Charlotte Ward, from Salisbury was rocked to her ski socks when her childhood sweetheart and partner of three years got down on one knee and proposed in deep snow, at the top of Europe’s highest ski area, while battling a skiing injury.
The moment was captured by close friends as chartered surveyor Kyle Hill, 26, fought against the pain and dropped onto one knee to propose to 25-year-old nurse Charlotte at the top of Cimes Caron, during the couple’s Ski Beat ski holiday to Val Thorens, France.
Charlotte said: “To say I was surprised, is an understatement! We got back together three years ago, after first dating when we were 13. Kyle has always been very caring and romantic towards me, but kept the proposal a secret, even enlisting a close friend to take the ring through airport security.
“Unfortunately, he had broken his collar bone during the first two hours of our ski holiday, and friends were worried that he might not be able to go through with his high-altitude plan. Instead, he discarded his sling so that he could open the ring box and fought through the pain to propose to me at the top of the mountain.”
Ski Beat chalet staff were in on the secret, baked a celebration cake, decorated the couple’s ski chalet home for the week, Chalet Loup Blanc in Val Thorens, and opened bubbly for the group of 20 ski friends to celebrate the mountain top proposal.
Charlotte wrote to Ski Beat on her return, to say: “Thank you to our chalet host Josephine. She made our engagement super special. Organised a cake, a congratulations sign, chocolate and bubbly for the group. Despite my partner’s injury, she helped make the engagement possible. Super special holiday and memory and I cannot thank her enough for celebrating with us in our special moment.”
Ski Beat’s Laura Hazell said: “They are a lovely couple, and we were delighted to help them make their day even more special, especially after Kyle’s fall. It was such a joy when disaster turned to delight for the group, and we could not be happier for Charlotte and Kyle.”
The newly engaged couple now plan a more local wedding, with a country-style barn theme once they have settled into the new home they have just bought together.
Charlotte added: “I will never forget our high-altitude moment of love on a mountain top and becoming the new Mrs Hill will be a forever reminder of that day.”
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