Video: Isle of Sheppey beauty queen Rachael Abbott gives up crown and accepts boyfriend's proposal
Joe Tipton proposed to
Rachael Abbott at the Sheppey Carnival Court selection ceremony
by Lewis Dyson
Moments after a beauty queen gave up her Miss Sheppey
crown, she received a new title – fiancee.
Rachael Abbott thought boyfriend Joe Tipton had gone to work and
would miss out on her standing down as the 2012 winner at
a selection dance for the new carnival court.
Instead, he had been waiting for two hours in the car park to
make his proposal.
Stacey Alliston-Green, a friend of the couple of Unity
Street, Sheerness, announced Joe was sorry he could not be there
but he had recorded a message.
He started singing Michael Buble's Everything on a microphone in
the corridor, before he emerged to applause from the crowded room
at Bonds Sports and Social Club, Sheerness.
The 22-year-old planned for four months to get down on one knee
at that point because one of the rules states the carnival queen
cannot be engaged or married.
His romantic gesture was recorded by a friend before
being posted online and viewed by hundreds of people.
Video: Romantic Joe
Tipton serenades Rachael Abbott before proposing
Mr Tipton, who has dated Miss Abbott for four years, said: "She
is my soul mate. I just thought the timing was right.
"I was so nervous just waiting for the right moment, but the
response I got from the crowd spurred me on."
Miss Abbott, 20, said: "Everyone started clapping and I saw my
mum get a video recorder out and all of a sudden girls started
screaming and he came out. He was in his little suit, bless
him.
"It was the most romantic moment of my life."
Miss Abbott added that he had even gone to the length of
getting his colleagues at McDonald's, Sittingbourne Retail Park, to
make his shift rota online show he was working that day.
The future Mrs Tipton said she was recognised in Tesco,
Sheerness, on Monday, after the video of the proposal was
shared on Facebook.
19/03/13
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