Wondering how to pull off an epic surprise proposal in a gorgeous holiday destination? Take some tips from Gurjit and Kathryn’s stunning Santorini proposal. Read on for all the romantic details.
HOW THEY MET
“We have known each other since we were 16 years old. We have always been friends, but at the time, we were both in relationships. Things didn’t work out in both of our relationships and she had a child with her ex in 2011. Our small circle of friends helped to bring support and we became closer. I just wanted to help her, look after Alfie, and be a shoulder to lean on. Fast forward to now, seven years later: our son is nearly 7, we bought our first house together last year, and proposing was the final piece to the puzzle.”
THE PROPOSAL
“Santorini is beautiful with views that go for miles and miles. We have both always wanted to go for the sense of romance and the culture, so I thought it would be ideal to create a surprise proposal in Santorini.”
“I had always planned for the proposal to be outside of the UK, but I needed to get her out of the country without alarm bells ringing. I told her three days before that we were going for a spa day near London, where we would be stopping over.
“On the morning of the surprise holiday, I still had to pack the main suitcase whilst she was in the shower and get it into the boot before she got out. Everything went to plan, but then we spent six hours stuck in traffic and I nearly had a heart attack. When she realized that we were going away for a surprise holiday, she looked petrified, but i reassured her, still not revealing the location until we boarded our flight. When she finally did see where we were going, the tears could not be contained.
“On arrival to Andronis Boutique Hotel, where we were staying, I had already set up a fake competition with the hotel’s concierge. Upon check-in, we were offered the chance to enter a competition to win a photo shoot. Of course, we would be the only ones entering the contest. A day later, the hotel posted a congratulatory letter to our room, the night before the shoot. It completely worked — she believed everything.
“We felt instantly at ease with our photographer Kimon. He took us to stunning locations, finally leading us to the proposal spot. I stood there looking into her eyes … I was ready to make her my fiancée, my future wife.” – Gurjit
