Bride-to-be says ‘yes’ at surprise marriage proposal

Oyez, oyez – pray silence for a wedding proposal with a difference which took place outside a King’s Lynn hotel last Sunday.The ceremonial hand bell was rung as businessman Jon Smith got down on bended knee and asked Anna Hall to marry him outside the Duke’s Head Hotel in the Tuesday Market Place in front of family, friends and work colleagues.Jon devised the marriage proposal plan and asked Norwich City Town Crier Bob Lloyd to help him make it an occasion to remember for his bride to be. Bob was only too pleased to be part of the special occasion and said it was the first time he had been asked to be part of a marriage proposal.

Jon said Anna, a director with Lynn solicitors Ward Gethin Archer, had said she wanted a quiet wedding but he decided the proposal didn’t need to be such a quiet occasion.The couple, who live in North Wootton, have been together for around 13 years and met when Jon was purchasing property in the area and Anna acted as his solicitor.Jon said Anna had already chosen an engagement ring earlier this year but he had yet to formally ask for her hand in marriage. “We talked about it but I always said we are fine as we are but later I started to understand it better, particularly from a woman’s point of view,” said Jon.“In February we were out and looking at jewellery and Anna chose an engagement ring but I had not asked her if she would marry me and she has been waiting for me to ask.” And the occasion turned out to be a big surprise although Jon said Anna knew something was going on but didn’t know what.The market place was busy as Sunday was Folk in the Town with bands playing on stage and lots of people watching.Before making his proposal Jon had a word the with organisers of the folk event and they readily agreed to stop the music at 4pm when he planned to make the proposal. “Then someone announced on the microphone that something was going to happen outside the Duke’s Head Hotel and they believed it was a proposal but luckily enough Anna didn’t hear it. Then the town crier walked up in full regalia, rang his bell and went into his speech. Then it was over to me to do the proposal.”And he said Anna had no hesitation in saying ‘yes’.He said there were a few laughs because the box with the ring was too big for his pocket and so he put it in his sock for safe keeping.“I was paranoid I was going to lose the ring. I got this box out of my sock and sang two lines of a song and then presented the ring,” he said. “I think she was taken aback when the town crier came out. After the proposal the town crier did another speech which I had written about our first dates and a couple of things we had done together,” said Jon adding the couple are planning next year to tour Northumbria with Jon’s 10-year-old son Tayler and their dog, and head to Gretna Green for a quiet wedding.“I was really surprised it went seamlessly,” said Jon, a former whole-time firefighter with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, who went on stage and thanked the Folk in the Town organisers and audience for their support and invited everyone to join them in a drink!Anna, 44, who is based at Ward Gethin Archer’s North Lynn office, said the proposal was a “lovely surprise”“It was a surprise when the town crier turned up. I was surprised with just all the people being there but then the town crier turned up. It was really lovely.”