I met Kieren years ago when I was just 18 and studying fashion. I went on a night out to meet friends at a local pub. Kieren says he remembers clearly the moment I walked into the pub all these years later. We spent the whole night getting on like a house on fire! We dated, fell madly in love, and had a whirlwind romance. Even when I went away to Paris, when I returned to Kieren was keen to see me, surprising me with roses. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Studying, work pressures and family matters meant the timing just wasn't right.\nLife happened and years passed until, while building my Facebook network for my business, Kieren popped up in my ‘People you might know’ section. I went with my gut and friend-requested Kieren instantly. However, I was very nervous!\nAs they say, the rest is history. We met up many times and the chemistry was still electric. I was still in love with him even after all those years. So, the relationship blossomed again. After nearly 4 very happy years together, my best friend, my partner, the amazing man that he is, being a fantastic father to my two beautiful daughters and a great supportive business partner, Kieren popped the question!
The Proposal
Kieren and I had talked about going to Rome for a romantic getaway for a year or two. We booked last year but had to cancel. Then we were due to go this April but we’re again delayed due to Covid-19. Then one day, a couple of months ago we saw on the news that Rome was safe to travel to yet the tourist numbers were very low. We instantly thought, let’s just go! This was our chance to see Rome without the crowds. So, we booked it 4 weeks before going. We are not normally that spontaneous but had a less busy schedule due to Covid-19.\nKieren and I have talked and joked about getting married as we both work in the industry. I am the CEO of
Kelly Atwood Floral Designs, a floral designer and stylist and Kieren is the CEO of Oasis Wedding & Event Hire. We knew it was something we both wanted, however, I had no idea the proposal was already in the planning even before we booked Rome.\nKieren was already planning months before. He had told his sister and asked my best friend Dominika for advice about what ring style I would like. She was even able to sneakily find out my ring size! Kieren really nailed the ring. I always wanted something alternative that would fit in with my personality and style. Kieren had a custom ring made in rose gold to complement my olive skin, It has a slender diamond band and a rutilated quartz stone that is black with freckles in a pear shape. The stone is said to be a soul illuminator, promoting spiritual growth. It cleanses the aura and protects love against negativity.\nWhen we went away to Rome, we had the most amazing time. We stayed in a lovely boutique hotel and went out daily visiting all the sites of Rome. Whenever I tried to hug Kieren or kiss him in these beautiful romantic places he would step away which I thought strange but put it down to the extreme heat. He later told me it was because he had the ring box in his pocket the whole time which he didn’t want me to notice and he was debating whether it was the right time!\nOn our last evening, he asked me what my favourite place was in Rome and I said the Trevi Fountain. So, he insisted we should return in the morning for the start of our last day. When we got there, Kieren then said this would be a lovely place to get engaged while I was taking photos. I turned around and he was behind me on one knee! I broke down crying as I was in complete shock but was overwhelmingly happy. Kieren asked me “Will you marry me?” As soon as I could muster the words I said “Of course I will”. He then put the ring on my finger to which I cried again at how perfect it all was. Luckily, Kieren had asked a lovely tourist couple also at the fountain to take some photographs for us! This really captured the magic of these initial moments.\nWe decided to celebrate with a drink to take the time to let the proposal sink in. Kieren had asked my father's permission as well and that he had given his blessing which meant the world to me. I was also blown away that my best friend Dominika and others had helped or known he was planning on proposing!
Future Plans
We will have a belated engagement party when it’s safe to do so and we can celebrate with friends and family. As the wedding industry will be busy next year, we have chosen 2022 as the year to be married. We would like a personal, fun, informal, joyful day that’s somewhat unconventional. We also definitely want live music as we both love music, gigs and festivals.\nI would obviously like lots of fabulous floral designs designed by myself and put together by our team. It might be even harder for us to make decisions on venues and suppliers as we work with so many fantastic ones. We are huge believers in ‘Your day your way‘ as our business ethos and will absolutely be following that for our day.
