Chris and Jason Real Engagement Story

By Valentine’s Day, 1999, Jason and I had been together for nearly two years. The last Valentine’s Day had been a bit of a wash out, as Jason had had to work and I was in the middle of exams, (he’s a Bar Manager and I am studying for my Degree). So he promised me a big surprise for the next one. I was so excited and knew that it had to be a proposal of marriage. Straight away, I confided in my friend Lynsey. Unknown to me, Jason had taken Lynsey with him the week before, to confirm his judgement on the most beautiful engagement ring in the world.But Lynsey looked at me with a very sad face. “Oh, Chris, I don’t know how to tell you this, but he isn’t going to propose. He’s taking you to Paris for the weekend, but you mustn’t let on, it’s supposed to be a big surprise.” Of course, I told Lynsey that I wasn’t disappointed, but she knew I was heartbroken. So Valentine’s Day came and we got to Paris. I looked suitably surprised when he produced the tickets, but deep down I was mourning for the wedding I had thought was so close. We went first class by Eurostar and stayed in a beautiful hotel just around the corner from the Eiffel Tower. Jason suggested that, as we were so close and it was still Valentine’s Day, we should grab the chance to take some pictures at the Eiffel Tower. So off we went with the camera. The queue to go to the top was huge, so we walked around underneath. Jason suddenly became very strange, and it dawned on me that maybe he was scared of heights! “It’s OK, we don’t have to go up if you don’t want to” I said to him. What a dope! He stopped right under the centre of the Eiffel Tower and took a picture of me, then he asked me to take a picture of him. Then he said he had a present for me and to turn my back to him. While I had my back turned, I could see people stopping to watch us, but I couldn’t work out why. When he told me to, I turned around and then came the words I will never forget – “Will you marry me?” Everyone who had gathered around started to applaud – I started to cry. I hugged him and kissed him and told him that I loved him. There was just one small problem…”You haven’t said Yes!” he said, when everyone had congratulated us. We went out to dinner after that and as we sat pushing our food around our plates, the story unravelled. Lynsey had told him what I had said and together they had hatched a plan to deceive me. Even when I had my back to him, under the Eiffel Tower, I was so convinced that he wasn’t going to propose that I never suspected a thing! Also unknown to me was the fact that Jason had rung my Dad the week before to ask for my hand in marriage!We spent the next two days wandering around Paris, looking into each other’s eyes. We are getting married on 17 August 2001 in Killiney Bay in Dublin – a traditional Irish Wedding, and I hope that we will have a Traditional Marriage too!