The moment a man proposes to his girlfriend - with a tattoo
Story and video from SWNS
Tattoo-fan Bruno Neves, 33, proposed to his girlfriend with an inking which read "Will you marry me?", complete with 'Yes/No' tick boxes.
Romantic Bruno popped the question to girlfriend Patricia Calado, 34, last week, with the help of his favourite tattoo artist Arron Adams, 33.
The romantic delivery driver, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, asked his fiancée-to-be to come with him to A Sailor's Grave Tattoo Studio in the seaside town.
Bruno, whose body already featured 20 inkings, told her he was getting some cover-up ink on an existing tat.
But as mum-of-two Patricia sat in the waiting room for around 45 minutes, she had no idea that Bruno was actually getting the words "Will you marry me?" tattooed across his chest.
A nervous Bruno, who is also a dad to a four-year-old son, even completed the tattoo with 'Yes' or 'No' tickboxes beneath the big question.
And when a stunned Patricia read the words on his chest, she quickly grabbed a pen and put a cross through the 'Yes' box - which was then also tattooed on Bruno's chest.
Tattoo artist Arron said it is the first time he has ever helped someone propose through ink.
And happy couple Bruno and Patricia are delighted with the outcome of the proposal.
Patricia, a hotel cleaner, said: "It was a complete surprise. I had no idea what he was having done that day.
"He has some tattoos on his body that he wants to get covered up, and sometimes I will go along with him and wait, so I thought it was all quite normal.
"I was quite confused when he came out and revealed the tattoo to me. It took me a moment to realise what it was.
"Then I just laughed and told him, 'You're crazy'. But of course I ticked yes. I'm very happy."
Patricia added it was "very strange" being proposed to in a public place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said: "I didn't know how to react. We both had our masks on, so we didn't kiss each other, just out of respect for the other people there."
She added Bruno is very romantic, and surprises her every month on the 11th - to mark the 'anniversary' of each month they have been together.
"Every month on the 11th he will take me travelling somewhere, or we will go out for a nice dinner," she said.
And Bruno said that Patricia accepting his proposal was "amazing".
He said: "It was like a dream come true.
"If it hadn't been for Covid, I would have done it sooner.
"I had been planning the tattoo for around five or six months.
"We have been together for a year and a half - but I am absolutely certain about Patricia.
"We have spent every day together for the past two years, and we have seen how our families connect together, so I had no fear about proposing to her.
"I would not have done it if I had not been absolutely sure - a tattoo is something you really have to think about."
The couple are now hoping to tie the knot in August next year - and Bruno says he has already been emailing priests to try and get a date booked in.
And Arron Adams, who did the tattoo for Bruno, said he has never done a tattoo proposal before - but is "always up for a challenge".
He said: "It did feel a bit strange. I've done actually done anything like that one before.
"I was a bit nervous myself - as tattoo artists, we advise people against having names tattooed on them or anything like that, because obviously it is permanent.
"But Bruno told me he wanted to do something a bit crazy - and I thought, yeah, let's go for it."
Arron joked: "It's lucky she said yes - because I said to Bruno that even if she had said no, I would have tattooed that on him, too.
"He was really chuffed. I could see as he was walking out to reveal the tattoo that he was extremely nervous.
"She was really shocked and surprised when she saw it. It was a lovely moment.
"It was really nice for me to be a part of that special moment for someone. It made me feel really good - like a little Cupid."
To see Arron's tattoo work, visit his Instagram page at @kongkrishnatattoo.
