We love a good proposal here in weddingsonline and we’ve one super romantic tale for you today. David surprised girlfriend Ann Marie with a romantic proposal on Howth Head, the very spot they had their first date six years ago and enlisted the help of photographer David McAuley to capture the big moment. He even arranged for a romantic picnic (beautifully arranged by Melissa from SocialBee.ie) to toast the celebrations afterwards. See how the gorgeous proposal unfolded here…
We met… We knew of each other through mutual friends in DIT Bolton Street but I had to wait nearly three years until a wet March night in town where, by chance, I met Ann Marie on the dance floor of a Dublin nightclub. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that I managed to get her out to meet me for a date. We drove out towards the north side (Ann Marie is from Raheny) and ended up on a walk along the pier in Howth.
The planning… As Ann Marie and I have been living together in Perth for nearly four years, we only manage to get home once a year at most. I felt it was the ideal time to give Ann Marie an opportunity to enjoy celebrating with both our families and friends. I thought Howth was the ideal location to propose as it is a beautiful part of Dublin and holds a significance for the both of us. I was put in contact with David McAuley Photography through a friend and David in turn referred me to SocialBee.ie, a boutique event organiser run by Melissa Curley who could set up a picnic for after the proposal.
The morning… On the morning of the proposal I rang Ann Marie to arrange to bring her out only to be told she had made her own arrangements to meet family that afternoon. I had agreed with David McAuley to be at the location for 12 pm, so this was definitely a spanner in the works. I immediately rang Gerard (Ann Marie’s Dad) who managed to cancel her get-together with her family. This allowed for myself and Ann Marie to head towards Howth for what she thought was a walk along the pier.
The proposal… We drove to the bottom of Howth Head and luckily the weather cleared so I immediately scampered up the hill, encouraging Ann Marie to follow. I made sure we took our time on the way up to the location, taking in the views, making sure not to seem too eager. Upon arriving at the location I’d picked for the proposal, Ann Marie sat on a nearby bench and suggested we take a few sneaky selfies (as you do of course). Before she had a chance, I was down on one knee asking her to marry me. There was an eruption of tears (of happiness thankfully) and eventually she said yes. Once Ann Marie had re-gathered her emotions, I informed her of our guests David (David McAuley Photography) and Melissa (SocialBee.ie) who had been diligently waiting further up the walking track slowing freezing to death. David then brought us to take some pictures, including my favourite picture with Howth pier in the background, capturing where we sought shelter 6 years previous on our first date. Upon our return, Melissa had set up a beautiful picnic for us to enjoy and we popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
The Celebrations… Upon sharing our happy news with family and friends, the celebrations continued that night as David had organised for both families to go for a meal in town. Ann Marie was further surprised to find that David had arranged for her sister Jayne to travel back from the Gaeltacht in Co. Donegal to be part of the celebrations – two surprises in the one day!
Thanks to David McAuley Photography for the beautiful images!
