It's inevitable - around Christmastime, many couples become engaged to marry. But a Birmingham man this week popped the question in a unique, Alabama way - on the marquee of the Alabama Theatre, one of the largest theaters in the South.

Brandon Marley, 21, knew his now-fiance Greer Maddox, 22, wanted a memorable proposal. Marley and Maddox, both seniors at University of Alabama, are from Hoover and Birmingham, respectively.

A couple months ago as he was trying to figure out how he wanted to provide that memorable event, he drove through downtown Birmingham and saw the marquee above the entrance of the theater.

"I knew it when I saw it," Marley said. "I knew she'd love it."

So he contacted the theater's management, paid a small fee and carefully plotted the evening. On Tuesday evening, he took the unsuspecting Maddox to dinner at Bottega, which would be followed by attending a show at the theater.

"I honestly had no idea whatsoever," Maddox said. "He didn't show any signs of nervousness. I thought we were just having a nice date night."

Marley parked downtown, and the couple approached the theater by foot. That's when Maddox started sensing something unusual was happening.

"There was a big crowd of people outside the theater, and they started applauding," she said. "I thought that was strange, and then I saw the sign."

Big letters on the marquee above the entrance read: "GREER WILL YOU MARRY ME."

Marley got on one knee and asked Maddox for her hand in marriage. She said yes.

Both said they blacked out at various points during those few minutes. Marley said his knees were weak and he can't remember a word he said, despite rehearsing the moment a thousand times beforehand. Maddox said she doesn't remember much after he asked the question.

"I was crying my eyes out, but they were happy tears," she said. "It was just so magical and special."

But that wasn't the only surprise Marley had up his sleeve. They didn't have tickets to a show after all. Instead, Marley asked if they could go see his parents at Superior Grill on Highway 280. Maddox asked if he had contacted her parents, and Marley said they had other plans that night and couldn't make it out.

"I wanted her to be upset about that because I knew the next surprise would've been even better for her," Marley said.

When they arrived to the restaurant, the entire back room was filled with family members, including Maddox's parents, and close friends.

"I wanted that intimate moment with us at the theater, but there was no question her family would be very involved in the night," Marley said.

In fact, members of Maddox's family were involved in the whole night. Her younger sister videoed the proposal, and her brother photographed it. Her older sister decorated the back room at Superior Grill for the celebration. And Marley asked each of her parents' and siblings' permission to marry Maddox before the night.

Maddox says the couple hasn't yet set a date from the wedding, but they are considering summer of 2017.

"The whole night was just amazing, and I'll never forget it," Maddox said. "It was the perfect night."