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    Man proposes to girlfriend while stuck in mud

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    Ashton Waters from Foley, Alabama  planned a romantic proposal at the place he and his girlfriend Brittany had their very first date. However, things didn’t work out as planned and Brittany ended up literally sinking in the mud during the big moment.

    On their first date, Ashton and Brittany rode quad bikes in a muddy rural retreat called Boggs & Boulders near Andalusia, Alabama.

    “Boggs & Boulders is a super special place for us because the first time I asked Brittany on a date she said: ‘Only if we can go to Boggs & Boulders’,” Asthon told SWNS.com. “We’ve had a lot of fun there. We both love to get out in nature and get a little dirty, we love fishing and camping and boating so this seemed like the perfect place for us.”

    On the way to their destination, Ashton’s car had gotten stuck in the mud and Brittany got out to push the car. Unfortunately for Brittany, she ended up stuck in the mud herself!

    Ashton decided to make the best of the situation and proposed to Brittany right here, sinking mud and all! The ring was a family heirloom from Ashton’s side of the family that he had customised to suit Brittany.

    During the proposal he asked: “Since you’re stuck, will you be stuck with me for the rest of your life?”

    Brittany happily accepted the proposal.

    “I said ‘yes’ straight away…we were both laughing so much. It took two people to haul me out of the mud afterwards,” she said.

    Watch the video of their proposal below:

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Picture: Youtube (screenshot)

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    Domino’s pizza ring winner proposes to boyfriend

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    Back in February, popular pizza restaurant chain Domino’s gave one Australian patron the chance to win a pizza-shaped engagement ring to the value of $9,000 (R133 398). This lucky woman won, and used the unique ring to propose to her boyfriend.

    Jasmine Ireland, 28, from Adelaide entered the Domino’s competition back in February to win the 18-carat yellow and white gold ring that features a pizza slice on top of it made out of ‘cheese’ and ‘pepperoni’ rubies.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8FYoE0CmoN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Ireland was selected as the lucky winner because of how important pizza is in her relationship with partner Jamie Bowes. The pair often order pizza after Bowes finishes playing soccer.

    To mark this, Ireland chose the soccer field as the perfect place to propose. After Bowes’ latest match, Ireland went down on one knee to pop the big question to him. Of course, Bowes said yes. However, Ireland slipped the ring on her own finger, not his!

    Watch the video of their engagement below:

    According to Domino’s Chief Marketing Officer Allan Collins, the couple will be gifted with catered pizza on their big day.

    Also read: Domino’s unveils R130k pizza engagement ring

    Feature image: Facebook / Domino’s Australia

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    Shrek and Fiona performers get engaged onstage

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    This actor turned his leading lady into his fiancé when he proposed in front of 400 people during a live performance of Shrek at the Gaiety stage in Ayr, southwest coast of Scotland.

    Shrek actors Mikey McCabe and Ciara Brady both belong to the Ayr Amateur Operatic Company, and have been together ever since they met during the company’s 2014 production of Jesus Christ Superstar. When they landed their Shrek roles back in September 2019, McCabe began planning the proposal, which would be the first time anyone proposed onstage during the company’s 116 year existence.

    “Our story is the stage at The Gaiety, the right time and the right place.” McCabe told Daily Record,“I have to admit Shrek and Princess Fiona are not the stereotypical lovely couple. We spent the second act farting and burping at each other.”

    During what theatre goers thought was another round of bows, McCabe went down on one knee to pop the big question. Of course, Brady said yes.

    “I was more nervous about that than a week on stage. Fortunately for me she said yes.” McCabe said. “It was easy to get down on one knee, but getting back up in this costume with three-inch heels wasn’t easy.”

    Being in full ogre costumes, the pair could not exchange rings at the time as it wouldn’t fit on Brady’s latex-covered Ogre fingers.

    Watch the video of the proposal below:

    Congrats to the happy couple!

    Feature image: Facebook

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    In Advice

    Proposal mistakes you should avoid

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    You’d think it would be difficult to make a mistake with an occasion like this. It’s one of the biggest events in your life, so of course you’d ensure that nothing could go wrong.

    But planning the perfect proposal can be stressful. This stress could cause you to make some silly mistakes.

    To be one-hundred percent sure that things run smoothly as you pop the big question, have a look at these common mistakes you should avoid:

    – Asking for too much advice 

    If you get too many opinions, your plan will be a bit of a mess and you’ll get confused about the right thing to do. Remember that you know your partner better than most people, which means that you know what they would like and what they wouldn’t. Trust your gut!

    – Overcomplicating things 

    If your plan consists of too many twists and turns, there is a much larger chance that silly slip ups can be made. Keep it simple and meaningful.

    Additionally, your nerves may stop you from being on top of your game. A complicated plan will only aggravate the nerves.

