A young man asked a woman to be his girlfriend by hanging a handwritten message on a bedsheet from a bridge. Liam Slade, 25, organized the romantic surprise for Grace Woodman, 24, after the couple started dating in March. He used spray paint from Grace's father to write the message and fastened the banner with cable ties on a bridge above the A41 in Bicester, Oxfordshire, a route they often travel together.
Grace's Reaction
Grace, a recruitment consultant from Bicester, described the gesture on May 3 as a "very easy yes." She said: "We were in the car and he was smiling so I knew something was going on and he just said 'look up' and there it was - it was a very easy yes. He is such a sweetheart, it was a really lovely surprise. I did wonder if the question was coming but I didn't expect it to be like that. He is very generous and kind that's what I love about him. Hopefully I can make him as happy as he makes me."
Spur of the Moment Idea
Liam, from Kidlington, said he decided on the idea "spur of the moment" after noticing the bridge during his regular drives. With the help of Grace's sister Eva, they created the banner and tested it several times to ensure it was visible. "It was a spur-of-the-moment. I drive past that bridge a lot throughout the week, me and Grace drive through it a lot. And I just thought, 'why not?'" He added: "I took Grace's sister, Eva, to the bridge, and we put up the sign together, and we did a couple of test runs, drove around it quite a few times to make sure it was right. The first couple of times, you couldn't really read it because the wind was blowing it up. So we had to reinforce it with more cable. I think we went round there about eight or nine times, just to double check that it was ok."
Public Reaction
Liam noted that many people honked at him and Eva, and the sign went viral on Facebook. "Then we went back to Grace's house. I picked Grace up and the rest is history. I said, 'I need you to come out with me I've got something to show you'. I don't think she really had any idea of what was going on then I presented it and she was a bit blown away, really."
Liam's Feelings
Liam knew from early on he wanted Grace as his partner. He said: "We're living in a world where there's so much hate and so much sadness. People don't do big gestures like that anymore and it's important for me, especially for Grace. She came to me at a point in my life where it was very unexpected, and I suppose you could say I was not in the best of places, and she was a real light in a dark moment for me. She has become one of my top priorities. She is very important to me. We are very happy and I'm really blessed."
Future Plans
Regarding a possible wedding proposal, Liam admitted he has set the bar "too high" and must "up his game." He explained: "Now I've got to really up my game again. I've set the bar too high, that's the problem. I'm glad that it went well. There was all sorts of things that could potentially go wrong. What if it fell down, and all that sort of stuff, but we did it and I didn't expect all the traction from it, but actually, it's quite nice."
