TheCoughlins/TikTok Carter Coughlin wanted to celebrate his wife's birthday in a meaningful way, but the final slide of her tribute video revealed a life-changing twist The couple's creative pregnancy announcement left guests in tears, and when the video hit TikTok, it quickly resonated with users From a faith-filled Instagram message to marriage and now parenthood, Carter and Yossiana share with PEOPLE the story behind their TikTok and what comes next Carter Coughlin, an NFL athlete, is no stranger to orchestrating unforgettable moments, but this time he truly outdid himself. When he planned a surprise party to celebrate his wife Yossiana's birthday, little did their loved ones know the celebration would take an unexpected turn and that the heartfelt reveal would soon go viral on TikTok, capturing the joy of a life-changing announcement. "Prior to the surprise party, we had been going back and forth on how we wanted to share with our friends and family that we were expecting a baby," Carter tells PEOPLE. "I just had this thought. What if I put together a slideshow that shows Yossi from little Yossi all the way to the beautiful woman she is now, and then at the end, just throw in a picture of us with the pregnancy test?" The TikTokvideocapturing that unforgettable moment begins as a tribute to Yossiana's life. But as the slideshow ends, the final frame reveals the couple's biggest news yet: they're expecting. Yossiana, a former professional volleyball player herself, admits she was caught completely off guard. "Well, first of all, I was shook. I was like, oh my gosh, what is going on?" she shares. Carter had planned every detail. Knowing he needed her go-ahead, he created two versions of the video, one with the pregnancy reveal and one without. "I was expecting to help Carter move a couple things out of his old room at his parents' house," Yossiana recalls. "And then he told me, 'Hey, I have a surprise for you, but I also think it's a really good time to tell everyone. All our friends are here, family is here,' and I'm like, heck yeah, this is the perfect time." The lights dimmed, and guests gathered, unaware that their cheers for Yossiana's birthday would soon turn into joyful tears. Carter recorded the moment as their loved ones watched the final slide flicker into view. Matt Swensen "I was holding the phone on the screen, and then eventually I panned to everybody," Carter shares. "It was just kind of like that anticipation building up, and then you see the screen flash, and then everybody's losing their mind." For Yossiana, watching the reactions unfold was a gift of its own. "As soon as it was getting to the end, I was just like, oh my gosh, what's this person's reaction going to be?" she says. "Just super excited for them to be excited." The clip was captioned, "Surprising the surprisers was next level!!! My wife's birthday was back in April and I figured (with her permission at the party) there was no better time to share the news!" One reaction stood out to Carter immediately. "Thomas, who I was recording, all of a sudden grabbed me from above and started slapping me screaming," he recalls with a grin. "He was super excited." Yossiana points to her sister-in-law, Maya, as her favorite. "She was just like, oh, and then just started crying, just a mix of emotion, super happy and just overjoyed," she says. "So hers was my favorite, but Thomas is definitely a close second." The couple didn't expect the post to take off the way it did. "We didn't have a TikTok until Christmas," Carter says. "It really just started with us doing a lot of fun stuff together and then sharing it on social media." Their TikTok moment marked a new chapter in how they share their lives publicly. "Thankfully, we have some funny family members that make the actual content, so we don't really have to move," Yossiana says. "But yeah, it's new, it's fun, and we enjoy doing fun things, so why not share it?" Still, they remain mindful about what parts of their lives they keep offline. "If I don't care for my grandma to find out something — she talks a lot, the news will spread all the way to Japan — then I'll put it online," Yossiana says with a smile. Their guiding principle is authenticity. "We don't like to be film happy every single moment," Carter explains. "Most of our videos come from natural moments that we just happen to record." The couple met in 2021 after Carter, drawn to Yossiana's Christian testimony in a video, sent her a direct message on Instagram. "He used my full government name," Yossiana jokes. "I was like, who is this?" Matt Swensen What started as a simple request for her to share her story of faith turned into deep conversations. "It was the coolest conversation ever with a complete stranger," Carter says. "Then she texted me a couple days later and said, 'I decided to go all in on my faith.' " The bond deepened quickly, even as their schedules as professional athletes pulled them across time zones. "Logically, it did not make sense," Carter admits. "But we were both just like, let's give it a shot." That leap of faith eventually led to a proposal in a place deeply meaningful to them, the Hunt and Fish Club in New York City. "That's where we have to get engaged. That's the only thing that makes sense," Carter says. He coordinated the moment with the restaurant's owner, a custom steak knife engraved with her future last name, and the Giants' media team posing as photographers. "It gave her a great excuse to look all special and cute the way she would want to," he says. He even flew in family and friends to witness the moment. "That was her one request, that her family would be there when she got engaged," he says. Lisa Marie Wright Now married and expecting a baby boy, the Coughlins say pregnancy has brought a new rhythm to their relationship. "It's been a learning curve for sure," Yossiana says. "But Carter has been such a great partner, challenging me, 'Hey, let's go on a walk, let's get moving.' " Carter lights up when he talks about watching the journey unfold. "Now I've been able to go to all the appointments," he shares. "Yasi gives me an update every single week on what symptoms could be arising. We got the fruit size memorized for the baby. It's avocado week!" Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Their days are filled with nursery planning and laughter. "Our dynamic is just the funniest thing ever to me," Yossiana says. "We enjoy a lot of the same things. He gets fired up about things I'm not necessarily fired up about, and vice versa. So it's fun and full of trial and error." Spending time together every day, especially during Carter's recovery from an injury, has only strengthened their connection. "Some dynamics that could drive people crazy," he says. "We just absolutely love it." Lisa Marie Wright As for couples looking to make their own big announcements, Yossiana has one simple piece of advice. "Every person is different, every couple is different," she says. "Do what is good for you instead of what other people may think." Carter agrees. "My first thought was, Yai is going to love this," he says of the slideshow. "Not even, this is what I want to do, but she's going to love this. And if that's your thought, I don't think you can go wrong." From heartfelt surprises to growing their family, the Coughlins are writing their story with intentionality and joy. "It's awesome to feel that way," Yossiana says, looking ahead to motherhood. "How do you feel?" Carter smiles back. "The same way." And just like that, the slideshow continues, one love-filled moment at a time. Read the original article onPeople
