Romantic wildlife lover Matt Bridges enlisted the help of a diver at Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium to propose to his girlfriend.
Matt, 23, took the plunge at the Rock-a-Nore Road aquarium and went down on one knee to ask girlfriend Kat Hasberry, 22, to marry him in the underwater tunnel.
The actual proposal was communicated to Kat via a series of five signs held up in turn by the diver culminating with the last one which read: ‘I love you, now turn and look at me’. He then got down on one knee and presented her with a ring.
Blue Reef Aquarium’s Leanna Lawson, who helped organise the event, said: “It was all pretty nerve-wracking from our side as we had to get the timing for the diver to hold up the signs just right.
“We were also not entirely sure what Kat’s response would be as she had no idea what was going on so it was a great relief when she said ‘yes’.
“Our diver was particularly delighted and gave a massive thumbs up when it was confirmed she had accepted the proposal,” she added.
The couple, who are from Folkestone, first met over a year ago and Matt chose the aquarium as they are both wildlife enthusiasts.
“I picked the aquarium because we both have a huge love for nature, especially marine wildlife and I figured where better to propose than the Blue Reef Aquarium,” said Matt.
“I wasn’t too nervous but I would like to say a huge big thank you to everyone one involved and a big thanks to the diver, who really got into it, and made the whole thing much more enjoyable,” he added.