Morning all! We’ve had a quietish week on the blog so far – everyone needs to take a holiday and this week has been that for many members of our team. We’ll be back on track with 6am posts going live from tomorrow morning but for now, I’m feeling both excited and rather humbled to be sharing the next in our new series of proposal stories. This particular proposal feature is quite exceptional and offers an incredibly story of a brave and courageous double mastectomy breast cancer survivor. I’m speechless when I look at Firuze’s smile to know she’s been through so much already. Stories like this truly do put a ‘bad day’ into perspective and remind me more than ever of how precious life and love is.
I hope Firuze’s story will put a smile on your face this morning and leave you feeling inspired.
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Firuze (28) and Mark (29)
Mark and I have been together for a little over four years now. We met through my best friend, who used to work with Mark. He had a gig at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho that he wanted her to come along to, and she didn’t want to go alone. We hit it off immediately and started dating a week later! Mark now works for a London brewery and I work in the creative field for a digital agency.
Connect with Firuze
Firuze is on Instagram at @firuze. She also has her own design website at firuzefrench.com.
How He Asked…
I’m half Iranian, and there’s a strange form of Persian civility called Taarof. This means you should be offered something several (usually three) times before accepting. Unfortunately for Mark, this happened with him asking for my hand in marriage. The first time he asked we were talking late at night in bed about our future, and just as I’m about to drift off to sleep he asked me to marry him. Thinking he was just generally asking to plan the future, I said yes.
When he became excited, I realised what he meant and quickly responded with, ‘but we’re not engaged are we?!’ He immediately felt sheepish and asked me to forget he asked.
The second time was a complete surprise. We were meeting up for dinner and agreed to meet in Soho Square. I’d had a dreadful day at work that brought me to tears and couldn’t wait to see Mark for him to comfort me and give me a hug, tell me it’s ok and that work isn’t everything.
When I got there I saw him and tears came to my eyes again, and he started telling me how much he loved me. I kept crying thinking about how horrible the day was that I barely realised it when he got down on one knee.
It was then that it hit me that this is where we met for our first date, and the romance coupled with the awful day meant that I broke down into an emotional wreck! At that point he realised this probably wasn’t the best time to ask and (while a homeless man clapped us out) we went home, but again Mark was feeling quite sheepish as I’d refused a second time.
After this I thought he’d never ask me again. And then something awful happened. In December last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and our world came to a standstill. It wasn’t the first time I’d had cancer (I was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer aged 11) and so I knew what was in store.
This definitely wasn’t the time to propose, as unsurprisingly I became an emotional wreck again. After multiple tests, surgeons and planning of my treatment, I had surgery in February to remove both breasts. I immediately felt like I’d lost part of my femininity, but Mark was telling me how much he thought I was still beautiful and absolutely loved me. At this point I knew we’d be together through everything life could throw at us.
In May I’d recovered well, and had started radiotherapy. The doctors and nurses at the Royal Marsden hospital were so fantastic I stayed calm and happy during the whole time, and as the sun came out one Saturday, Mark decided we should have a picnic on Clapham Common. It was Saturday 7th. We spent the day together talking about anything and everything but my situation, and it was the perfect moment to feel normal again.
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Amid the crowd of people, Mark pulled out a bottle of bubbly, two glasses and a small box. My heart stopped dead at first, and then started pounding. He didn’t get down on one knee, didn’t make a scene, and I don’t think anyone around us knew what was happening. We were in our own world as he whispered the question a third time.
This time, I said yes!
We were in our own world, and I knew beyond doubt that this was a proposal just for us.
The Ring
The ring is a 1ct oval diamond with a halo, two larger stones either side, in a rose gold setting. Mark had it custom made in Hatton Garden, based on a photo I’d once shown him.
Wedding Plans
We have chosen a wedding date and a venue and will be getting married in the centre of London.
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Sharing stories is part of the reason I love doing what I do through Love My Dress, but when the story is so personal and meaningful like this one, it makes everything so much more worthwhile.
Firuze, I’m truly blown away, seeing your gorgeous, happy smile, to know you’ve been through so much – what an exceptional individual you are. Mark is one incredible lucky gentleman and that is for sure! I really hope that in time, we’ll be able to share your beautiful wedding photographs on Love My Dress and join you in celebrating all the joy, happiness and love you so deserve after such a difficult experience. I truly do feel so humbled to be able to share this story today.
Readers – we launched this series ofproposal stories recently to allow our lovely community of readers and members of our private Facebook group for brides to be and newlyweds to share their engagement stories. By thew way, if you’re not yet a member of our private Facebook group, you can apply to be one via the page itself – we’d absolutely love you to join us if you’re planning you’re own wedding right now. Otherwise, if you’d like to share your own proposal story on Love My Dress, may I invite you to take a few moments to complete this form.
Have a most wonderful Friday all,
Love Annabel x
