Author: Claire Boon

James proposed during a holiday in Otranto Italy in September 2019. It was on a private balcony overlooking the sea as the sun was setting. It was perfect!

We’d been to the jewellery quarter in Birmingham to choose a ring together because I thought I knew what I wanted, a halo or something quite unique but more than just a princess cut diamond, but it didn’t suit me at all! Ross knew a princess cut would suit me perfectly but he wanted a more unique setting. I left the details up to him once I tried some on and delivery etc. It was a few weeks later when I called him on the way home from work when he cut our conversation really short and seemed a bit flustered because he was on the phone to the house insurance. It was then I knew that the ring was in the house! I was so excited but couldn’t tell anyone yet! The weather that weekend was looking a bit mixed and the Saturday morning was miserable but we walked out to a local café for lunch and I suggested a walk after hoping he had the ring but as we turned into the houses around us I knew he didn’t.

Luckily the Sunday was glorious, I’d had some girlfriends for a sleepover so as soon as they left we went out for a walk, this time down to the river nearby. Ross hadn’t walked the route before but I hoped he had the ring! We had lovely conversation and were saying so many nice things to each other, we stopped a few times to admire the view of the woods too. I thought he was about to propose when we had stopped on a bridge but I found out later that he bottled it at the last moment, so we moved on. Just before we got to the river, he mentioned his feet were hurting and unbeknownst to him there was a bench just a few meters away. I immediately went to it and sat for a few moments with him still discussing our relationship and how much we cared for him. He then said “I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else…. And on that note…” getting down on one knee,” Will you Marry me?” Pulling out a travel ring box from his pocket and presenting me with the beautiful ring we’d chosen together. The box was so discreet I had no idea that it was in his pocket!

I got ready alongside my mum, dad, sister, little boy Alfie and best friend Becci at my Mum’s house in Great Budworth. It was all very calm and relaxed, as was the whole day. The groom, Sam got ready with his best man at our home in Barnton.

I was walked down the aisle by my dad, to the traditional ‘here comes the bride’ to meet Sam, holding our baby boy Alfie. The ceremony was short and sweet , due to Covid but everything we could have wished for. We walked out as ‘Mr and Mrs Didsbury’ to ‘At Last’ by Etta James, as it seemed appropriate as we had two wedding cancelled previously. We shared the ceremony with close family only, less than 30 people. After the ceremony we had our pictures, where we shared our very special news WE ARE PREGNANT with baby number two and Sarah captured the shock on peoples faces, which is a lovely keepsake. After this we went to the local pub, across the road from the church for a relaxed meal, followed by a reception in our gorgeous tipi located in my mums back garden.

The wedding was very small and intimate, just what we had always wished for, after waiting such a long time for it to go ahead.

The proposal took place on the 11th January 2017. It was our 4th anniversary as a couple and an extremely cold, miserable January day. It was a Wednesday and I was supposed to be at University for the day (in my second year of studying to become a primary teacher)… but my partner told to take the day off as we were going out for the day to celebrate!

We are keen water-skiers and love being by water. When we first met, we joked that we’d be an old couple one day who would live on a canal boat. So for our day out, Carl surprised me with a day out on a canal boat! It was freezing!!!! But about an hour into our journey, as we came around a corner, there was a bridge. And on the bridge was a huge ‘will you marry me’ sign. I didn’t put two and two together and commented on how cute it was. Only when I turned to face him, he was down on one knee, asking me to marry him… trying to steer the canal boat at the same time!