The story of my engagement

I honestly don’t know where to begin! (Sorry if this is badly written – I’m an over excited newly engaged 23-year-old!)

About a month ago James told me he had been offered some more work as a Production Assistant, but that I was going to be starring in this commercial, which was for BC Tourism. He told me that we wouldn’t be paid, but that we would be staying in luxury accommodation free of charge. I was a bit apprehensive, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be on T.V, but a few days later James told me the plans had changed and he would be in the commercial too. Hearing this made me relax, so I agreed to do it.

A few weeks passed by and I still didn’t really know what was happening with regard to the commercial shoot. I’d booked the time off work and so had James – he just seemed to be a little out of the loop. Suddenly he told me we would be filming in Tofino, on Vancouver Island. I was SO excited as we went to Tofino for my 21st birthday & I loved it there so much! I googled the best places to stay and came across The Wickaninnish Inn. This place looked incredible, and I rambled away to James about how amazing it would be if we were staying there…

On Sunday June 3rd we packed our cases and drove towards Vancouver to catch the ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo. I was still unaware of where we were staying and believed James was too. I began to panic, thinking maybe they’d forgotten to book us somewhere and we’d be stuck in some crummy motel but James told me not to be so daft and like a fool I believed every word he said. Sunday night we stayed at Travelodge in Nanaimo, which wasn’t amazing but we were so shattered from the long drive (and me from trying not to be sick on the ferry!) that we didn’t care.

Monday morning we woke up to a cloudy sky and I was a little disappointed, as I remembered the drive to Tofino being really beautiful and would have loved some clear skies to really compliment the scenery. Never the less we set off and by the time we’d reached Port Alberni (for a Tim Horton’s stop – on Helen Street!) the clouds were beginning to disperse. I took over the driving so James was free to make any calls if he needed to, and also so he could tell me where to go once we got to Tofino.

A couple of hours later we were driving through the beautiful Pacific Rim National Park. I was still rambling on about all the really amazing places to stay and how it would be so cool if it was the Wickaninnish that we would be staying in, so when we took a left off the highway, signposted towards the Wickaninnish I went crazy!! Sure enough, this was where we were staying. I even joked that James had missed a great opportunity to propose to me here! I couldn’t quite believe this was happening so I made James go and check us in. A few minutes later he came out along with a staff member who put our cases on a gold trolley (this had never happened to me before so once again I went a little crazy!). This was nothing compared to our room though…

It was on two floors, with a full kitchen, living room, dining area, balcony, bedroom and two bathrooms! All overlooking Chesterman Beach. We had a couple of hours to explore the hotel before the camera crew for the commercial arrived, so we took a walk along the beach.

When the crew arrived I was suddenly really nervous! I met them all and they seemed like really nice people so I relaxed a bit, until the cameras were rolling and they were filming us, answering questions about ourselves and our relationship and why we think Tofino is a romantic place to visit as a couple. After we’d finished filming the interviews we went to hire out a couple of surfboards and wetsuits and headed to Cox Bay to do some filming of the two of us surfing. This is what I thought was the highlight of the tourism commercial, as they specifically chose to go to Tofino because we can surf, so I was really surprised that they only filmed us for about fifteen minutes before we headed back to the Wick to warm up and go and grab some dinner.

The next morning we split up and I headed into Tofino to film some touristy shots along the waterfront and in the town centre. James stayed at the hotel to film something ‘manly’ that you could do while staying in Tofino. When we got back a couple of hours later he told me he’d built a fire on the beach and cooked some salmon using it. I believed him, of course….

That afternoon we got changed into smarter clothes and were driven (in the hotel’s Lexus!) just around the corner to the Wick’s private beach where we were going to be filmed having a romantic lunch, which we were told was a package the hotel offered. On the beach was a table set for two, along with the film crew and a couple of staff members from the hotel. We sat down to eat our lunch, which was the fanciest lunch I’ve ever eaten in my life!

They brought over the pudding, which I ate of course (it had chocolate on it!). I did notice that my plate was on a piece of driftwood and James’s wasn’t, but I didn’t really think much of it, just like when James had told me not to touch the props on the table (some shells) because he had moved them and they got annoyed with him, but I was about to find out the real reason…

After we’d eaten the pudding James pointed out the whole driftwood thing and moved my plate off the piece of wood… Carved into it was ‘MARRY ME’.

I still thought we were filming for BC Tourism at this point, and thought wow, they’re really pushing this whole Tofino is romantic thing – a staged proposal?! But then James lifted up one of the shells, and underneath was an engagement ring. He walked to my side, got down on one knee and then I knew it was real! I cried my eyes out like a complete fool and of course I said yes!

The driftwood, the shell & my ring

I was SO confused as to what in the world was happening and why they were still filming, when James told me he should introduce me to who these people really are… I started to feel very freaked out! The crew then told me who they really were and what they were really filming for…

Shaw TV (a Canadian channel) have just been advertising a new show called The Proposal, where they help a man (or woman) plan the perfect proposal… James had wanted to ask me in a way I would always remember (not that I would ever forget anyway!) and by contacting and being on the show he could give me a proposal and a few days in Tofino to remember. I still can’t believe this has happened and I feel so overwhelmed by everything! I think it will take a little while to sink in, maybe until the pilot episode (which will be us) is broadcast in the autumn.

So there we go, that was my insane last few days!