Emma & Amy's Ying & Yang Beach Engagement

Where: Bideford, Devon

Theme: Yin and Yang & Skull

Photographer: Mrs Jutson Wedding Photography

Emma and Amy's engagement was more than a pledge of love - it was life affirming. Emma shares her side of the storyand talks about coming out, the death of her best friend, and meeting the love of her life.

I met Amy in April 2015 on plenty of fish. I instantly loved her, but my family were still coming to terms with me being gay so kept it to myself for a while. Coming out is never easy, and my family were amazing, however it was still alot for them to get thier heads around. I explained this to Amy and she insisted everything will be fine and she will fix it. After just a month of dating Amy, something happened to devastate my world. My best friend and practically my sister, Katie, died suddenly in a car crash. Fact is I've met the love of my life and she has changed everything. When I found out we were at a festival in Newquay, my parents still didn't know about Amy. At 1AM I recived a phone call from the police. I was mortified. Amy rang my parents, explained what happened, bundled me in the car and drove me 8 hours through the night to Yorkshire, where my parents lived. I couldnt function. I do not remember any of this night past getting the phone call. I felt like my world had ended. All I wanted was my mum and Amy made that happen for me. This was the first time Amy met my parents and instantly it was all ok. They loved her and she loved them. It was bitter sweet for me though. Everything that I ever wanted was happening for me, but I couldn't be happy. My best friend had just died.

On 24th July 2016 (my birthday) Amy, took me away to Bideford for the night. Little did I know that she had a custom made ring, from Philadelphia, which she ordered in February and she was going to propose. Marriage, on coming out, was something I had accepted would never happen for me. My family would never get their head round it. But since meeting Amy everything changed for me." "Over 6 months she and her dad had made light up carnival letters spelling 'Marry Me'. Amy's dad delivered them and set them up when we were at dinner. I had a lush day, but right at the last minute Amy asked me to come outside with her. When I went outside, she was on one knee with the carnival letters spelling out her intention! It was the most amazing and mind blowing surprise.

Of course I said yes!! Next was to tell the world, but mainly my family. They are everything for me, and I was confident but worried as none of this has been easy for them. I then find out from Amy that everyone knew about it. She had called my parents for permission, they were all in on it! :)

I tried to push her away, I told her to leave and that I would never be the same again. But she refused. She stood my me through some awful times. For a relationship of just 1 month to stand this test, I knew.

Amy has taught me to live my life for me. Something Katie always tried to teach me but I never listened. I see so many character traits in Amy that Katie had. I just know that they would have loved each other. The ways in which Amy has supported me through everything is mind blowing. I will never know how such a patient, caring, loving and beautiful soul even exists, never mind in my life as my finance.

Now we are getting married on 10th August 2017, in front of all my family and friends and have Katie's Niece as my bridesmaid. Our amazingly talented wedding photographer Mrs Jutson and wedding stylist from The Wedding Hub in Plymouth has captured us' perfectly. We are getting married at Ocean Kave and have a yin yang/ skull theme through out.

I can't wait to marry Amy! I'm so lucky it's unreal! I don't no what I did to deserve her. But I now thank the lord that I'm gay,because of her.