” Svendsen a producer who was also the Chief Marketing Officer for the Tony Awards said. “Wait, that wasn’t private?” Weiss cracked. But the proposal had a bittersweet touch. As Weiss explained in his Emmys speech, the ring belonged to his late mother, who passed away two weeks before the awards show. “Mom always believed in finding the sunshine in things and she adored my girlfriend Jan. Jan, you are the sunshine in my life. And Mom was right: don’t ever let go of your sunshine. You wonder why I don’t like to call you my girlfriend? Because I want to call you my wife,” he said to pretty much everyone’s surprise. Cutaways from the audience showed Leslie Jones appearing shaken and Claire Foy crying. And for viewers at home, the proposal was [Facebook’s most social](https://deadline.com/2018/09/glenn-weiss-marriage-proposal-facebook-most-social-emmy-moment-1202467044/ "undefined") Emmys moment, according to _Deadline_. “The fact that I have been able to wear this ring and get engaged with this ring was so meaningful for both of us,” Svendsen told _Today_. If he hadn’t won, Weiss said he would have likely just proposed at In-N-Out burger, “which is like our staple after award shows,” Weiss said. Lest you think the awards show veterans choreographed the show with a show, Weiss insisted that he didn’t plan it, when [_InStyle_](https://www.instyle.com/news/glenn-weiss-emmys-proposal-could-have-been-n-out "undefined") caught up with the pair backstage. “You can’t come in and plan this,” he said. “The timing just lined up very nicely, and it was a really magical moment.” “I had no suspicions whatsoever. I had no idea,” she said. > [](https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1042380860169887745) > [](https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1042381587256696834) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5400470/glenn-weiss-interview/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5400470/glenn-weiss-interview/"},"headline":"'I Was Expecting a Private Proposal.' 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