Some love stories begin with a perfectly timed first date. Ana and Helvis’ began much more unexpectedly – at an airport, with one of them doing considerably more pursuing than the other.
Today, the couple are preparing to walk down the aisle, with their son Caio having already become the sweetest part of their story. But getting here took a little persistence, a few unexpected gestures and, eventually, a decision from Ana to give Helvis a chance.
The story
Ana and Helvis first met at the airport, but it wasn’t exactly love at first sight – at least not for Ana.
Helvis tried to pursue her for quite some time, but Ana wasn’t interested in dating him. Undeterred, he decided to take a different approach. The year before they eventually started dating, he arranged flowers to be sent to Ana’s house through her sister. He deliberately didn’t sign the card, leaving Ana completely unaware of who they were from.
It was only later that she discovered the mystery flowers had been from Helvis.
Then, in October 2021, Helvis reached out to her himself. He explained that he had spent time working on himself and improving his life, and that he wanted to seriously pursue her. All he was asking for was a chance.
This time, Ana said yes.
Their timing seemed to fall into place almost immediately. Ana was flying to Dublin, and Helvis came to meet her- despite having only just finished a night shift at 6am. To make matters even more memorable, Ana had forgotten her phone charger. Helvis simply bought her a new one, spending around £40 without hesitation.
It was the kind of small gesture that said a lot.
From that point onwards, the two became inseparable.
Just a month later, Helvis asked Ana to be his girlfriend in the sweetest way, with a proposal at The Gherkin in London.
And what started with Ana being very firmly against dating him quickly became something neither of them could imagine living without.
The ring
There was, however, one tiny flaw in Helvis’ otherwise very carefully planned surprise…
Ana had actually found the engagement ring at home before the proposal.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she managed to open the box – completely accidentally, of course… Realising what she had done, she knew she had to put everything back exactly as she had found it.
So Ana went on a mission to find the exact same ring box, replaced it and somehow managed to do it all without Helvis ever noticing.
The funniest part? She still has the original box saved as a little memory from the time she nearly ruined her own surprise.
So while Helvis thought he had managed to keep the entire proposal a secret, Ana had already seen the ring- she just didn’t know when or where he was going to propose.
Thankfully, she kept the secret too.
The proposal
By the time Helvis proposed, Hurghada had already become incredibly special to them.
The Egyptian resort had become their home away from home. They had returned every two years, built relationships with the hotel staff and grown particularly close to the people who had looked after them during their visits. It was somewhere that held so many memories for them, making it the perfect place to begin their next chapter.
What Ana didn’t know was that Helvis had been planning something behind the scenes.
He privately rented the beach and worked with the hotel to arrange everything. Ana had absolutely no idea.
In fact, there was one detail that made the whole thing even funnier.
Ana remembers seeing videographers and photographers around the hotel, taking pictures and creating content. She thought nothing of it – completely unaware that they were actually there to capture their proposal.
It was the hotel’s first ever proposal.
Which, considering how often the couple had visited and how familiar they were with the staff, somehow made it feel even more special.
The little surprise
There was one more person who unintentionally became part of the proposal: their son, Caio.
At the time, Caio was only a few months old and had a very reliable holiday bedtime of around 7pm. Ana and Helvis assumed they would have their moment once he was asleep.
Except, on the night of the proposal, Caio decided that bedtime simply wasn’t happening.
He stayed awake for the entire evening.
Rather than letting that ruin the moment, the hotel staff helped look after him, giving Ana and Helvis the chance to have some time together while still having their baby close by.
In hindsight, it made the proposal even more meaningful.
Their little family was already there, right at the beginning of the next chapter.
Location
For Ana and Helvis, the location was never just about having a beautiful beach or a picture-perfect proposal.
Hurghada had become part of their relationship.
They know the hotel staff, have returned time and time again, and have created memories there across the years. It feels like a second home – somewhere familiar, warm and deeply connected to their relationship.
So the fact that there had never been a proposal there before, and theirs became the first, felt almost serendipitous.
Ana had no idea that while she was casually enjoying another holiday in a place she loved, Helvis was quietly turning it into one of the most significant moments of their lives.
What’s next
Now, in 2026, the couple are preparing for their wedding- with a baby, countless memories and a proposal story they’ll be able to tell forever.
What began with a chance meeting at an airport, years of Helvis trying to convince Ana to give him a chance, a mystery bouquet and a £40 phone charger has grown into a family of three and a future they’re incredibly excited to build together.
Four years after that first real chance in October 2021, and one baby later, Ana and Helvis are happier and more excited than ever to celebrate their love surrounded by the people who mean the most to them.
Their story may not have started in the most conventional way, but perhaps that is what makes it theirs.
And after all, sometimes the person you initially have absolutely no intention of dating turns out to be the person you end up marrying.
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