Proposals are often well thought through and carry unforgettable memories of the moment that your partner finally gets down on one knee. However, one couple's experience was far from this as a woman unknowingly ruined her own proposal not once, but four times.
It was on Andy's fifth attempt that he was able to propose to his partner Frankie Clark without her ruining it. Frankie, 27, would unintentionally spoil the moment Andy, 39, was about to ask for her hand in marriage - from going to bed early or making jokes about him putting a ring on her finger.
Initially, Frankie, a personal trainer and trainee therapist, ruined the first moment that Andy was first going to get down on one knee when she swapped a day with him to hang out with some pals who were visiting from Ireland.
Then, Andy, an inverting operations manager, made plans to pop the important question on New Year's Eve. However, Frankie decided to head to bed early ahead of a singing gig she had the next day.
Jokingly, she shot down the idea of a proposal after she came off stage after the concert, claiming that it would 'would steal her thunder'.
Frankie from Morpeth, Northumberland, explained: "I said I wanted to go to bed early because I had a big singing gig the next day.
"I remember waking up at midnight and he was sat there - all grumpy," she added.
On his fourth attempt, Andy was about to pull out the ring during while the couple were taking self-timer photos on a walk before Frankie jumped in joking 'now would be a good time to propose'.
Finally, Andy was able to surprise Frankie on his fifth attempt. On January 6 2023, he officially asked his girlfriend's hand in marriage in Bamburgh, Northumberland.
Frankie said: "I was always making back-handed jokes about him putting a ring on my finger.
"I'd wiggle my finger him as he left for work. I didn't realise I had ruined his proposals four times.
"You can see in the photo on our walk on the fourth attempt he literally had his hand in his pocket on the ring. I ruined it by saying: 'If you want to propose, now would be a really good time'.
"On our walk when Andy did propose, I'd joked again saying: 'Shall I bring the tripod and not cut my nails if you're going to propose?'
She went on: "He snapped - so I felt really guilty and hit a nerve. But he didn't want me ruining another proposal. It was really special.
"We went for fizz afterwards and he told me all the attempts I had inadvertently ruined."
Meanwhile, Andy explained: "I was disappointed at first which quickly moved into hopelessness.
"I kept thinking this is never going to happen. I also asked myself if it was a sign it is not meant to be. But I'm no quitter.
"When I finally asked Frankie it felt really emotional. I knew it was the right time as the sun came out, wind dropped and it was just Frankie and I."
The couple started dating in May 2022 - shortly after they hit if off as next door neighbours.
Frankie would frequently hear Andy shouting at the football, which sparked the pair to message, and they've become 'inseparable' ever since.
Four months after dating, Andy moved into Frankie's apartment in and Frankie was so sure on her relationship that she wanted to make things official with an engagement.
"We'd talked about it, but Andy didn't want to rush things as he had been married before and didn't want things to wrong," Frankie said.
"I had the Amethyst stones ordered and everything, but Andy felt the pressure and I had the stones sent back," she said. "Little did I know, two months later, he had the ring ordered.
"I was still always making jokes like I'd make him a Sunday roast and say, 'marriage material'."
Frankie detailed the morning that Andy officially asked her to be his wife during a blustery walk on the beach.
She said: "I'd been really annoying him in the morning teasing about a proposal.
"But the sun came out as we were on the beach, and he turned to me all red-eyed and said: 'I love you and I can't imagine my life without you'.
"He got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I was like 'oh my god, it's happening'.
"I asked him at the restaurant how long he'd wanted to propose for, and he said: 'Frankie you've ruined four proposals'.
"But he knows it's typical me," she added.
The happily engaged couple plan to get married abroad in the next few years.
