To offer an insight into what proposing is like from the man's side, we chatted to Guy Turton, who recently proposed to his missus underwater in the Gili Islands.
The first thing that a girl is asked after getting engaged is always ‘How did he propose?’ – shortly followed by, ‘Can I see the ring?’. These days, there’s a massive amount of hype around dudes pulling off the most incredible surprise gesture, which is viewed as both a measure of their love and creativity. Do us girls feel bad about all that pressure? Nah!
And did we mention that he has a crippling fear of deep water and it was his first scuba dive? Read on for all the glorious details…
Tell us about the proposal – where, when and how did it happen?
“When: The afternoon of Saturday, 21st February 2015.
Where: 12 metres underwater, at Hann’s Reef, just off the east beaches of the beautiful island of Gili Air.
How: A failed attempt at getting down on one knee on the seabed, a pre-written slate (to avoid any gushy speeches), and a lot of bubbles and excited hand signals.”
How did you decide on the ring, and what did you have to do in your quest to get it?
“I was provided ample preparatory guidance by my girlfriend, and I roped in a good friend of mine in London to have the stone sourced and the ring made, so in truth I just followed the instructions of those more knowledgeable than myself! Though I’d like to think that I executed my instructions perfectly.”
How did you keep your mission a secret?
“By doing it underwater. We were away with her parents and the scent of expectation hung in the air, so I knew the only way to surprise her would be to do it when she least expected it. My deep rooted fear of scuba diving meant that the last thing she expected me to do down there was pull out a diamond.”
Did you tell or ask her folks about going through with it? What did they say?
“A mix-up with the ring delivery meant that I was forced to wake her Dad up for a very brief and secret Skype chat to ask him. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but in his slumber he told me to crack on (and that he’d meet the jeweller at the airport), so all in it went pretty well.”
Did you imagine what her reaction would be like beforehand?
“I didn’t really to be honest, all I was thinking about beforehand was whether or not doing it underwater was a terrible idea. On the day, all I had to go by was the burst of bubbles from her regulator and the bulging eyes in her diving mask, both of which I took as meaning she was keen. Then I got back to the surface as fast as I could.”
Were there any hiccups leading up to the big moment?
“Not as significant as those after the big moment, when we were stuck in our diving boat for a couple of hours watching boats overturn and roofs fly off in a storm that hit the island while we were underwater.”
What was running through your head right before you popped the question?
“Sinking, rising, sinking, rising…is this going to work?”
And how did you feel right after?
“Let’s go find a dolphin.”
Looking back, is there anything you would’ve done differently?
“Have the ring delivered by a dolphin.”
What’s your advice for guys who are planning to propose?
“Don’t be proud about choosing the ring yourself. If she knows what she wants, it’s worth asking for some guidance.”