Briony and Nick Real Engagement Story

My fiance Nick and I are due to get married in September next year, and Ifor one cannot wait for next year to arrive, I am just so excited. Ourengagement had a few happy and sad tinges to it, but made for a very memorableand heartfelt occasion, one which I hope we can tell the grandchildren about oneday!We have been together now for 4 years, and in September last year, headedoff to Florida for our summer holiday. We had been going to Florida for thepast 4 years, and have had such wonderful times there, that we thought wewould return. We arrived to find our gorgeous room in a hotel on StPetersburg beach, the sun was shining, and there were lots of happy peoplesitting on the beach, swimming in the sea, and soaking up the rays. Weproceeded to unpack our bags and get settled in to our first day of ourholiday.That night I started to feel unwell, and by the morning was really feelingvery ill. We put it down to the excitement of the long trip, and the jetlag, after having sat on a plane for 9 hours. As the day went on, and wemoved into the second day in Florida, I was feeling ten times worse, buttried to hide it and have a good time. We had both worked so hard to saveup enough money to come away and not have to worry about scrimping andsaving while we were in the States. Determined not to spoil the holiday, wedecided to make the most of it, and we took the hour long trip by car toOrlando, to spend the day having a look around the many shopping malls, butby this time, I was so unwell, I thought I was going to faint.We decided that I would have to go to the hospital, so we set off to find thelocal doctor to find out what was wrong. To cut a long story short, after numerous tests, x‐rays, blood tests, ECG’s and a bill for ú500, we were told that nothing could be found, and that it was maybe just a virus. He gave me ú80 worth of medication, and told us to try and get on with our holiday. However, that night I got worse, and we decided that rather than risk a lengthy and extremely costly stay in a US hospital, we should go back home for further tests. Nick was fantastic, he never once complained about the fact that his holiday had been cut short by 12 days, and that we would have to return to the UK, and he would have to return to work. Not once did he ever show any emotion other than concern for me. We arrived home on the morning of 10th September 2001 – the day before the New York disaster happened. We really and strongly believe that fate brought us home, and that we were meant to come home rather than experience the worry for ourselves and our family back home, as to how we would make it back from the States, after the terrorist troubles in New York. When we got home I saw all sorts of private specialists, and luckily nothing was found, and it was put down to a very bad viral condition. Fortunately we managed to get all our money back on our travel insurance, and when I was feeling much better, a month or so later, Nick booked a surprise very romantic weekend away in a beautiful 17th Century hotel in the Cotswolds. I had nicknamed the trip, “Magical mystery tour”, as I had no idea where we were going, but I was so happy that I was feeling better, and that Nick had made every effort to make up for our failed summer holiday, if only for a weekend. After a wonderful day shopping, we relaxed in our four poster suite before we went down for dinner. He had already arranged for a bottle of pink Champagne to be waiting at our table when we arrived, which was very exciting, as the restaurant in the hotel was very posh, and was full of other diners, who were only drinking wine!!!! After our main course, and after Nick had successfully swigged back 2 glasses of champagne in the space of about ten minutes, he got down on bended knee in the middle of the restaurant and asked me to marry him. I was very giddy from too much champagne, but said yes instantly. He then produced the biggest and most beautiful marquise diamond I had ever seen, with two baguettes either side, it sparkled so much, it made me cry!! The other diners were all staring and smiling at us, and the waiters who apparently knew all about it, came in and clapped, and took pictures of us, and were so excited that it had happened in their restaurant! He told me that his initial plan had been to propose on the 2nd part of our two centre holiday in Florida, when we were supposed to be staying at an old colonial hotel in Key Largo in the Florida Keys. There is a famous restaurant in Key Largo that has the most amazing sunsets, and he had planned to do it when the sun was just setting over a romantic meal. Unfortunately, that never happened, but I was so happy, that the Cotswolds, was more than perfect, and made the engagement that bit more special. We rushed back to tell our parents, who were very pleased for us, but the moment was tinged with some sadness, as Nick’s father had passed away only 4 months prior to the proposal, but we know that he would have been as happy for us, as we both are. We are now getting married next year on the 6th September 2003, in Ascot, and plan to honeymoon in the Maldives, where we will reinact the sunset meal, but this time as Mr & Mrs Cleeton…