After a romantic Fiji proposal, Nelson couple Livvi Lloyd and Michael Samuels are now preparing for their big day, which included a visit to Sunday’s The Wedding Show at Melrose.
The event brought together a selection of hand-picked wedding industry professionals, at Melrose House, to help local love birds plan their perfect wedding.
Livvi and Michael met at Nayland College in 2007, he in his last year while Livvi was year 11.
Two years after becoming friends they were dating and will celebrate eight years together this August.
The proposal came while on their anniversary holiday in Fiji. “We’d booked the holiday six months out,” says Livvi. “And pretty much from that date I was looking for rings,” says Michael.
“I was going to wait until the last day [of the holiday] because that was our anniversary but I was just too nervous the whole time so I just had to get it out of the way.”
After the pair had been for a swim on their second day of the holiday, Livvi was taking a nap and Michael was sitting on the bed, “I was way too nervous so I got down on one knee and woke her up.”
Livvi says Michael pulled her arm to wake her up. “I was very tired and cranky, not expecting it at all. I see him getting down on one knee and he asked me and I sort of had that moment where you clam up, my breath in my throat got stuck. But it was sweet that way because it was so unexpected and it was very us, very chilled out.”
Michael described it as the “most uncomfortable thing with the most comfortable person”.
The pair kept the engagement secret until they got home and things “got intense”.
With the wedding set for February next year, the pair already have some key things organised, but enjoyed the chance to look around the exhibitors on Sunday.
Yvonne Bowater from Melrose Society says The Wedding Show at Melrose was their inaugural event and was created to showcase the historic house and local businesses in the wedding industry.
“Even with the rain, we were very pleased with the numbers and received some awsome positive comments,” says Yvonne.
All funds raised through the show will go towards Melrose House.
