This story actually won us a free engagement photo shoot!! :-)

Dale and I met in primary school, became best friends in grade 9 and have been together since grade 11. Throughout our 9 year relationship we have done many things from finishing school, uni, travelling the US and Europe, living in different countries for 2 years, buying a home running a business and much more.

Throughout it all it is safe to say that he has never really been able to keep a secret from me. Even when he thinks he is surprising me, I always know something is going on. That is until he pulled it the best proposal ever!

Dale runs a particular Bootcamp during work hours, so it is one that he knows I will never go to. One day in October he called me after work and told me that a lady at that Bootcamp was selling raffle tickets to win a framed autographed Melbourne Storm Jersey. He said the tickets were $5 each and that he bought 8 tickets, but he felt bad so he got two for me in the women's raffle which was "some massage thing". As Dale is the BIGGEST Storm supporter I believed it.

A few weeks later in November I got an email from a lady at his Bootcamp congratulating me on my win!! One of my tickets had been drawn as the winner of the women's raffle!! I had won: A limousine ride for me and 3 friends from our house to Sea World, a swim with the dolphins, a DVD of the dolphin swim, 3 nights accommodation at Sun City at Surfers Paradise (my all time favourite place), $100 dinner credit, a 2.5 hour massage & facial and a 1 hour massage! I couldn't believe it!!! The only catch was because it was a NYE prize pack, it had to be used on set dates and all the things were already booked in for specific dates. Fine by me!! The email asked for my home address so I sent it to her and called Dale to tell him. He seemed happy but more disappointed he didn't win his storm jersey! That week on Facebook all his Bootcamp ladies were telling me that they were so jealous and that they really wanted to win! I was super excited!!

A few weeks later I received my prize pack in the mail with all my prize details. There was a letter on a letterhead with a phone number, website and everything. It was sent from the other side of town with location stamps and nothing seemed odd.

A month later the time had finally come to go on our little get away. My best friends and their partners all met at our house for the Limo to pick us up. The boys went in cars while the girls travelled in style! We had a great day at sea world and I got to swim with the dolphins which is something I have ALWAYS wanted to do!! Dale won a HUGE gorilla on a game and it was just a really great day with all of my best friends there!

That night we drove to Sun City and when we got to our room the view was just awesome!! We had perfect views from our bed of the Q1 which is where the NYE fireworks were going to be! Dale got a call from our close friends Luke and Kylie and we discovered that they were also staying down the coast! What a coincidence! 

The next day, NYE, we met up with them and had a relaxing day swimming and hanging out. That afternoon Dale and I had our massages in the hotel spa. They were amazing!! Mine went a little longer then his, and while that was happening, apparently Dale was going through the most stressful hour and a half of his life - but I'll let him tell you about that.

We went back to the hotel room and got ready for dinner. We went to dinner and as we had $100 to spend I thought it was fine to spend over that because it was basically "free" money! Whoops! Haha!

We went back to the room and I said I was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Dale said we should watch the 9pm fireworks and go for a walk on the beach. I said we could just go to sleep and set an alarm to 11:50, watch the midnight fireworks and go back to sleep.  Dale was SO persistent that we go for a walk on the beach that eventually I gave in.

While we were out, our friends Luke and Kylie that were coincidently staying at the coast came to our room (Dale had given them a key while my massage took an extra hour and a half). They scattered rose petals and put candles that Dale had given them in a path from the hotel door to the balcony. Dale and I got back to the room at 11:50. As soon as we opened the door my heart started to race but, Dale is always pretty romantic on NYE (it's our thing) so I didn't want to get my hopes up - I mean I had been waiting 9 years and we had just come back from PARIS and nothing so I tried to stay calm!! We went out onto the balcony where there were more candles and rose petals. It sounds corny but it was literally like a movie, Dale got on one knee with a box in his hands and said some very romantic / funny things and finished with "will you marry me?" I cried and hugged him and as soon as I said yes fireworks went off! It was PERFECT!!  After a few seconds I said "Wait, was there even a raffle?" He said "No there was no raffle!"

Turns out he had planned the whole thing! Right down to sending the "prize pack" from the other side of town to ensure the post office's stamp seemed legit!

This time he DID surprise me!! And it was all PERFECT! :-) 

We are getting married on the 29th of March 2014 - our 10 year anniversary! :-)