The Story…
It was the first night of university, and I had promised my mum that I wouldn’t bring home the first boy I met…. Alex was the third boy I was introduced to that night, so technically I kept my promise!
What first started out as just a friendship, hanging out in a group every single day and living our best university lives, soon developed into something romantic. I never understood when adults used to say that when you know, you know. But being with Alex really felt like coming home— like having my best friend and my boyfriend all wrapped up into one 6 foot, blond-haired-blue-eyed package.
We’ve been together almost 8 years now and have grown so much together. We’ve been lucky enough to travel to so many new places together and buy a house that we adore— and after Alex’s romantic proposal in Scotland, I can’t wait to see what other exciting adventures we have ahead of us.
Dropping Hints…
Honestly, there were no hints! We met when we were so young and even though we’ve been together for so long, we’ve both always been so chilled out when it comes to proposals, engagements and weddings. I was always in the mindset of ‘when it happens, it happens’, and he ended up doing such a good job of throwing me off the scent and then surprising me with the proposal.
The Proposal…
The proposal couldn’t have been more perfect. We were on a Scottish road trip and finished in The Isle of Skye, which is actually where my parents got engaged! It was so incredibly special that he asked me to marry him in the same place that my dad asked my mum— a true full circle moment!
After a week of rain, the sun came out on the last night and we were treated to the most amazing sunset. It was just the two of us, sitting in our little Airbnb, watching the sun go down, and basking in the calm of the evening when he suddenly got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It’s safe to say that many tears were shed and it took me a good few minutes before I even thought to look at the ring! It really was the perfect end to the perfect little holiday.
The Ring…
The ring also couldn’t be more perfect. As a very petite person, I’ve always wanted something dainty, elegant and unique. It is a solitaire oval cut ring set on an Oxford bridge of diamonds, so the main stone stands proud. Alex chose a platinum band, as he knows I’m a silver girl through and through. His parents both have platinum bands as well, and he always wanted us to have matching wedding bands in the same style, which was another lovely and thoughtful connection to our parents and heritage.
The Celebrations…
Alex timed the proposal amazingly, as the day after we came back from the holiday we had a big family roast planned at my mum’s— just the close family to begin with, and the extended family joining later. We gave everyone a real surprise that day by announcing the engagement just before dinner! It was so lovely to make the announcement in person and continue to enjoy the engagement bubble with those we love most.
The Outfit…
I’m a dress girl through and through, so I was wearing a gorgeous floral Forever New number when he proposed. Needless to say, this dress is going to stay in my collection forever and will hopefully be passed down to my daughters to wear one day!
Wedding Plans So Far…
We’ve always been super chilled when thinking about getting married, so we’re going to have quite a long engagement. I want to enjoy the wedding planning process, and don’t want to overwhelm myself in plans, processes, or prices! There is one thing we know for sure though: we are going to be having a winter wedding— and more specifically, a Christmas wedding.
Christmas has always been such a special time for both Alex and I, and we’ve always wanted to do something a little bit different for our wedding. The main thing we both want is for the day to feel quintessentially us; if you were to remove us both from the wedding day, I want our guests to walk in and say ‘oh yes, this is an Ellie and Alex wedding’. A Christmas wedding feels like the perfect way to enjoy a time of year we both adore. and find so special, and we can enjoy the festivities with our nearest and dearest while tying the knot!
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