A Dutchman’s attempt at a romantic wedding proposal was a smashing success, but not in the way he had hoped.

The unidentified lover in the central town of Ijsselstein rented a crane to descend in front of his girlfriend’s bedroom window first thing on Saturday morning, then to play her a song and pop her the question.

Instead the crane toppled, smashing a hole in the neighbours’ roof.

According to reports in Algemeen Dagblad, the girlfriend said “yes” anyway and after speaking with the police, the pair travelled to Paris to celebrate their engagement.

Then the crane fell again during attempts to right it with a larger crane, widening the hole. The neighbours’ house has been declared unsafe, and two buildings on either side of it have been evacuated as well.