Joy for couple who got engaged during Lincoln Christmas Market

Lincoln Christmas Market attracted over 300,000 people, but for two in particular it was a visit never to forget after a certain question was popped.

Kie Middleton, 49, met Sam Stow, 35, through a friend in June last year and the couple live together in New Holland near Barton-upon-Humber in North Lincolnshire.

Scunthorpe-born Kie told The Lincolnite he had been planning the proposal for months and he wanted to cherish every moment when he asked Sam to marry him in front of the big Christmas tree outside Lincoln Cathedral.

Kie, who works as a tank farm operative for Brocklesby in North Cave, waited especially for the Lincoln Christmas Market to ask the all important question, while wearing a festive Santa hat, during the evening of Friday, December 2.

He said: “I’ve been going to the market for about 10 years and it was Sam’s second visit. We love the market and plan on coming every year, it’s the best market by far.

“I took her there last Christmas and she loved it, especially the Cathedral, so I thought it was the best place as when we visit every year it will bring back special memories. We plan on adding a message on the tree each year.

“Neither of us has been married before so I want every memory to be as special as possible for her. I had my sister Katie and brother-in-law Duane with me, and her best friend Laura, to make it more special for her. I was nervous, but confident she would say yes.

“I told her I loved her more than anything and wanted to spend the rest of my life taking care of her and then I took the ring out of my pocket. I went down on one knee and asked her to be my wife and placed the ring on her hand.”

A Christmas ‘s-elfie’ on a day Kie and Sam will never forget.

Obviously, Sam said a “massive yes followed by the biggest hug ever”, but Kie joked that had she said no “there was plenty of mulled wine stalls to drown my sorrows.”

When asked about the future and plans for the wedding, Kie wittily replied: “I think that’s best left to Sam and her best friend Laura…I’ll just need instructions and an address.”

Kie and Sam have already created a lot of special memories together.

Sam, who works at the Co-op store on Market Place in Barrow-upon-Humber, said: “We spoke many times before about marriage, but I always thought it would be well into the New Year, so for it to have happened now was a huge surprise.

“I absolutely love Christmas so for Kie to have done it at the Christmas Market was a fabulous surprise. It was perfectly planned by Kie and our friends and family.”

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