Is this the most romantic proposal ever (or the most toe-curling)
Boyfriend's 13 month of incredible stunts leading up to popping the
question
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UPDATED:
20:06 GMT, 7 June 2012
Britain's most romantic man wooed his
girlfriend with a series of jaw-dropping stunts over 13 months before he
finally popped the question.
Stephen Williams, 38, spent a
staggering seven months meticulously planning his long-winded proposal
based on the film ‘PS I Love You'.
Football coach Stephen tucked his
first love letter into his 31-year-old girlfriend Jennifer Tomlinson's
pillow on July 1 last year.
Decent proposal: Stephen Williams got down on one knee in Venice to propose to Jennifer dressed as the Phantom of the Opera
Top that: Now the couple are hoping to make their wedding day just as special
The love note, presented on a scroll,
told Jennifer to expect months of mystery letters leading to a clue that
only she could solve.
Full-time mother Jennifer, who has
four children from a previous relationship, received 30 hand-made
letters with a little gift between July and December last year.
Each was signed ‘PS I Love You' after
Jennifer's favourite film which tells the story of a husband who dies
but leaves notes for his wife to find.
But Stephen's notes were simply
leading up for the grand finale. One promised a romantic weekend in
London to see Jennifer's favourite musical, The Phantom of the Opera.
After the show, Jennifer was presented with more notes containing tickets for Les Miserables and a trip to Venice.
Stephen, from Ellistown,
Leicestershire, finally proposed dressed as the Phantom at the famous
Venetian Palazzo Pisani in front of a violinist on December 14 last
year.
Surprise! Johanna was amazed when her boyfriend Paul dressed up as a
knight and created a procession through their town in order to pop the
question
'Happiest day of my life': It's a moment she'll never forget
Jennifer said: 'We'd been together for
just over a year when I found the first note. He was always making
sweet romantic gestures so I didn't think anything of it.'
'The note read: “I have a secret story to be told, leading to a special surprise like treasure and gold.
'”Each month you will find a secret
scroll that comes with a puzzle or clue, with a mystery letter that no
one else can solve but you.”
'The notes came from everywhere. I had a message in a bottle and one strapped to a helium balloon.
'It was so sweet. Stephen really didn't care that people were seeing just how much he loved me.'
Stephen, or ‘Phantom Stephen' as he
calls himself following his proposal, first dressed up as a leprechaun
to deliver one of the scrolls.
'I was incredibly nervous leading up
to the proposal. It's one thing to plan everything, but it's another to
actually pull it all off. Luckily, she said yes. It was a beautiful
moment.'
Stephen Williams
He also arranged for a waiter to hand
Jennifer a love note during a romantic dinner, and popped a scroll in a
Christmas Cracker – leading to a bunch of flowers.
During the couple's trip to London, Jennifer found notes hidden in alcoves close to her seat.
She discovered more scrolls hidden in
her plane seat on the journey to Venice, containing a poem and book of
the city's romantic destinations.
Jennifer said her proposal was
'completely unexpected', with ‘Phantom Steve' taking her down the
winding Venice streets to the palace.
'It really did feel like a fairy-tale. Steve was singing songs from Phantom of the Opera and the sun was setting,' she said.
'I don't know what I did to deserve it all. Steve took me onto a gorgeous balcony that overlooked the Grand Canal.
'I just thought he was being cheeky
and giving himself a tour. Then he started to sing, but his voice was
all wobbly. That's when he got down on one knee and proposed.
'It sounds strange looking back, but I
didn't have a clue what was going on. It really hit me. I just burst
out crying and hugged him. And, of course, I said yes.'
Stephen had even hired a film crew to
capture the magical moment but told Jennifer the camera men were simply
making a programme about romance in Venice.
Jennifer, who gave birth to the
couple's twins Nevaeh and Ava in April, is now leaving the planning of
their wedding up to her inventive fianci.
She said: 'Some people may think it's a
bit too much, but every note was so personal and lovely. Every woman
wants to be treated like a princess.
'We're looking into getting married
next year and he's got a lot to live up to. I think I'll leave a lot of
the planning up to him.'
Stephen added: 'From the moment I met
Jennifer she moved me. She made me a man just for loving me and for that
I am truly grateful.
'I just knew my little Jenny would
love a romantic story of her own so I wrote letters telling her how I
felt. It just went from there.
'I was incredibly nervous leading up
to the proposal. It's one thing to plan everything, but it's another to
actually pull it all off. Luckily, she said yes. It was a beautiful
moment.'