    – Planing a public proposal without being 100% sure of the answer 

    If you’re a little uncertain about your partner’s answer, but you’re risking it anyway then a public proposal is probably not the best route to take. Since there is a slight chance, however small, of a negative answer you should save yourself some discomfort and plan a more intimate proposal.

    – Proposing without having spoken about marriage before 

    You should never just assume your partner wants to get married. If you have never discussed marriage as a couple, it is a very bad idea to propose. You never know what their feelings on marriage could be.

    – Hiding the ring too well 

    If you want your partner to stumble upon the ring, then be sure to hide it strategically. Don’t put it in a place they will never find it, it’ll ruin your plan completely.

    Image: Unsplash 

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    Man performs dance in surprise ice rink proposal

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    A realtor, Daniel John, proposed to his girlfriend, Megan Cheng, during a community ice-skating event on Family Day in Richmond, Canada. The proposal had been well thought out and planned, being six months in the making.

    The real estate company (Sutton Group Seafair Realty) that John works for have rented out an ice-rink for Family Day for the last three years. As they sat down to plan this year’s event, he devised a plan to propose to Cheng.

    “I wanted to do something original for her…So about six months ago, I brought up the idea. And (the Sutton team) all said it was a great idea and I was kind of on the fence,” said John to Richmond News.

    “But that’s what got it going. And then a really good reason (for it) was that all of our family and friends usually come out (to the skate)…which I know is important to her,” he added.

    John noted that one of the other reasons he pushed on with this plan was that he could get some good footage and photographs, as his colleagues could hide in plain sight. Most members of the team lent a hand, ensuring that there was music, stopping the Zamboni from ruining the proposal, and convincing Cheng that she needed to be on the bench.

    When the time came for the big question, John said he had never been more nervous in his life. He performed an ice-skating dance routine in his tux, then glided over to fetch Cheng from the bench. Finally, he got down on one knee and asked…and she said yes!

    “She was very surprised…She was like, ‘Oh, you never lie to me, I can’t believe you pulled this off,'” said John.

    The happy couple, who have been together for just over three years, have not yet set a date for the wedding.

    Watch the proposal unfold here: 

    Image: Youtube / Richmond News 

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    In Advice

    When you shouldn’t wear your engagement ring

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    Once you receive your precious engagement ring, it’s understandable that you’d never want to take it off. The ring shows your partners love, affection, and commitment to you, which makes it extremely special. For this reason, it needs to be protected!

    The best way to protect your engagement ring is to know when you shouldn’t wear it. This way you won’t lose or damage it.

    Here’s when to remove the bling:

    – When you’re doing housework

    While you’re cleaning you may knock the ring. This is more common an occurrence than you’d expect. To ensure that your ring remains unscratched and unharmed, remove it before you start cleaning.

    Additionally, cleaning products like bleach and ammonia damages both the metal and the stone of your ring.

    – In the shower 

    The scrubbing and soaking you do in the shower will take a toll on your band. It may even end up scratched.

    – Working out

    First off, the ring may fall off and you’ll lose it.  That’s the last thing you’d want. Second, the ring could get damaged by weights you use – the pressure on the ring could bend the band and result in the stone falling out of its setting.

    – During your beauty routine 

    Soaps, creams, perfumes and other such products all result in damage to your ring. If you keep your ring on every time you apply these products, it will build up and collect. This will result in a build up of grease and over time will result in deterioration.  If the products get under the stone, it way loosen it from its setting too.

    – Travelling 

    Travelling is tiring and keeps you busy, you could get lost in the activities and end up losing your ring.

    – Cooking 

    This is a recipe for disaster. The oils, fats, and flours will result in long term damage to your engagement ring. In fact, cooking is one of the biggest reasons people’s rings get ruined! So ensure that you take it off when preparing that romantic meal.

    Image: Unsplash 

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    The fiery king of gems: Romantic rubies

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    Red is often considered the colour of love, so what’s more romantic than a ruby? This red-hued stone has been a favourite of royalty for centuries, earning the moniker ‘king of gems’.

    Rubies make up one of the four main precious gemstones, joining emerald, sapphire and diamond. The word comes from the Latin “rubens”, meaning red. The stone is made up of corundum, a crystalline form of aluminium oxide containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium and chromium. Technically, rubies and sapphires are the same stone as they are made up of the same chemical properties. However, a stone of this makeup in any colour besides red is considered a sapphire. The mineral chromium is what gives the stone its characteristic red tinge, differentiating it into a ruby.

