Today Graeme and I celebrate the FOURTH anniversary of our engagement, despite being married for almost 16 years!

Always known as someone who went out and chased what I wanted, on the 29^th February 2008, tired of waiting, I proposed to Graeme, but despite it being a perfect moment, it was not the one I had planned.

There are loads of folklore around women proposing on a Leap Year, including that Queen Margaret of Scotland passed a new law in 1288, allowing women to proposed to men on a leap year, but they had to wear a red petticoat, and men were fined if they didn’t accept…sign me up.

I’d read the stories and managed, miraculously to find myself a red petticoat. Graeme and I were scheduled to travel to Spain, a place that was special to us, so I had it all planned. I’d written my speech, including popping the question in Spanish, and had arranged a plane to fly overhead with a banner asking for his hand, don’t let anyone ever tell you I’m not a big romantic. Everything was set, apart from I’d not planned for my future husband’s penchant for changing plans at the last minute. With about a week to go before the trip, Graeme announced we weren’t going to Spain anymore, we were going to New York!

Although the short notice schedule changes have become commonplace, back then I’d yet to become accustomed to them, so major panic set in. I wanted it to be perfect, but if I couldn’t make it happen, I’d have to wait another four years for my next chance at a leap year proposal.

A few frantic hours later and I’d stood down the Spanish pilot and planned the most romantic sunset trip to the top of the Empire State Building where I’d get down on one knee…it might have been Plan B, but it was going to be perfect.

The night before the big day, still trying to hide my red petticoat in my suitcase, I was starting to get a bit nervous, until Graeme proclaimed we’d be going up the Empire State Building first thing in the morning because he “hates queueing”! Brilliant, onto Plan C.

Despite a few confused looks from Graeme as I pulled on my red petticoat, done my hair and put on a face of make-up, for an 8am trek through the streets of Manhattan, we got there in the end, I asked the love of my life to Marry me, and of course he said yes.

In these few weeks the soon-to-be Mr C prepared me for a lifetime as his Wife; last minute changes of plans, travelling to the other side of the World in a moments notice, and never knowing what the next day was going to bring. We lead big businesses together, all around the World, so hectic is our usual state. Things don’t always go the way you planned, but you’ve got to find a way to make it work and still get what you want out of it, whilst looking for the upside.

… and the upside of a trip to New York was that it has really quite a good Diamond District, where we met an amazing jeweller who we’ve remained friends with ever since.

I’m always glad I took the leap.