Harry's Blog

Regular readers will know that both the gorgeous L and I have both been discussing our wedding plans here for quite a while. One plan we hadn't discussed here was something we call Sparkly Romance Day. From quite early on in our relationship we had this dream of the moment I proposed, it would be after the Midnight Christmas Eve service at out local church, with Christmas lights reflecting on a diamond ring.

Events somewhat overtook us during the year, just like the Prussian Railway Timetables, overtook events leading to the First World War. So for some time we've been telling folks we are engaged. After all, we've got the church and reception venue booked and many of the other aspects of the event sorted out. L's even already made the invitations, though we've not sent those out yet.

However Christmas was racing towards us and thoughts turned to this dream of a Sparkly Romance Day as despite all our planning I hadn't actually got a ring for L yet. There were two reasons for that, one I was skint, two was that L really couldn't find one that she liked. Until that is, several days before Christmas.

Now my Christmas shopping had all been planned with one goal in mind and the goal was that I wouldn't have to visit any shops in the run up to Christmas. More specifically I had no intention of going somewhere like Lakeside, which I expected to be like a warzone. You can imagine my fears then, when with a few days to go before Christmas, L announced that she'd seen some wonderful rings she really liked at a jewellers in Lakeside.

I ummed, I ahhhhed, I even fretted a bit (but the latter is due to bad punning and my lovely new guitar). And despite my fears and hatred of crowds I told L we would go to Lakeside to find her a ring. We went on Christmas Eve, and low and behold, Lakeside was pretty much deserted. This was a huge surprise, I've been to the Trafford Centre a few times on Christmas Eve and it was usually the retail equivalent of a rugby scrum. Anyway, we found a ring L adored and left as soon as we could. Well as soon as we'd had lunch anyway, which took a while as the staff at Burger King tend not to have Woppers ready, these being such minor items on the menu. Oh and I shouted at my boss down the mobile when he phoned to wish me Happy Christmas, apparently he thought I was annoyed with him, but it was just because it was so noisy and my mobile has all the oomph of a bronchial mouse.

But I digress…

So what do you do when trying to recreate a dream, but with all the knowledge that goes with discussing it for the best part of a year? Well L's mum picked us up just after 11pm on Christmas Eve and we drove to church through thick fog. I have to say it was rather a frightening journey, but thankfully short. So after the service I told L that we should go look at the gorgeous Christmas Tree. And it was there that I proposed and put the engagement ring on her finger. It was a wonderful moment and not one I'm going to share in much detail.

Meanwhile L's mum had told folks who were stood around and we apparently had quite an audience. But with my back being towards them they wouldn't have had much of a view. We may have been planning our wedding for quite a while now, but putting those diamond sparklies on L's finger really has changed things. I do feel different, we both do, we feel engaged and belonging to each other, where before we were planning an event. It was a very special evening, despite it being so long in the planning.