A self-described “previous romantic” took his girlfriend on a thriller vacation to Barbados, the place he shocked her with a shock proposal adopted by a totally organised wedding ceremony simply three days later.
Adam Blakey, 40, from Blackpool in Lancashire, whisked away his girlfriend of seven years, Victoria, 41, to the Caribbean island of Barbados in April, convincing her the journey was to have a good time his fortieth birthday, when in actuality he had organised a proposal and wedding ceremony with out his spouse’s data.
The entrepreneur kicked off the surprises earlier than their Barbados journey at Manchester Airport the place he introduced alongside Victoria’s dad and mom who had not left the nation for greater than 15 years, and continued the theme when he and Victoria shocked their shut family and friends with their secret marriage once they arrived dwelling.
Adam selected Barbados to honour Victoria’s Caribbean heritage and proposed to her whereas surrounded by roses positioned in a coronary heart form on the seaside outdoors their lodge, earlier than marrying in the identical location simply days later.
Adam, who was beforehand married, had deliberate to marry Victoria sooner, however mentioned finalising papers for his divorce took seven years, which was not helped by the coronavirus pandemic.
He added that he felt the necessity to take the burden of wedding ceremony planning off his associate’s shoulders as a thanks for her endurance.
Adam, who began planning the marriage in early January 2024, only a week after his divorce was finalised, mentioned: “I at all times knew that I wished to marry her, however the matter of marriage was a tough dialog, and she or he was so affected person about it.
“I used to be attempting to reassure her (the divorce) was prolonged attributable to issues in it, however she was so affected person with the entire course of that it made me love her much more.
“I didn’t wish to be in a protracted, drawn (out) engagement for years and years the place she’s going to attend for her dream wedding ceremony as a result of she’s already ready.
“I wished to plan the entire wedding ceremony for her so that each one she has to do is mainly say sure, after which every little thing from there occurs.”
Adam managed to maintain his plans underneath wraps from Victoria as yearly he organises a shock vacation for them the place his spouse by no means is aware of the vacation spot, and on this event, he additionally blindfolded her so he may deliver her dad and mom to the airport in secret.
“She thought she was going away in April for my fortieth birthday,” he defined.
“I’m a little bit of an previous romantic so I at all times take her away, however she by no means is aware of the place she’s going.
“After we really went away, she wasn’t shocked by the truth that she didn’t know as a result of for seven years that’s all we’ve accomplished, and we’ve travelled and accomplished some loopy stuff.
“After we bought to the airport she was blindfolded and she or he genuinely thought it was simply a part of the method. She didn’t consider something like that.
“She took the blindfold off and she or he noticed her mum and pop on the airport and she or he completely freaked out.”
Adam organised for his spouse’s dad and mom to affix them in Barbados, which Victoria described as “one of the best shock you may ever do in your entire life”.
“All of us have been sitting there considering, ‘simply wait a few days’,” Adam mentioned.
Adam and Victoria loved a day of swimming with sea turtles, seeing shipwrecks and using a catamaran earlier than Adam’s sea illness and nerves set in main as much as the proposal on April 14 – the identical day as his fortieth birthday.
He bought down on one knee on the seaside surrounded by roses formed like a coronary heart, saying: “We have been strolling alongside, it was all lit up and all the lights have been positioned in order that it actually made the center form pop.
“All of the candles have been actually romantic, the ocean was only a good stage – it wasn’t too shut in, however you may hear it within the background.
“The metal drummers have been enjoying on the aspect, so it sounded nice and it was simply completely good. It was like one thing from a movie. It was magical.”
Whereas the proposal could have taken Victoria without warning, the actual fact Adam had already deliberate the marriage to happen days later prompted extra shock.
“Within the wedding ceremony proposal I mentioned, ‘Look, I’ve been planning this entire factor for the final three months and our entire wedding ceremony day in two days’ time’ after which she simply freaks out,” he mentioned.
“However she’s in on the plan then.”
Initially, Adam wished to marry his associate in the future after the proposal, on April 15, however was suggested by a neighborhood wedding ceremony costume store he wanted time to accommodate for Victoria’s alterations.
The couple as a substitute married on the identical seaside in an intimate ceremony with Victoria’s dad and mom and round 15 friends from the lodge, who heard concerning the shock wedding ceremony and wished to affix, on April 17.
Adam mentioned: “The craziest factor that occurred over there, consider it or not, was on the day of the marriage. Her nan’s favorite music was Someplace Over The Rainbow, so we had that enjoying on the metal drums as she was strolling down the aisle.
“Barbados that day had a solar halo. They’ve by no means had one earlier than. It’s an ideal rainbow across the solar, which was simply loopy and that’s what she walked down the aisle to. It was simply meant to be, clearly.
“It was simply unimaginable, all of us couldn’t consider it.”
Adam joked he had created a “shock inside a shock” for the couple’s return, as he had organised a celebration with their shut family and friends underneath the guise of it being his fortieth birthday celebrations, earlier than revealing their marriage.
He mentioned: “I deliberate a giant shock fortieth birthday for me. I bought my dad and mom and her dad and mom concerned to plan.
“Everybody was considering they have been coming to my fortieth in addition to Vic’s birthday, however then we walked in and shocked them with really being married.
“It was like a shock inside a shock inside a shock, which is simply loopy.”
The couple, who’ve been collectively for seven years, met on Tinder, and Adam knew early on he wished to marry Victoria.
He mentioned: “She was my ‘Tinderella’, she at all times says.
“I knew I wished to marry her from day one, genuinely. I used to be head over heels and it simply labored. When you already know, you already know.”
Recognising she wouldn’t be capable of witness the planning of her personal wedding ceremony, Adam additionally filmed each stage of the method for her.
“As a result of she wasn’t concerned within the planning levels, which she’s very grateful for as a result of it’s so irritating, I wished to report the entire thing for her so she may watch it again and see each step from me going to ask her mum and pop’s permission, to going into the ring store, fits, and every little thing in between,” he mentioned.
The couple have since shared their movies on TikTok, with one video about their dad and mom’ response to the shock incomes practically 40,000 views.
To seek out out extra, go to: www.tiktok.com/@thesecretweddinghq.
“If cash was by no means an object, we’d like to reward another person the reward of a secret wedding ceremony,” mentioned Adam.
