Moment couple get engaged at Glastonbury Festival

Media caption,

The Ministry of Happy helped Mr Wilson surprise Ms Lawrence with the proposal

  • Published

A couple who got engaged at Glastonbury Festival say they are "still riding the high".

James Wilson, 36, popped the question to his long-term girlfriend Maria Lawrence, 34, on Wednesday during an interactive theatre show with performance artists, Ministry of Happy, who were in on the plan.

Ms Lawrence, from Kent, was blindfolded under the ruse that it was part of the show, but when she removed the blindfold Mr Wilson was down on one knee.

“I woke up this morning and looked at my hand to check the ring was still there. It felt like such a blur," she said.

The couple, who have been together for five years, said Glastonbury Festival was the "perfect place" to get engaged.

This was their fifth time attending the festival with a large group of friends.

“As soon as he knew everyone had got tickets in the resale in November, he started planning. Everyone was in on it," said Ms Lawrence.

The group had been walking across the festival site when they came across the Ministry of Happy in the Theatre and Circus fields, all dressed in bright yellow.

“We were wearing yellow too, which my friends had coordinated," Ms Lawrence said.

"I tried to push my friend into the show but she shoved me in and said ‘no, no, you go’. I had no idea what was about to happen.

"After they took the blindfold off I opened my eyes and they glazed over for a second.

"I thought ‘what is happening, he’s on his knees?’ I looked up and saw my friends crying."

Image source, Simon Steele
Image caption,

The pair got engaged with the help of Glastonbury performers

Mr Wilson, from Weston-super-Mare, said he had chosen to propose at Glastonbury because the couple had lots of "special memories" associated with the festival.

“Glastonbury brings us together, we always have a good time there," he said.

"It just felt like the perfect place to do it."

Ms Lawrence said it was too early to talk about concrete wedding plans but "it will definitely be something around music".

“Both me and my partner love live music so it will definitely have bands and a festival vibe, because that’s just what we’re like,” she said.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook, external and X, external. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.