Just heard that a friend of mine got proposed to mid-air during a 13,000 foot parachute jump over the plains of Offaly…
How about that for the height of romance!
The daring fellow, ‘John’ we’ll call him, had the cunning plan finely executed and planned down to the finest detail. He whisked his bride-to-be away for the day on a mysterious trip, only announcing decisively in the car half way to the Offaly skydiving centre , “We’ll be doing a skydive today Mary.”His lady love was terrified, but also thrilled, as it was a secret life long ambition of hers to jump out of a plane.
John was nervous; he was dearly hoping that he would be able to pop the question once the parachutes were released, that the combined skills of the tandem instructors, weather conditions and fate would bring them together at one point during the descent. The instructors had warned him that this was unlikely, and advised him instead to propose on solid ground. Lo and behold, luck was on the side of the couple, and shortly after the adrenaline rush of freefall, when their parachutes had opened, they drifted towards eachother. John had less than 45 seconds to utter the fateful words before the wind conditions would pull them apart again.
“Will you marry me?”, he asked as they both floated gently towards the flat fields of Offaly. She said yes. The bottle of champagne, which John had organised, was chilling nicely in a bucket of ice waiting to be popped by the ecstatic couple at the landing area.They were then joined in a toast by the other recently landed skydivers.
With all the talk of bailouts, recessions and interest rake hikes, it is refreshing to hear this uplifting tale of romance, intrigue, adrenaline and chivalry of the 21st century kind. John imagined a marriage proposal of the most exhilarating and extravagant variety, and set about making it happen- to great success.
The picture above (taken by one of the skydivers!) captures the moment of the proposal.
