The Story
In May 2019, after yet another situation-ship had fizzled out, I opened up tinder and muttered “one more go and if not I’ll just be a cat lady instead”. I matched with five people but then decided my heart wasn’t in it. I closed the app and decided to scroll instagram. Upon checking my new followers for the day and noticed one of the five people I’d matched with had followed me and after a brief snoop through his instagram page I realised that not only had we met at school, but I’d actually asked him out 12 years ago (he declined…). 12 years, two failed long term relationships and a quick scroll through Tinder later, the stars aligned for us and this is the story of our engagement.
Dropping Hints
We’ve always talked about the idea of getting married, and I knew since the start of 2023 that Ryan had the ring (more on that later), but I had no idea when he might ask me. In the month running up to the proposal there were some signs (mostly from family) that it was happening soon and whilst I knew it was coming I had no idea what was in store for me.
The Proposal
We go to Ibiza every summer for Ryans work and always have the best time. So this year we planned a trip just for us to have fun and explore the island with no work obligations for him. He rented us a Fiat convertible for the trip and made reservations at all our favourite restaurants aside from one night where we were dining somewhere new. We were booked in to Petunia on the west side of the island and, aside from it being known for great food and cute interiors, I didn’t know much about it. We arrived to the restaurant for an abnormally early dinner (6pm is essentially a late lunch in Ibiza) and were seated next to the pool, complete with a full house of guests sunbathing and swimming. It threw me, but we had a gorgeous little view of Es Vedra (an Ibiza land mark that is no where near as magical in photos as it is to the eye) and I told myself it would probably be really romantic once the sun started to set. After a short bathroom break Ryan suggested we go for a walk around the grounds as the staff had told him there was a great Instagram spot for Es Vedra nearby.
I, being the basic, instagram loving girl I am, downed the margarita in front of me and followed him through the grounds of Petunia. We turned a corner and behind Ryan was a pergola with a table and chairs and, as we walked closer, a full view of Es Vedra in front of it. The table was fully set up for us with a bespoke menu and bubbles on ice and Ryan quickly got down on one knee and asked me to marry him (whilst I sobbed in disbelief).
Never in my life had I ever expected someone to go to this level of effort in order to propose to me. If that wasn’t enough already, a photographer had also been hiding in the bushes and Ryan had not only hired him to capture the moment but also for a full engagement shoot. He’d photographed every detail of the table and flowers too (Ryan had picked my favourites) so I didn’t have to worry about capturing those memories on my phone throughout the night. We ate dinner as the sun set over Es Vedra and finished our drinks under the stars until it was late and too chilly to sit out any longer.
The Ring
At the start of 2023 we just happened to touch on the subject of engagement rings and how difficult it must be to choose one. I opened up my jewellery box to show examples of designs I liked, and in the corner of the box sat my mums first engagement ring (same husband, MANY engagement rings. She’s an icon). A navy blue sapphire ring with a halo and a thin gold band. It was missing stones and very much looking worse for wear. My mum didn’t love this ring, it was trendy at the time, and so she repurposed an old ring her mum had given her. Adding a ruby and diamonds. I loved the idea of doing this too, not only to keep the tradition going but as a slightly more sustainable option. So Ryan took the ring away and gave her a glow up, adding a full halo of lab grown diamonds and a royal blue sapphire. It also fully counts as my “something old, new borrowed and blue” too as I never actually asked my mum if I could have it as my engagement ring. I love how special it is to have a vintage ring and to have the family connection behind it. Ring styles come in and out of fashion, but vintage rings with a story behind them are always lovely.
Engagement party
We haven’t planned our engagement party yet as wedding planning kicked in a little earlier than expected but this is next on our list for the new year. We’re thinking it might be a nice way to beat the January blues.
The Outfit
As my suspicions were at an all time high I decided to make sure I was wearing my best dress on THE night so I asked Ryan for his thoughts and to help me pick a dress for each of the dinners we had booked. He picked a blue satin dress from Zara for the night he proposed (worn with both straps to one side to make it a one shoulder style) and It was the perfect “something blue” to match my engagement ring. I paired it with strappy blush toned sandals from & Other Stories and a pearl clutch bag (filled with tissues and absolutely nothing else).
Wedding Plans So Far
We’re looking to have a legal wedding in the UK and a symbolic ceremony abroad in 2024. The location for our destination wedding is being kept secret but we’re going for an intimate feel with simple details to let the venue speak for itself – but there might still be a little hint of drama or floaty, romantic fabric here and there. Though our UK venue is still TBC, I’d like to keep things looking really classic and traditional, with lots of clean lines and luxurious details. A perfect city wedding aesthetic.
Related Article: The Dos and Don’ts Of Wedding Planning