Dubai: An ‘ugly Christmas sweater’ party – a common holiday season celebration – at a painting workshop in Dubai last week turned into an engagement surprise as a Dubai resident fell to his knees and proposed to his lady love.
Masterpiece
Art community We Love Art founder Denise Schmitz who organised the event at Iris Dubai, said the workshop participants, who had turned up in their not-so-pretty Christmas sweaters, were required to colour American artist Thomas Kinkade’s A Night Before Christmas masterpiece, an outline of which had been provided to them.
She said, “As the others busied themselves over the next three hours, one South African man, Colin Jordon, 28, decided to add a little extra to his festive scene. He put four little words in his blue and purple sky. When he was done, he asked his lady love Cara Bezuidenhout, 26, who was also attending the workshop, to take a look at his work. And that’s when Cara, also from South Africa, saw the four words: Will you marry me?” Schmitz said Jordon then went down on his knees, pulled out a ring and proposed to Cara who broke into tears of joy.
“I have no words to describe that moment. I was in total shock and disbelief. What struck me was the sheer simplicity of the gesture. Colin knew me well enough to understand that I did not like extravagance,” said Cara.
Colin said, “I hadn’t heard of anyone extending a marriage proposal at a painting workshop, so I wanted to do it. It was nerve-wracking at first, but it was a very special and unique occasion. It was really exciting.”
Schmitz said it was a special evening with games, Christmas treats and a prize for the ugliest Christmas sweater. But there was no denying Colin and his fiancee stole the show.
