Front and Central Station | A Bespoke Engagement Story

At Chisholm Hunter, we have been part of many special occasions, from birthdays, weddings, Christmas, but we've got to say, we love an engagement proposal! The excitement and nervous energy, the ring, and the way a person decides to propose makes popping that question even more exciting. We love hearing about your plans when you visit us in store, but this week we got to see the special moment for ourselves when James proposed to girlfriend Hannah at Glasgow Central Station, and everything was caught on camera on an episode of BBC Scotland's "Inside Central Station".

The Set Up

Proposals usually take time to plan, thinking of something special that means something to the couple, and with four months of planning, James knew how he was going to propose to girlfriend of six years, Hannah. When the couple first began seeing each other, James lived in England and would commute up to Scotland every weekend to visit Hannah. The couple would share many teary hellos and goodbyes under the clock at Glasgow's Central Station, so the location held many memories for the pair. Knowing the couples history of that spot, James knew it was the place to propose to Hannah.

The moment was all planned out. On the way back from a couples break in Manchester, James had organised with staff of the Scottish train station that on their arrival, the information board on the platform would display the message;

"Hannah Jane Fairlie, will you marry me?"

With BBC Scotland filming in the station for the third season of their show "Inside Central Station", the cameras were at the ready to capture every detail of this special moment. In another surprise for the couple, James and Hannah's families were all there to see the engagement for themselves, watching from Voco Grand Central Hotel, who's Champagne Bar windows look onto the platform. The stage was set for the perfect engagement.

In a statement about the proposal, Rosy Marshall-McCrae, executive producer of Inside Central Station, said:

As we see with each series, the Central Station foyer has been the scene of countless heart-warming moments over the years, but James' proposal has to be up there as one of the sweetest. When he told us what he was planning to do, we knew that it would make for an extremely special TV moment."

The Perfect Ring

While we know a proposal is all about the sentimentality and the right way to pop the question, the ring is also a huge part of the engagement. Luckily, James' cousin Emma has the insider knowledge of diamond rings as she is one of Chisholm Hunter's amazing store colleagues. James and Emma spent time looking through all styles and cuts of engagement rings, and Emma even got Hannah in-store to sneakily try on rings without her knowing why, so James then had a good idea of what Hannah wanted in a ring.

Armed with that knowledge, James and Emma eventually decided to take advantage of the bespoke jewellery design service that Chisholm Hunter offer, and created the most special and personal ring for Hannah from scratch. Featuring a 1ct emerald cut diamond in the centre with two round brilliant diamonds either side and diamond shoulders, this platinum trilogy ring is quite the stunning piece, a ring you can't say no to.

Our Bespoke Service

If James and Hannah's engagement story has inspired you to create your own personalised and sentimental bespoke jewellery piece or engagement ring, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us by either visiting your local Chisholm Hunter boutique or send your request online. With more than 155 years of experience and passion for diamonds, our expert designers have the knowledge and craftsmanship to create intricate and stunning pieces that will spark joy.

Do you want to see James and Hannah's special proposal for yourself? Catch up with "Inside Central Station" on BBC iPlayer, or read about it in The Glasgow Times, Glasgow Live and STV News.