A fairy tale proposal in one of the world's 'most romantic' places to get engaged, according to Conde Nast. Ashford Castle provided the most magnificent backdrop for Thomas to propose to his long-term girlfriend, Laurie-Anne in early December last year.
Here we chat with the newly engaged Laurie-Anne as she shares their #JMJLOVESTORY with us...
Firstly, we must ask, how did you and Thomas meet?
“We met back in 2018, Thomas and I both worked for one of The Big 4 as consultants at the time and I was looking after his inductions. We travelled a lot for work, usually weekly from Belfast to London and we quickly became really good friends. After spending a lot of time together (usually in the airport waiting on our delayed flights) it became clear that we were more than just friends.
“Dating for us was slightly out of the norm as we weren’t exactly living in one city for more than 4 days at a time, however we were determined to make it work. From trips to Paris on the Eurostar for dinner or weekly drinks at the Shard, our first few dates weren’t all that bad, and looking back I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
We’re all dying to know; how did your now Fiancé propose?
“Christmas is my favourite time of the year, so a Christmas proposal was always something that Thomas had planned.
“On December 6th we travelled 5 hours from Belfast to Cong, to the beautiful Ashford Castle for a pre-Christmas getaway! When we arrived, we checked in and Thomas convinced me to go for a quick walk so he could “stretch his legs” after the long drive down. I was none the wiser, so I wrapped up warm and we headed out for a dander around the grounds of the Castle.
“As we got closer to Lake Corrib, Thomas stopped in his tracks, got down on one knee and proposed! It was the most perfect moment. The weather the whole journey down to Ashford had been tragic as we were in the midst of Storm Barra, but the weather prevailed. I was completely caught off guard and in so much shock that I barely remember the moment - luckily for me, Thomas had a photographer hiding to capture the moment. It was just perfect in every way.”
Tell us about your ring…
“I literally cannot stop starring at it - it is just perfect!
“I had always envisioned that I wanted a solitaire diamond with a gold band, but one trip to Jack Murphy Jewellers proved to me that I actually didn’t know what exactly I wanted. Thomas and I met with the amazing Gemma a few months ago as he always said that he didn’t want me to know where or when he would propose, but he wanted an idea of the type of ring I wanted as after all, I would be the one wearing it for the rest of my life.
“Gemma presented me with what felt like every style/shape/size and colour of ring that Jack Murphy Jewellers had and it was just FAB - I have never seen so much sparkle! I tried on so many different rings and after around 3 hours and 2 appointments later at the stunning new showroom, I had decided it was going to have to be an oval diamond with a halo and a gold diamond band.
“Gemma and the team worked so hard with Thomas to create my dream ring and I couldn’t be happier!”
How are you enjoying the wedding planning so far, and do you have any exciting plans for the big day?
“I am loving EVERY minute of it! My soon to be Sister-In-Law bought me a shiny new Wedding Planner and I haven’t left it for more than 5 minutes, I feel like the planning is all I can think about, from Instagram saves to Pinterest boards, it’s very exciting. However, considering we only got engaged 4 weeks ago, I’m trying not to get too ahead of myself and enjoy our little engagement bubble.
“We are still trying to iron out dates and a venue and with times being a little uncertain at the moment, we are happy to take it slow to ensure that we get to celebrate the day with those that we love. Besides, it gives me more time to drag Thomas around more Wedding fares, but as long as there’s cake he doesn’t mind.”
Did you get engaged with Jack Murphy Jewellers? Share your #LoveStory and feature on our website and social media. Contact our Marketing Team to find out more: marketing@jackmurphyjewellers.com