Former Big Brother contestant from St Ives to help men pop the question
From the Proposal Agency are (l-r) Chrissy Johnston and Arron Lowe - Credit: Archant
LACKLUSTRE marriage proposals may be a thing of the past now that a couple from St Ives are offering a proposal planning service – and they are currently filming the pilot of a reality TV show for a major network about it.
Celebrity agent and PR professional Chrissy Johnston, 39, and her partner Arron Lowe, pictured, 24, a model and a Big Brother 2012 reality TV star, co-founded The Proposal Agency in December last year after spotting a gap in the market.
Although they may be popular in the US and Europe, there are only a handful of similar agencies in this country.
Chrissy said she was inspired to help men or women plan the perfect proposal for their partner after receiving two dismal marriage proposals herself.
She said: “I have been married twice before and both proposals were shocking. There was no imagination – the first one literally just said to me ‘Shall we get married? Let’s go and buy a ring’. I said yes regardless.
“The second time we had an argument and I hadn’t seen him for a few days. He asked to meet me and then he just proposed outside a pub. I said no first of all and then he kept asking, so I said ‘okay, we’ll do it’.”
With Chrissy’s background in events management, Arron suggested that she could start a business to help men and women avoid the pitfalls of her past proposals.
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They are also filming a pilot of a reality TV show about the business for a major network.
While Chrissy’s favourite proposal so far is a romantic proposal on a boat, Arron’s top choice is a little wackier. For two ardent fans of The Walking Dead, Chrissy and Arron organised their very own zombie apocalypse.
Chrissy said: “The zombies surrounded the doors and the windows and then the partner opened the door, did a fake scream, and they all came rushing in.
“The girl essentially recognised that it was a fun thing. She was laughing and then he got down on one knee.”
To date they have organised 19 proposals with an average budget of around £1,500, although customers have spent anything from £300 to £15,000 on their special proposal day.
Assisted by events director Paula Seabourne-Pearson, the couple feel that by working together, they can create the perfect proposal.
Arron said: “We offer a unique male and female perspective on romance and proposal ideas.
“I can understand how stressful planning a marriage proposal must be for a man because you would just want it to be amazing and memorable, while Chrissy understands what women want and appreciate.”
Chrissy added: “The most rewarding thing for us is knowing that we are involved in something really happy. It’s such a lovely feeling and they are so grateful.”
INFORMATION: The Proposal Agency is based at Spinney Way, St Ives. Visit www.theproposalagency.co.uk
