From ends of the Earth to say Katie, be mine
AROMANTIC boyfriend travelled 10,000 miles to pop the question – with a 100ft-high proposal drawn on a Welsh beach.
Caleb Jellicoe, 21, made his beach proposal to Katie Frank, 20, with the enormous message in the sand.
The couple travelled from their home in Australia to visit family in Wales – where Caleb had secretly enlisted a sand artist to help him propose.
He then led Katie on a romantic clifftop walk before pointing out the giant artwork on the beach below and getting down on one knee.
And when Katie looked down she saw the words: “Katie Jane Frank. Will you marry me?”
The proposal was the work of sand artist Marc Treanor, 53, who had carved the message at Mwnt, Ceredigion.
Caleb said: “I wanted my proposal to be something Katie would never forget and I don’t think she ever will. She had no idea I was going to ask her to marry me.
“I drove Katie down to the beach and she had no idea. We walked along the clifftop and when we looked over at the beach there was my message looking up at us.
“She was in shock and was completely speechless.
“It was very wet and blowing a gale but it didn’t spoil the moment. It was lovely.
“We’d travelled 10,000 miles from New South Wales to visit my greatgrandparents in Wales. They are amazing and have been married for 69 years.
“I wanted my proposal to be very special and when I saw some of Marc’s designs on YouTube I knew I wanted my proposal on a beach. Together we secretly drew up a design for Marc to draw.”
Plumber Caleb, 21, from Tallong, New South Wales, scouted remote beaches across Wales for the perfect proposal spot.
Katie, who works for the fire service, said: “I had absolutely no idea Caleb was going to propose. He just said we were going for a walk on a beach.
“I remember as we walked along the cliff I saw my name. At first it didn’t register – I was just baffled to see my name until I read it all.
“Then I turned around and Caleb was down on his knee. I couldn’t even speak I was so overwhelmed. It was so beautiful and it completely blew me away.
“I wouldn’t say Caleb is normally a romantic so it was a total surprise but I thought it was wonderful he made such a big effort.
“We haven’t even told our parents yet as Caleb wanted it all to be a secret. We are so happy and I just can’t wait to be his wife.”
Sand artist Marc uses string and a stick like compasses to create perfect circles and always sketches out his design before heading to the beach.
He said: “If I can draw it on paper I will be able to draw it on sand. When you are on the beach you can’t get any sense of it at all. People enjoy the process but don’t have any idea of what it looks like until they can get up and look down on it.
“Map-reading skills are very useful. Before sat nav, when you were planning a journey you would visualise where you were going to drive. Left there, then turn right etc. It is similar when I am working on the beach.”