The Proposal.

This is the story of how my wonderful boyfriend of 8 years swept me off my feet and pulled off what is the most romantic proposal I could have ever dreamed of. 

It all started on a Wednesday Morning, I was sat in bed moaning about the day of work ahead. I worked in a small Baby Boutique in Crouch End at the time. On this day we had some big bosses visiting the shop and it was something we had all been dreading. I sat in bed trying to make the effort to get up and face the day, when my boyfriend, Carl, said 'Stay in bed babe and I'll make you a brew.' This was very unlike Carl. Number 1: He never gets up before me and Number 2: He would never offer to make me a brew. Although this was a little strange i just thought he was being nice because he knew I was about to have a difficult day... 

So, there I sat waiting for my brew and Carl came round the corner with a nice cup of tea....and a white envelope. "What's that?" I asked. "Ahhh just a little letter i wrote you because I love you" he replied. 

I thought, wow- a brew and a love note- is he ill?? 

I opened the white envelope and inside was a piece of A4 paper and on it, it said:

'Babe- I love you. Guess what, you don't need to get ready for work today........because at 5.30pm tonight we are going to the airport and flying to VENICE!!!!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

You don't need to worry about anything (at which point I WAS worrying about work, the time off, my manager, the boss visiting etc) I have arranged everything, don't worry about money or work or anything. Just enjoy a day off to pack and get ready to go!!!!!'

I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. 

I think I said 'Really??!!' about a million times and jumped around on the bed (forget the brew!) Tears came to my eyes. I could not believe this boy, who can't even get up in time to make his own lunch for work had arranged all this, by himself AND kept it a secret! It was my birthday in 2 weeks time and so far this was the best present EVER! 

So- I spent the day packing, calling my Mum, calling my work- who had all known about this for weeks! The buggers! Anyway- we were off to Venice and I was the happiest girl in the world.

 We arrived, the sun was shining and Venice was the most beautiful City, rich in colour, culture and amazing smells of food and fresh air and beautiful people in love were everywhere. It was wonderful. 

We checked in at our rather nice Hotel- see below. It was very posh indeed and I was thinking- wow- he's really splashed out here! We spent our first 2 days getting lost in Venice. It was also Venice Carnival- so the streets were filled with people dressed in the most spectacular costumes, I felt like I was on a film set or something!

 It was about 8pm on our second night, we had been out for an early pizza and walked the streets listening to music and just people watching. Carl said he was tired and wanted to go back to the Hotel.....well, I went mad, saying things like 'We are in VENICE, it's 8pm and you want to go back to the HOTEL?!!' So, like us girls do, I was sulking on the way back and I just wanted to be out soaking up the atmosphere! THEN Carl nips into a shop and comes out with a bottle of Verve Cliequot Champagne....so then I went even more mad at him because it was so expensive and I was always worrying about money! Little did I know what was about to happen...

We got back to the Hotel and Carl said he would run me a bath because I was stressed and needed to relax. I sat with a glass of bloody expensive champagne and sulked. Then Carl came in with a present. He said 'It's an early birthday present that i want you to open now' So, I did. He said it was a book- it was wrapped in brown paper and to be honest, I thought he had wrapped up the Bible from the Hotel room! When i opened it, I couldn't have been more wrong....(well actually it did look like the Bible)

 It was a book, titled : The Story Of Two Peas In A Pod, by Lucy and Carl . I always say that we are like 'two peas in a pod'. We have been together for 8 years, and this is the honest truth- when I first saw Carl through a glass door at College, I said to myself, I'm going to marry that boy one day..... So, back to the book. I said 'wow babe this is amazing' . Carl had the book made especially, it is beautiful. Its very heavy, leather and smells like an old library book....inside it said this......(read below)

 After reading this I was thinking 'awwwwww how nice, what a lovely present.' It was a beautiful message and I read it two or three times- the last time tears came to my eyes.

Carl then said 'That's not it babe, turn to the page where the ribbon is' So I did.

There, perfectly hidden in a cut out through hundreds of pages of the book was a yellow rose and inside the yellow rose was a ring box.............

 I was in absolute total and utter shock. I said 'What is THIS?' About a million times, I kept looking at it and looking at Carl- who had tiny tears in his eyes and was smiling his head off....he said 'Its a ring babe, because I want you to marry me..."

(keep in mind at this point I am totally naked in a bubble bath, no make up and had just been in a stinking mood, whilst Carl is sat outside the bath next to me fully clothed....strange!)

I felt every emotion all at once: shock, happy, excited, overwhelmed, sick, faint (because the bath was hot) and just burst out laughing then cried! 

I hopped out of the bath and said 'Hang on a minute- you said 'Its a ring because I WANT you to marry me.....get down on one knee and ASK me properly' .......and he did.

 The ring and the book.

 The champagne, the ring and my Venice Carnival mask.

After that I was on the hotel phone for what seemed like hours- and it turned out- the weekend before Venice- Carl had driven all the way up North and back in one night, to ask for my Parents permission. When I spoke to my Mum and Dad they knew it all, we cried and laughed and just couldn't believe it. My 3 sisters jumped around in the background chanting 'Bridesmaids, Bridesmaids.'

It was incredible. The most wonderful moment of my life. I couldn't believe he did it all himself, he is definitely 'a keeper' as one kind old lady said to me in the hairdressers the other day when I was telling the story (she was crying). 

And to top it all off, when we returned my real ring was waiting- the most beautiful, sparkly, stunning Tiffany & Co engagement ring. Every girls dream...well, mine anyway.

So there you have it, my engagement story. I'm sure just reading about it does not do the emotion any justice, but just imagine- all my life I have dreamed of a romantic, spectacular, Disney like, epic romance film style proposal......and 'I do' believe I got it.

This Princess has definitely found her Prince Charming.