Woman Doesn’t Regret Proposing to Her Boyfriend — Here’s Why: ‘Don’t Do It the Traditional Way’

A woman is breaking tradition when it comes to proposals.

Talitha Degier shared on TikTok that she decided to pop the question to her boyfriend — a choice she said she didn’t regret and which garnered mixed reactions online.

She kicked off her video showing herself in front of a mirror with the words, “They say you should never propose to your boyfriend.”

Degier, 21, then shared a quick clip of herself holding the silver band she got for her boyfriend Bas, 24, for the proposal and another shot of her getting down on one knee by a fountain.

Related: Olympic Runner Alice Finot Proposes to Boyfriend After Breaking Record in Steeplechase Final

“But… I did! 🥰💍,” she wrote over the video. In her caption, she added, “I didn’t do it the traditional way and we are so happy 💍❤️,” along with the hashtags “#proposal” and “#marriage.”

In a separate video, she showed the conclusion of the proposal, with her new fiancé saying 'yes' before they shared a kiss. Over the video she wrote, “I like your last name, can I have it?”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The video revealing her decision to propose garnered more than 205K views, 9,000 likes and 600 comments. However, several people who watched the video debated in the comments about whether they thought that was the right decision.

Related: Man Sneakily Takes Girlfriend on Ice Skating ‘Test Run’ and Then Proposes 2 Months Later at Rockefeller Center Rink

One person commented, “Stand Up Girl,” while another said, “May this love never find me.” Another joked, “And the crowd is… confused?”

Others shared their joy for the bride-to-be, with one writing, “I am so happy for you!” They added, “Happy engagement!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️.” Another commented, “Why is there so much hate? This is completely normal even if it's a woman proposing or a man, it doesn’t change anything.”

Degier tells PEOPLE she was "very surprised" by the negative comments her video received. "I did not think people would be so upset about it," she says, before noting, "I think it is up to the people in the relationship to figure out how they want their proposal to go, and if someone does it differently you either be happy for them or scroll away."

The couple, who met through their mutual powerlifting coach, got engaged on Jan. 24 during a trip to Sheffield, England. Degier says the two had talked a lot about marriage before and both "wanted it." When she told a friend about her intention to propose, they replied "that they thought it suited our relationship to do it like this."

Related: Twins Get Engaged Just Days Apart After Surprise Proposals: 'We Honestly Didn't Plan It That Way' (Exclusive)

"I am a person who does things when I want to achieve something," Degier explains. "In this case, I wanted to make my boyfriend feel very special since I knew already we both wanted to get engaged this year. I didn’t feel like it was that untraditional to propose to him."

Degier says she planned for the proposal for nearly three months and when she popped the question, Bas "was very surprised and needed a minute to realize what was happening."

"He was over the moon and of course said 'yes,' " she adds.

Read the original article on People