We were heading on our first trip to Thailand and our first stop was Phuket. As this was my first time to Thailand, I was super excited for that reason alone so I was not expecting what would happen next! As soon as we got to our first hotel, I wanted to head straight to the pool but he insisted we walk down to the beach. After some back and forth, I begrudgingly agreed to walk down to the beach. The whole walk down he was way too quiet and I thought I had done something wrong!

The beach was absolutely perfect with its turquoise water and white sand. I immediately went to dip my feet into the water and when I turned around, there he was, down on one knee with the Ryder ring box in his hand! I think I scared him because it took me a bit to actually answer “will you marry me?” but it was because I was in shock (a good shock)!

It just so happened that both of our immediate families and their significant others were going to be in New York City on the same day, so Matt and I thought it would be fun to get everyone together for dinner and drinks. To throw me off, Matt had me plan the evening, but after hours of searching restaurants for a last minute reservation for SIXTEEN people I was at a loss. Matt eventually pulled through with a “lucky” private room reservation at La Esquina – someone had cancelled on them last minute he had said. (Yeah, right!) We had a wonderful meal, but towards the end Matt’s mom said she wanted to give Matt’s brother, Luke, a gift – it looked like a giant poster-sized framed picture.

Luke opened it with the backside of the picture to us, but when he turned it around it was a bunch of smaller pictures of letters from our travels that spelled out “will you marry me?” It took me a moment to actually realise that it was for me, and then of course I saw Matt next to him, down on one knee. To this day I’m not actually sure I even said yes, I was in such shock, but it was absolutely perfect. Can I do it again, please?!

I came home one Wednesday night after Pilates class to a note on our front door that said ‘knock before coming in’. We were pretty serious at the time and had been talking about rings off and on for a bit, so the thought that this was the moment crossed my mind. Then again, I also thought that maybe he had bought me a kitten (hello, crazy cat lady here!) and wanted to surprise me with it. When I opened the door, Paul was standing at the end of a candlelit hallway with giant poster board cards which were inspired by the scene in my favourite movie Love Actually, where Andrew Lincoln surprises Keira Knightly at her front door.

I stood there all sweaty in my workout outfit bawling my eyes out while he went through each of the cards in silence, leading me to the part when he asked the big question. I always thought I would be perfectly dressed and have an immaculate mani when I got engaged, but there was something so perfect and lovely and ‘us’ about the way it happened. When that scene comes on in Love Actually now, I melt. The line, ‘To me, you are perfect’ will get me every time. 

I had originally booked a girls’ night out to watch the next Sex in the City movie (c’mon, priorities right?), so I was a little annoyed when Mike insisted on going out on a day trip out to Niagara on the Lake (aka wine country of Ontario) instead. We stopped off to pick up some coffee before heading out (which also happened to be the same place he asked me out a few years back!) and drove up to the vineyard.

After a delightful boozy tasting he took me for a walk through the vineyards to this gazebo (which was when I started to suspect something!). The gazebo had pictures of us hung from the beams with rose petals scattered on the floor and two bar stools were in the middle with his guitar leaning against one of them. He sat an already-ugly-crying-me down while he sang me a song he wrote, and then proposed. It was one of the most romantic moments of life!

Well, now’s the time to drop that not-so-subtle hint to your S/O, or help a friend out if they’re thinking about popping the question over the holiday season! It takes at least five weeks at Ryder Diamonds to create the perfect ring (hey, it takes time to look so good!), so it’s better to get the ball rolling early if you have a friend who is planning on proposing under the mistletoe. From creating the perfect setting and choosing a stunning diamond (that fits within the budget of course!), to crafting the finished product, there’s plenty of time and effort that needs to go into this very special piece of jewellery that will be treasured for a lifetime.

So ladies, share this post with any friends that are thinking about taking the plunge and help your girlfriends out! Ryder guarantees only the best rings, exquisite craftsmanship and custom designs, and don’t your girls deserve only the best?

Questions? Email Katie_Feeney@ryderdiamonds.com for more info!