SIDNEY — Patrons at the Sidney Auto-Vue were witness to a special preview Saturday night.
During the previews leading up to “Suicide Squad,” viewers were able to witness Joshua James, 27, proposing to Emily Swaney, 26. The couple has been together for nearly seven years.
During the previews, a series of screens came up, reading: “Emily James, I love you and want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?” The sound of horns erupted throughout the drive-in as the patrons congratulated the couple.
James is from Michigan and Swaney is from Ohio. The two were involved in a door-to-door sales company and met each other in Louisiana.
“She came back to be near her family, and I took a chance and came back with her,” said James.
“We’ve been together ever since,” added Swaney.
James related he had been at the drive-in talking to the owner and workers, wondering if there was some way to have the proposal on the screen, and Jaclyn Covington who runs the projector and works in the kitchen said she knew how to do it.
“I had to run home and get my laptop and work out the slides, but I was happy to do it,” said Covington.
James was excited they would be able to put the proposal on the screen because he wanted to do something special for Swaney. The couple often attends the drive-in because it’s something special they can share with their three year-old son, Sean.
“He’s our miracle child,” said Swaney. “I have some medical problems and wasn’t even supposed to be able to have children.”
James had thought it might be a week or so before they could get the proposal on the screen, but Covington was very efficient and sent the slides to him that day for his approval.
“I just told her what I wanted to say. I thought I would have to wait, but she made it happen today,” said James.
He thought it would be easy as well as special. He had the ring ready and waiting, but Swaney almost threw a wrench into his plans.
“I was just going to run to the restroom before the movie started, but he told me to just wait a couple of minutes. I was like, ‘What’s up?’”
Then, the Boyz 2 Men song “More than You’ll Ever Know” started to play and the slides came up. She said a very happy yes while the car horns began to sound all around them.
