TODAY Show'sCraig Melvin opened up about his proposal to wife Lindsay Czarniak – and it turns out, things didn’t go exactly as planned. During a chat with Holly Palmieri, the pair discussed Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's recent engagement news – promoting the NBC anchor to recall his own proposal story. When asked if he popped the question in a similar setting to the NFL star, Craig revealed his wife's shocking response to the surprise. "Not a garden, I did it on a boat down in Miami," he shared.
"It was a place that was special to her – she worked there. She lived there for a while." Despite the thoughtful location, Craig admitted that the grand gesture didn't go without its fair share of hiccups. "It was a surprise, and it almost didn’t go well because I was all fumble-y and the boat was late," he explained.
Craig Melvin and Lindsay Czarniak attend the 2024 Literacy Partners Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on June 10, 2024 in New York City© Getty Images
Craig Melvin and Lindsay Czarniak
However, it was Lindsay's reaction to the proposal that Craig remembers vividly. "Do you know the first thing she said to me after I asked her? I prepared this thing in my head – she’s gonna hate me for telling this story," he shared. "The first thing she said, I said, 'Will you marry me?' I kid you not, 'I think I’m gonna throw up.' She said, 'I think I’m gonna throw up.'"
Lindsay's unexpected response made Craig instantly question his decision. "In the moment I was like, 'Maybe I misread this? Maybe I overplayed my hand? It seems like it had been going well for a couple years,'" he recalled. "And she was like, 'No, no, I'm, yes! I just I think I’m gonna be sick.' She was overwhelmed."
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Photo shared by Craig Melvin on the 3rd Hour of TODAY featuring his wife Lindsay Czarniak, son Delano and daughter Sybil on the latter's first communion© NBC
Photo shared by Craig Melvin on the 3rd Hour of TODAY featuring his wife Lindsay Czarniak, son Delano and daughter Sybil on the latter's first communion
Craig's TODAY co-host, Laura Jarrett, then chimed in on the conversation. "I think it’s nice to be surprised. There's so few surprises anymore. Everything is overly scripted and overly done. It’s just nice when you didn’t see the ring, you didn’t know where it was going to be," she said.
Craig Melvin and his wife on the Today Show© Getty Images
The couple married in 2011
"That’s true. Thanks for making me feel better about it," replied Craig.
The TODAY host and his wife Lindsay Czarniak met while both working at NBC Washington, with Craig enlisted as a news anchor in 2008 and Lindsay boasting the title of sports anchor. The pair tied the knot in 2011 with a wedding in Washington D.C. – the city where they met – at the Church of the Holy City. They later welcomed their son, Delano, in 2014, and their daughter, Sybil, in 2016.