Morning all! In case you’ve missed it, we’ve launched a new weekly Friday morning series, in which we share proposal stories from our darling community of readers. This new feature was inspired by the amazing community we have established over in our private Facebook group for brides to be and newlyweds – if you’re not yet a member, you can apply to be one via the page itself – we’d really love you to join us. You can also submit your own proposal story for sharing with Love My Dress by completing this form. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Freya and Nick
Nick and I met eight years ago by coincidence even though a mutual friend has suggested we meet. Both rejecting her suggestion of a blind date we actually met in our local club. It turns out our friend was right and we started seeing each other immediately. Two weeks after we met, Nick moved from Dorset, where we both come from, to London and I, while trying to save for my travels worked during the week and would visit him at weekends.
Five months later, I left to travel without him – returning, but only to move to Newcastle for four years to study. We maintained a long distance relationship travelling to see each other every two weeks. When i finally graduated, I moved down to London into a house Nick shared with some of our friends. Moving to a flat to ourselves a year an half later we have now just bought our own flat in Crouch End, North London.
Connect with Freya
Freya is on Instagram at @freyfrey.
How He Asked…
My Grandparents lived on the Scottish island of Orkney before they passed away and my family have travelled to stay with them and lately stay in the house we still own throughout my life. The Island is such a special place anyway with gorgeous untouched beaches, wild landscapes and of course of all of the memories it holds for me personally. Nick and I had travelled to stay in the house for a week just before Christmas last year for some peace and quiet after a busy year.
Orkney in December is a pretty dark place to be, there are only a matter of hours worth of day light but on the Tuesday we woke up to a beautiful sunny day and took the chance to head over to Birsay, my favourite beach. This beach is particularly special, our family home is named after this beach and we have a strange tradition which involves not leaving the beach until the ‘groatie buckie’ is found.A groatie buckie is a tiny shell that is local to this beach in particular. Some times you visit and you’ll find loads, other times you’ll search for an hour before you find one.
I of course set Nick to work with the intention of holding up our family tradition. We searched and searched, Nick unusually quiet. Finally i found one under a rock! Nick looking relieved, turned to me and said i hope i have something even better, dropped to one knee and proposed!!
I felt secure in the knowledge that anything life would throw at me, I would now deal with as part of a pair, and not on my own.
The sun was shining, there was no one about, only the noise of the sea crashing against the rocks and sea gulls circling above. it was just perfect.
The Ring
Nick had clearly picked up on my hints over the years that I wanted to chose my own ring, so used a place holder to propose with. The thought that went into this was above and beyond as he had chosen a Sheila Fleet is an Orkadian designer who lives and works on the island. Years before, my Grandad had given me a Sheila Fleet ring which I had worn everyday and loved so to now have an engagement ring from her was amazing.
Nick chose a double banded gold ring that held a single diamond in place and while I loved it I had always wanted two diamonds holding a sapphire in place. We were able to call Sheila, who invited us down to her studio and design a ring together. I wanted to keep the essence of the ring Nick had chosen so Sheila and her team set the three stones I asked for within the two bands.
They were also able to push the making of the ring to the front of queue so that it would be ready in time for us to pick up before we flew off the island a couple of days later.
Wedding Plans
We plan to get married in our home town of Sherborne in a beautiful little church below the old castle. Nick’s Grandma owns a beautiful farm in a village about half an hour away so we will have the reception in her paddock, a space surrounded by trees. We have ordered tipis and plan to have a fun and flower filled day surrounded by great food, lots of music and all of our friends!
I have just bought my dress which I am giddy about and cannot wait to put on, although I worry I will never want take it off!
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Huge congratulations to you both Freya and Nick!
If you would like to share your proposal on Love My Dress, bookmark this form here and fill it in when you have just a few minutes spare. We really look forward to hearing from you.
Love Annabel x
Congratulations both. I’m so pleased that you managed to thrive during so many years of a long distance relationship! You obviously have something so very special together. 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your planning xx
Ooh! A fellow Sheila Fleet enthusiast! I love Sheila- she is so helpful and kind. Both my wedding ring and engagement ring are from her and she dealt personally with us! Lovely story.
Lovely story and what a ring, it’s absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations xx