Proposal Stories: James & Tilly

Like most modern couples, James and Tilly started their romance on the dating app Hinge. They started chatting in January 2020, but the conversations quickly fizzled out. James reconnected a few months later, just before the world went into lockdown, and received a no-nonsense response from Tilly – ‘It’s my 30th birthday, I’m deleting this silly app and if you want to get in touch with me, here’s my number – if not, then have a nice life!’ A bit taken aback, James liked that Tilly appeared to be someone that could put him in his place and proceeded to message her. ‘Our lockdown relationship of 30 minute walks along the river at 2m apart began there,’ said James. ‘We were together 2 and a half years before I proposed, and we’ll be celebrating our first year of marriage in September 2024!’

Having always loved Italy, and being half Italian, James knew that when he found ‘the one’ that he wanted to propose in Lake Como. In July 2022, James secretly booked time off work with Tilly’s boss so he could whisk her away on a surprise trip to an unknown destination. ‘I told her a week before, by going to our favourite restaurant in London and having a card hand delivered to her, telling her we were going on a surprise trip,’ said James. Prior to the trip, James had been communicating with Grand Hotel Tremezzo to make sure the proposal went perfectly. ‘They helped handpick and organise everything, even down to the personalised 4-course menu and champagne,’ explained James.

‘I knew something fishy was going on,’ admitted Tilly. ‘James had taken me on a surprise holiday, which was a bit unusual, and then we stayed in the most amazing hotel in Tremezzo – it was all such a dream really. I remember being shown to our room and bursting out crying – I had never seen a room like it, let alone stayed somewhere so beautiful!’ Expecting the proposal to happen on the first night, Tilly was thrown off the scent, until the next day. ‘James didn’t eat anything all day, which was very unlike him,’ said Tilly. ‘That evening he had booked dinner at 7.30pm which I had complained was too early so promptly rang reception. They were in on the surprise and played along that 7.30pm was the only reservation available.’

Little did Tilly know what was awaiting her that evening, along a path lined with candles leading to a rose petal-scattered table in a secret garden overlooking Bellagio– the setting of her dream proposal. ‘The sheer realisation of what was happening on her face made all the stress (and money) worth it,’ said James. ‘We both cried (happy tears) and it was one of the best days of our lives.’ Tilly’s happy tears didn’t appear to stop: ‘I cried happy tears the whole night, just looking at my beautiful ring – feeling overwhelmed and so loved. I didn’t expect everything he had organised – but it was perfect.’

Tilly hadn’t been too discreet in her hints and ring preferences, so James had a good idea of the engagement ring style he was looking for when he arrived at Queensmith. ‘I had wanted to buy her a trilogy ring to represent the past, present and future,’ explained James. ‘I also knew I wanted to go big with the centre stone and, in my mind, this meant it had to be over 1 carat – which we managed to organise.’ Sparkle was very important to James too, deciding on a GIA Excellent-rated oval cut natural centre diamond with brilliant VS1 clarity and D-Colour. ‘The fact that I could personally pick all the diamonds was a huge plus for me, as I know that I can be quite fussy when it comes to the details,’ said James. ‘I would say this was a huge memory for me and really helped keep my nerves at bay!’

James also appreciated being able to see a CAD design and wax mockup of the ring before it was made, helping cement his decision and feel confident that his vision would be brought to life. In the end, he proposed with a custom Lamar Oval Trilogy with Pear Diamonds Engagement Ring in 18k Yellow Gold. ‘It’s modern, yet classic at the same time, and will never go out of style, which is why I chose it,’ explained James. ‘Overall I was blown away with the end product. Being something that will always be in our family, it will be great to look back on in years to come and tell the story from the beginning!’

For Tilly, she was proposed to with the ring she’d always dreamed of: ‘I adore my engagement ring! It’s just what I wanted – not that he didn’t have enough reference pictures. He did really, really well and I know he was very thorough in the consultation process to get it just right. It sparkles all the time and sometimes when I’m at home, in the office or on the train, it catches the light and I fall in love with it all over again.’

‘We loved my ring so much we purchased our wedding rings too, and the service was equally amazing,’ added Tilly. ‘I love the fact that I can call up and get an appointment if anything happens to my ring, I need it cleaned or to bring it in for a service.’

But of course, James and Tilly’s story doesn’t end there. The couple tied the knot not once, but twice, with two wedding celebrations: ‘One in the UK with close family and friends, and then a larger celebration in Marbella in September 2023,’ shared James. ‘It was the most amazing day, and we could not have asked for more. We got married at a venue called Finca La Concepcion which is in the Marbella hills, and was a totally outdoor ceremony and party. Everything from the flowers to the catering was perfect and if you’re wanting to get married abroad would 100% suggest a wedding planner! We also had a Day 2, where we hired out a beach club, a DJ and saxophonist to carry on the party and had the chance to speak to all our guests who had travelled out there.’

Having created the dream trilogy engagement ring and the perfect wedding rings for their big day, we’re so happy to have been a special part of this couple’s heartwarming love story. We wish them a very happy one year wedding anniversary for this September – and for all those to come in the future.