What to know
- Mark Sola and Kaitlyn Fortier met on Tinder in 2014 and have been together for over ten years.
- Sola travelled from Ottawa to Toronto to propose during Bruno Mars’ performance of “Marry You.”
- Their proposal was captured on video by fellow concertgoers and quickly went viral on TikTok.
- Their proposal joins a growing list of memorable fan moments from Mars’ Toronto concerts.
What started as a Tinder match over a decade ago led one Ottawa resident to travel hundreds of kilometres to propose at Bruno Mars’ sold-out Toronto concert. Here’s how their love story brought them to this unforgettable moment.
Bruno Mars creating special moments for Torontonians
The Grammy-winning artist hit the stage at Toronto’s Rogers Stadium for a five-night run. He’s brought out 50,000 fans per show and has touched Toronto, from adopting Toronto slang “crodie” to performing an encore after having previously skipped it due to the city’s strict 11 p.m. curfew.
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Love is everywhere at Bruno Mars concerts
Since then, fans have created their own special moments, with a pair of Bruno Mars fans getting engaged on May 24.
Turns out, they’re not the only ones who lived a romantic proposal at Mars’ concert.
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- Bruno Mars concert review: Rogers Stadium turns into a nonstop singalong during first show of The Romantic Tour
- ‘He’s very important to me,’ Bruno Mars fans react to sold-out first show at Rogers Stadium
Ottawa couple Mark Sola and Kaitlyn Fortier also lived that special moment on May 27 during Mars’ “Marry You” song. But how did they get to that point?
Here’s their love story
In late 2014, the couple matched on Tinder.
“Love at first swipe,” Sola told Now Toronto.
He joked that Fortier had no interest in dating and that her roommate had created her profile. But after a phone call, the pair hit it off.
“We ended up talking til 4am, and he convinced me to meet up the next day for a date, and the rest is history!” Fortier said.
Over a decade later, Fortier now has a ring on her finger.
Why propose during a Bruno Mars concert?
“How many people do you meet that can say they got engaged at a Bruno Mars concert?” Sola joked.
He explained that Bruno Mars’ music has been with the couple since the artist’s Doo-Wops & Hooligans era.
Two years into dating, the couple had previously attended Mars’ 2017 concert in Montreal. To this day, Sola explained it’s still one of the best and most memorable concerts he’s attended.
“His music has been such a constant in our lives, and it being The Romantic Tour, it just lined up perfectly,” Sola said.
What was the proposal like?
For Sola, proposing brought to mind a thousand thoughts about what could go wrong.
“It was a long time coming,” he laughed. “I was so nervous… ‘What if I drop the ring? What if he doesn’t play “Marry You”? (I had to spoil the setlist for myself.) What if the concert gets cancelled like the first day of the Toronto tour? What if I didn’t have enough space?’”
But thankfully, everything went well. Even better, bystanders recorded their special moment.
“I didn’t hire a videographer/photographer for the moment, but thankfully, so many people recorded the moment and found Kaitlyn on TikTok so they could send their perspective, capturing the exact moment I proposed,” Sola explained. “Honestly, we’re so grateful for that happening because it’s a moment that we can replay and treasure for the rest of our lives.”
Did this couple receive free tickets like the ones for the last Bruno Mars concert proposal?
Despite gaining over 100k views on TikTok, the couple allegedly went unnoticed by Bruno Mars’ team and did not receive an offer of free tickets to another show.
Though the couple holds no jealousy as they’re a far commute away.
“Haha, we’re from Ottawa,” Sola said.
He explained they could’ve stayed for a second show, but didn’t receive any tickets.
Their wish instead is for Mars to perform at their wedding.
Fortier would love “Chunky,” as it’s a fun song that brings back nostalgia of the 24k tour the couple attended in 2017.
But Sola prefers “Risk It All” because he feels the vibe is just wedding-worthy.
