A London Proposal to Remember

August 18th, 2008 by A World Vacationer

From our Win a Trip Contest
A travel story by - Michael Helms

My wife and I planned to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with another couple by traveling to London, England. She had never been out of the country before so she was very excited.  But I had more in store than she ever imagined.

About two months before we left I contacted the hotel in London and spoke with the events coordinator. I told him I wanted to surprise my wife by arranging to restate our marriage vows. Although he knew little about the practice - it seems that is less common in England - he readily agreed to help.

I told him I would like an informal event, but something my wife would remember forever.  We decided to have the ceremony take place on a penthouse balcony in the hotel overlooking the Thames River and all of London.

It was difficult to keep the secret for so long. In fact, I told everyone at home but my wife and was afraid she’d hear about it.  Miraculously, no one did and we flew away. During the flight, the captain announced our anniversary and a flight attendant presented us with a bottle of champagne.

We arrived on Thursday. After checking in, we visited the hotel restaurant and I slipped away to check on plans with the coordinator, my wife thinking I was making dinner reservations.  Everything was set for Friday evening at 6:00 pm.

When the time arrived for “dinner” my wife and I received a call from our traveling companions to ascend to the top floor to “take some breathtaking pictures of the London cityscape”. My wife was worried we’d miss our dinner reservations but agreed.

As we walked toward the place we were meeting our friends, we could hear voices in an open door way.  We walked in to lovely room, set up with beautiful white roses, hors d’oeuvres, and champagne. My wife asked, “What’s going on?”

I asked her to sit on the couch. I knelt down on one knee and said something like, “Sweetheart. Thank you for twenty-five wonderful years. If you would marry me for another twenty-five, I vow to never abdicate.”

She started crying, then I started crying, and our friends applauded. As soon as she could catch her breath, she said, “Yes!” and we embraced.  A little champagne and hors d’oeuvres followed, and then we stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the Thames and London.

The events coordinator had researched the restatement of vows and wrote a touching piece which he performed. Next, he produced a beautiful poem which one of our daughters had written and sent to him in advance for the occasion. Now I was surprised and it blew us away!

We had pictures taken, drank more champagne, had more hors d’oeuvres, and enjoyed the London vista from high atop the hotel.  Afterward, we continued to the hotel restaurant for wonderful a six course meal.

We were in London for a week, seeing all the sights and enjoying everything together for the first time.  But as my wife said, it was so nice to have the surprise to carry through the whole of the England trip.

My wife came home on a cloud, chastising everyone she knew for not telling her about the secret we all had kept so well, and offering me up to give lessons to other husbands.

Thanks Northwest {NWA WorldVacations}, for helping to make this vacation the memory of a lifetime for me and my wife - for the next 25 years.

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