Goatee

John and Alison met in February 2006, when he pulled up stakes in Canada and moved to London, hoping to find a job and a place to live. Fortuitously, he found a spare room in a London flat with two American girls. Alison had been in England for a year and a half when John moved into the spare room. She thought he was a terrific flatmate and a great cook, but shame about the goatee...

Alison

Cut to April, when a well-timed foot-rub and a bit of shaving finally convinced her that a lifetime of home-cooked meals may not be such a bad thing. John moved to Maidenhead in July to start his job, but living apart proved to be too trying and way too costly in train tickets, so in September Alison moved in with him.

In April 2008, after two years of dating and some not-so-subtle hints on Alison's part about moving things along, John managed to surprise her with a proposal. They had planned to go to their favorite Mexican restaurant in a nearby town for John's birthday. Having arrived a bit early, John suggested they go for a stroll by the Thames. Alison was not keen on this suggestion, as it was drizzling and she wanted to go to the pub, but she agreed, albeit with some pouting. As soon as they were alone, John got down on one knee amidst a flock of swans and popped the question. After a shocked and slightly teary acceptance, Alison put on the ring and proceeded to share the good news with everyone in sight, which unfortunately at that moment was limited to two middle-aged English couples, both of whom seemed quite frightened to be spoken to by a slightly disheveled and overexcited American stranger.

JohnAlison