There were four key ingredients to JMG’s proposal, all of which mean something very special to me:

• Tea lights - I’m a candle obsessive
• Explosions in the sky - playing softly in the background
• A bespoke ‘Your hand in mine’ neon sign
• JMG - down on one knee

It all happened quite unexpectedly on Friday 18 October 2013. Friend’s may laugh reading this - I’d been dropping some pretty elephant-sized hints for a good 12 months or more - but I really did get the shock of my life!

We’d been together for precisely… 

*quickly goes online to look for some sort of calculator to work out how long we’d actually been together*

5 years 8 months and 2 weeks when JMG asked me to marry him. We met in my last year at uni in Birmingham and it was one of those crazy all-consuming kinds of love.

In my wildest dreams I never imagined that it would happen in the way it did.

I’d thought it might have happened when we were on holiday in Greece - island hopping our way from perfect sunset to perfect sunset. No. Or horseback riding through the waves? No. Or maybe on my birthday, when I turned the grand old age of 28? Erm? No. 

Oh?

As it turned out, it happened when I was feeling (and looking) my most crappest having had a kidney infection for 2 weeks. I was on my way home from a Doctors appointment to get another lot of antibiotics because the first lot I’d been prescribed had done bugger all.

Anyway, I got back to our flat about 4:30pm on Friday afternoon and as I opened the door - which leads straight up to our flat - I noticed that little tea light candles had been lit and were placed on every step leading my way up the stairs.

My first thoughts…

“Aaw, how nice. But I had a bath this morning? It’s a bit odd (but sweet of him) to run me another one?”

What actually happened…

I trundled up the stairs, following the candle lit path leading to our bedroom. I saw JMG standing there waiting for me all the while thinking: “Aaw, he’s finished work early to see me because I’m not well” and then quickly looking to the right of where he stood and noticed that there were candles on the top of the dresser arranged in an extraordinary fashion.

It all happened so fast.

I then realised that there was music playing in our bedroom. It was one of my favourite songs: 'Your hand in mine’ by Explosions in the sky. JMG had introduced me to them when we first got together and I had fallen in love with that song in an instant.

He took my hand and said something along the lines of:

“I love you very much and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to know if you’ll marry me? I’ll even go down on one knee if you want me to? Actually. I’m just going to do it.”

*gets down one one knee*

“Lucie Kerley, will you marry me?" 

Oh my flipping 'eck! I was  actually going to cry - what a sap!

"Yes!” I squeaked! 

He stood up and kissed me and we fell back onto the bed in one giant embrace. A bit of a hot mess - a mixture of laughter and happy tears streaming down my face. I’ve never experienced a feeling quite like it. It was quite honestly the best surprise of my entire life. And it had all taken place in the quiet comfort of our little London flat. Home.

It wasn’t until a few moments later that I noticed our bedroom was bathed in a strange blue light. I looked up and saw a ginormous neon sign spelling out 'Your hand in mine’ balancing on the bedstead. I couldn’t believe it! It was perfect. How had I missed it? I’d always said that one day I’d love to commission a neon sign. That very sign. I was over the moon.

He explained that he hadn’t bought me a ring because he was terrified of choosing the wrong one. (I’m quite fussy about what I like you see) and so he’d got me a sign made to propose to me with that instead. It was brilliant. And the best thing about it was that I didn’t have a bloody clue that he’d been planning it since August!!

So ladies and gents, what I realised is that when the time is right, the time is right. It doesn’t matter where the proposal happens as long it’s the right person that’s asking the question. In life we don’t get that many surprises - so make it a good one! Pay attention to the little things and the big ones will follow.

What’s next?

We’ve started saving up and planning our 2015 wedding. We’re currently toying with the idea of a Midsummers celebration, around June time. We’re pinning ideas to a secret board, researching wedding venues, pricing up catering ideas, looking at decorations, planning our music and guest lists… Oh yes, and I’ve started looking at dresses - only online - I’ve not made the leap to trying any on yet. Watch this space.

If you’ve got any wedding hints and tips, do’s and don’t’s from your own big day, we’d love to hear from you. Or if you’re planning your own wedding - best of luck to you!

2014 is going to one busy year.

Photography © Lucie Kerley