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I AM GETTING MARRIED!

06/17/20 | Bride to Be, Castles, England, Kent, wedding, wedding planning

Waterfall Proposal - Engagement Story

In case the title (and the all caps) was not clear enough, I’m engaged and getting married!!!  Eek! This is day five of having a ring on my finger and I am still as excited as the minute it happened.  On Saturday my dream guy got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and it was perfect. My fiancé (oh weird, that’s the first time I’ve written that word) wanted to make sure we were able to tell our family and closest friends face to face (and by that we mean FaceTime) before we shared it with the wider world. But now it’s time for details and because my dad asked when we called, I clearly said yes!

For those who wanted to know the engagement story, it’s your lucky day. On Saturday we took a day trip out of London yesterday and drove south to Hever Castle in Kent, which was built in the 13th century and was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.  (And if you have been around Sparkles and Shoes awhile you will know that I have a thing for castles.) We knew before we arrived the actual castle would be closed due to COVID but we were able to explore the expansive grounds. After a half hour of walking around and taking a long look at the castle we crossed the drawbridge we walked up the boulevard away from the main house and when we found a little waterfall, sat down for a picnic. After lunch Mark got down on one knee and proposed.  It was magical and everything I could have hoped for and more!   Oh, and there was a VERY pretty ring.  

If you follow me on social media, especially Instagram, you will know my fiancé is super photo shy so it does not surprise me that there are no photos of the actual proposal but after I screamed yes about 12 times he humored me with a ton of photos.  I had my DSLR with me as we were visiting the castle and I set it up on a ledge and took a few dozen photos with the self timer. 

Then we began our wander around the rest of the castle grounds and I nearly tripped a few times because I could not stop staring at my ring.  We then looped back by the castle (following the strict one way paths) and I set my camera up on top of a trash can for another set of photos from one side of the castle. And if that was not enough as I was determined to get a good shot, we went to the other side of the castle and even moved a bench to get a few more photos.  Here are some of my favorites: 

Engagement at Hever CastleRing at the WaterfallEngagement SelfieEngagement Story at Hever CastleEngagement Ring at Hever Castle Engagement Story at Hever Castle in Kent

And now in case you need a break of pictures of my face, take a look at a few shots of the gorgeous Hever Castle gardens.  Over the last 700 years it has been owned by a number of families – the Boleyn’s, King Henry VIII of England, and the Waldegraves to name a few before it was purchased in 1903 William Waldorf Astor.  He not only restored the castle but improved the gardens – take a look at what a gorgeous setting he chose to propose (and I think it gives more context to our engagement story): 

The Gardens at Hever CastleHever Castle in KentFountain at Hever CastleThe Italian Gardens at Hever CastleIn the Italian Gardens at Hever Castle

Okay, one more photo of the ring and one shot of our celebration: 

J. Birnbach Diamond Engagement RingPost Engagement Champagne

And I will be sure to do a follow up post so if you have any questions about the engagement story or anything else, feel free to drop them in the comments and I will be happy to follow up! 

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Comments

  1. Lauren says

    June 29, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    Congratulations Kelly! I know next to nothing about your fiancé I don’t even know his name I realized! I’m so excited for you. What a gorgeous ring and the perfect place to propose!

  2. Kathy Jo Mead says

    June 27, 2020 at 10:51 am

    Kelly, Leon and i are so happy for you both!! Can’t wait to meet you both in person soon!!!

    Kathy Jo

  3. Kristen Woolsey says

    June 18, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    Congratulations!! You two look so happy. And what a gorgeous ring!

  4. Linda Hilliard says

    June 18, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    So happy for you and Mark! Thanks for sharing your exciting story. What an absolutely gorgeous setting. You captured it perfectly.

  5. Sarah says

    June 18, 2020 at 10:49 am

    Wow, you look like your cheeks are going to burst open with the gorgeous smile on that face of yours.

    Congratulations and we look forward to hearing about your wedding plans.

  6. JennyCohen says

    June 17, 2020 at 7:04 pm

    Did that ring cost 5 bucks?

    • TAMMY says

      June 18, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      Wow. That is cruel. Looks like a beautiful ring.

  7. TAMMY says

    June 17, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    Congrats on your engagement. I am very happy for the both of you. You two look so happy together. Next year is the Virtual Wedding. Just joking. Hopefully a real wedding. Year after that is your first child.

  8. Elli Freihofer says

    June 17, 2020 at 11:40 am

    Dear Kelly,

    Congratulations! I am so happy for you and Mark. I am thrilled to have happy news! Can’t wait to see you in Naples next spring, if not sooner.

    Wishing all the best, with love,
    Elli

Hi, I am Kelly and welcome to Sparkles and Shoes, a fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog.  I am a New York City girl at heart but I moved to London in the Spring of 2018!

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Sparkles and Shoes is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms (including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest), I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. All opinions are my own.

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