IMG_1853Toni & Tom

My partner Tom and I had been together for about three years when the topic of weddings first came up, but my love for travel kept interrupting the finances required for ring purchasing! I was happy to wait, but it turns out after five and half years, my gorgeous man couldn’t stand it any longer!

He began by leaving notes all over the house, although he claimed it was in fact elves leaving the pink envelopes behind! Each one had a little message inside telling me to keep a certain dress clean or to be available on a particular day. The final envelope said to open it at 3:40am, so I set my alarm for that time and went to sleep. When we woke in the pitch black morning, Tom was so sleepy he actually forgot what was going on and tried to go back to sleep! After reading the final note which told me to get dressed and put on a blindfold, I shook him awake and he guided me to the car.

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For fort five minutes our favourite romantic songs played while he drove us to Redland Bay. When we arrived, he led me to a beautiful breakfast picnic and began to pour champagne so we could toast the amazing sun rising over the bay.

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I finally figured out what was happening when I spotted a mutual friend hiding in the bushes with her camera. I immediately burst into tears when he finally took his grandmother’s ring out of his pocket and slipped it onto my eagerly awaiting finger.

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We have since had a spectacular engagement party and are looking forward to celebrating our wedding with family and friends in August.

Photos by Lucy Heywood, a wonderful friend of ours!

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Ms Chinoiserie Says: What a romantic proposal Tom; the sun rising over the bay with a glass of champagne would have been so magical!

About Toni: I am an English teacher with a love for writing. I am a DIY bride and my friends keep telling me that I am the calmest bride around. I recently found out my wedding venue had been double booked with a music festival. Instead of turning into a half-dinosaur creature, I now have some great live music that will play while our bridal party photos are taken. I refuse to let anything ruin our perfect day!