    Given its deep red colouring, rubies are often associated with love and desire. The stone can range in shades from pink to oxblood. The most desirable shade is called ‘pigeon-blood’, a deep red with a hint of blue.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSdOF-Aksf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Rubies are found all over the world, from Myanmar (previously Burma), Africa, Australia to the USA. This precious gemstone has long been highly revered by Asian cultures. The first ruby was discovered in Myanmar back in 600AD and were worn as talismans by Burmese soldiers in battle as a form of protection. In Sankrit, rubies are called ratnaraj, or “king of precious stones”.

    Popularity soon spread to Europe and rubies became one of the most sought-after gems for European royalty and the upper class after it was selected as the stone of choice for British coronation rings back in the 13th century. The stone was said to guarantee health, wealth, wisdom and success in love.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zGXzZH-_W/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    As with other gemstones, rubies are graded on the four C’s: colour, cut, clarity and carat weight. The world’s most valuable ruby is the Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59-carat (5.1 g) “pigeon blood” ruby discovered in Myanmar. The stone was mounted by Cartier and set between heptagonal diamonds weighing 2.47 carats (0.49 g) and 2.70 carats. It sold for a record $30.42 million on May 12, 2015 at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva, Switzerland to an anonymous buyer.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0YZp3Glror/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Feature image: Unsplash

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    Eco-friendly wedding invites

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    Inviting your friends and family to your wedding day should not be taxing on the environment. The idea of posting your wedding invites is a thing of the past (or it should be) purely based on the carbon emissions that it takes to get your invite to each individual guest. Save costs and save the planet with these eco-friendly wedding invites.

     

    E-vites

    Inviting your guests to your wedding by way of email is a sure-fire way to protect the planet. Not only does it eliminate the risk of the invite getting “lost in the mail” but it gives your guest an effortless response mechanism. You can detail your invite as elaborately or minimalist as you please. It also allows you to keep track of who is and isn’t able to attend. Voila, planet saved.

     

    Seed paper invites

    If you’re old-school and want to send physical invites, fine, but be sure to use plantable seed paper. This can be sourced online. The paper is customisable and durable. Seed paper gives back to the planet by growing new plant life, in return for your carbon emission – unless you hand-delivered the invites in an electric car, of course.

    Make your own invites

    Again, if you want to keep things traditional, add an eco-spin. Make your own invites using compostable or seed paper, use environmentally-friendly ink and ensure no glue, wax, glitter or plastic is used in the process. Request that your guests RSVP electronically to you over email so that nothing gets lost along the way. By doing this you’ll have a digital record of attendees that can be used to send thank-you mailers out after the wedding. A win-win.

     

    Tips to remember:

    – Delivering invites means carbon emissions are offset into the atmosphere.

    – Glitter is a micro-plastic and is harmful to the natural world so avoid it at all costs.

    – Use seeded paper for all your wedding stationery, it helps the planet and small local businesses to thrive

    – An e-vite really is the most eco-friendly option available if you’re looking to keep your wedding as clean as possible.

     

    Image: Unsplash

     

     

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    The guilt-free gem: Lab-grown diamonds

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    For those humanitarians and environmentalists out there, engagement ring shopping can be a struggle. Due to the carbon footprint – among other things – caused by diamond mining, younger people are attempting to take a step away from the traditional engagement ring. This has led to a fast growing trend – lab-grown diamond rings.

    According to BBC Future, almost 70% of millennials have considered this guilt-free engagement ring alternative. An added bonus to lab-grown diamonds for your engagement ring is that they are much more affordable, meaning you won’t break the bank.

    So what exactly is a lab-grown diamond?

    Essentially, they are man-made diamonds. What’s interesting, however, is that while they are created in laboratories, they are chemically and physically identical to natural diamonds, and are just as hard.

    There are two main methods used to grow these diamonds: The CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method and The HPHT (high pressure high temperature) method. Lightbox, a company who lab-grows diamonds describes these methods:

    CVD – “Lab grown diamond seeds are loaded into a CVD reactor. Then, a mix of gasses containing carbon is added at a very low pressure. Microwaves are added to heat the gases and generate a plasma. When the temperatures climb over several thousand degrees, the gas molecules break apart and carbon atoms bond to the seeds, growing them one layer at a time,” says Lightbox.

    HPHT – “This method mimics the conditions under which diamonds naturally form. Large mechanical presses are used to apply extreme pressure and high temperature to carbon in the presence of a diamond seed. The seeds act as a template for a lattice of carbon to grow layer by layer over the course of a few days,” they said.

    Because of their man-made nature, they only take a few weeks to make whereas a real diamond takes billions of years to grow.

    So if you’re looking to live a more eco-friendly, sustainable and conscious life then lab-grown diamonds are the way to go!

    Here are some lab-grown diamond engagement rings to inspire you:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvxi-HzlGKH/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BiwA1PGhFJO/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B6wwQL9hKt0/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B7x42eRF1K0/

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9F6woGBMzO/

    Image: Unsplash 

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