Students Help Teacher's Boyfriend Propose in the Classroom

— -- A North Carolina man’s creative marriage proposal to his girlfriend inside her elementary school classroom has won the couple free wedding bands, as well as the hearts of the girlfriend’s students.

Justin Coats, 31, of Hillsborough, N.C., knew that he wanted to propose to his girlfriend, 27-year-old teacher Amanda Toombs, in a meaningful way. The more he thought about it, Coats said, the more he realized that the most meaningful place for Toombs would be right inside her classroom with the help of her students.

“There’s nothing that means more in the world to her than her kids so I figured I’d do it in front of her kids and allow friends and family to help out too,” Coats, an architect’s assistant, told ABC News.

Coats spent three months planning the surprise proposal that took place last month at South Boston Elementary School in South Boston, Va.

While Toombs was called into the principal’s office for a meeting, all 42 of her fourth-grade students and fellow teachers gathered in her classroom. When Toombs came back to the classroom, a video began playing of her friends, family and students telling her to “say yes.”

Three of her former students then walked in holding a sign that read, “Ms. Toombs Will You Be Mrs. Coats?”

“I had no idea and so many people knew about it,” Toombs said. “I couldn’t think of a better place because he knows how much I love my job and the kids and for the kids to be a part of it was just perfect.”

Toombs said yes after Coats got down on bended knee to ask for her hand in marriage.

The two are planning an October 2016 wedding and found out today that they won free wedding bands courtesy of Diamonds Direct after entering their proposal video in a contest.

Toombs says she doesn’t believe Coats will have more surprises in store for her at the wedding or in the build-up to it because planning this big of a proposal “wore him out.”

“She had parents emailing her that evening saying their kids had come home talking about it and they were so happy their kids were able to be involved in something like that,” Coats said. “To be able to touch other people with it was pretty awesome.”