‘Our choir director welcomed Laurence on stage’
Joyce McCullough (53), from Belfast, is a customer service representative and is engaged to Laurence Edgar. She has one grown-up daughter, Lindsey. She says:
Laurence and I met in church and over a period of time got to know each other. We’ve been together for about five years now.
During that time, of course we have talked about the possibility of one day getting married.
We both have our own families so we’re quite cautious about commitments, but we did know that we were going to be together. I had no idea he was planning to propose, though.
I’m a member of the Belfast Community Gospel Choir, and we had our big Christmas bash on Sunday, December 10, at the Waterfront Hall.
Tickets for the event sell very quickly — I actually said to Laurence that if he wanted one, he needed to get it fast.
He eventually ended up with a single seat and had just decided to come on his own. That was fine.
So, the concert was in full swing and we were halfway through the first part when our director, Marie Lacey, announced that there was a very special surprise for someone, and then she welcomed Laurence on to the stage.
You could have knocked me down with a feather. Then it started to click and Laurence made a speech about our first date and then got down on one knee.
He said he had fallen in love with me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.
He had the ring and everything — platinum with three stones in a row and smaller diamonds down the sides.
Since we’ve just got engaged we haven’t made any plans yet — we’re just enjoying the moment.
Other people do things very quickly — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged much faster than us — but both of us are a bit longer in the tooth and have our families to think about. We have a good, full, happy life and we’re able to enjoy it together.”
Laurence Edgar (54) has two grown-up children, Claire and Simon. He says:
The Belfast Community Gospel Choir is like a big family for Joyce, so I always knew that when I proposed it would be at one of their concerts. I contacted Marie to talk about it and she said the next concert was going to be at the Waterfront — I was delighted and slightly awestruck because that’s a lot of people.
I had a few people round at Marie’s house to discuss the strategy — not many people in the choir knew what was happening.
I didn’t hear the first half of the concert at all because I was so nervous. At a particular song I knew it was my cue to leave my seat and go to the stage.
People in the auditorium were shouting out to me but I was trying to concentrate on Joyce. They kept telling me to get on my knee, but I knew the part of my speech where I wanted to kneel down.
Afterwards I couldn’t believe the compliments, handshakes and hugs that people gave me.”