Getting married has always been something I’d wanted, yet I’d never really given much thought to the “how” of it all. I was never the girl that had her dream wedding mapped out on a Pinterest board, nor had I ever envisioned any of the key details; the dress, the bridal party or the all-important proposal. Even after getting into a committed relationship in my mid-to-late twenties, with the only person I’d ever discussed and envisioned marriage with; how and where he’d pop the question, or what I’d want it to look like, all remained a big question mark. So when the moment finally came this summer, thousands of miles away from our lives at home on what was supposed to be a work trip, the shock and surprise of it all made it more magical than I could have ever imagined — and the island backdrop was the perfect place to say “I do”.
As a culture and lifestyle journalist, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some incredible parts of the world, at times with the chance to bring a loved one along for the experience. One place I’d yet to explore at the top of my bucket list was the Seychelles; so when I got the opportunity to report on a newly opened luxury resort on one of the East African archipelago’s 115 islands, I immediately planned a trip with my boyfriend.
In the two and a half years we’d been together, travelling became a big part of our relationship; particularly since we spent the majority of that time navigating long-distance dynamic; me in London and him in New York, where we’d met for the first time over rum cocktails at a Caribbean bar in Brooklyn on a freezing Saturday night in January 2022. Since then, we’d had a string of unforgettable trips together; Mexico, Hawaii, southern France, Italy, not to mention a sentimental ten days traveling through Ghana, his native home.
Every trip we’d taken had been uniquely special and full of new, life-long memories. Perhaps that’s why when we arrived at Platte Island, a secluded 0.5 square-mile speck in the Indian ocean, the excitement of exploring a new place with him worked as the perfect distraction for what was to come.
The tiny island is home to Waldorf Astoria Seychelles — a luxurious tropical paradise built on a strip of velvet white sandy beach with tall swaying palm trees, surrounded by endless views of turquoise sea reefs and lagoons, full of exotic wildlife. As soon as we stepped foot onto the resort’s private runway, having flown in on a tight 14-seater plane from Mahé (the Seychelles’ main island, just a 25 minute flight away), we were met with a soothing presence of peace in the air that instantly made us feel at ease; especially after being welcomed to the open-air lobby by the resort manager and our private concierge, Yogi.
I later found out that it was this warm interaction with Yogi, and other staff member, Juan, that ultimately led to my boyfriend choosing the Waldorf Astoria as “the place” for his proposal — a Virgo with high standards, he’d carried the ring around for four months at this point, scoping out the absolute right place and time to get down on one knee.
Somehow, in between our swift check-in process and being escorted to our villa — one of the resort’s 50 sea-facing properties, varying in size but each offering a spacious garden and pool area, as well as direct access to the beach — he’d whispered his plans of proposing to Juan, who set the plan in action, while we settled into our home for the week.
Style wise, the villas at Waldorf Astoria prioritise privacy and comfort alongside a biophilic design. The interiors are inspired by the surrounding landscape, incorporating natural elements and calming earthy tones. Hilton Worldwide (the resort’s parent company) kept the island’s natural offerings at the forefront when building the luxury property, planting octopus bushes and various other plants to preserve wildlife, while rich layers of seagrass protect the marine life in the ocean.
The resort, which was opened just six months prior to our visit in January 2024, is also 95 per cent solar-powered and has an in-house marine biologist named Athina Antoine, who leads snorkelling sessions and knows pretty much everything about the island’s aquatic life; from the multiple species of crabs and turtles to baby sharks and stingrays.
We spent days exploring the island’s natural wonder, enjoying canoe trips, ocean swims, and spa treatments, inbetween indulging in a range of cuisines across the resort’s three restaurants: La Perle, offering a la carte breakfast and a variety of Mediterranean dishes for lunch and dinner. Moulin, for a five-course discovery menu focused on organic, plant-based cuisine, and Maison des Epices, the most upscale of the three, serving Creole-Latin fusion dishes as well as oysters and champagne.
In the afternoons, we’d lounge at the Parisian-inspired Peacock Terrace, where the baristas served herbal teas and an array of locally made coffee, while our evenings were spent watching the sunset and sipping signature drinks at Lalin, the resort’s swanky cocktail bar.
On our last night, I got a text from Yogi saying that the sunset yoga class I’d signed up for was cancelled and that instead, she’d arranged sunset drinks for my boyfriend and I to enjoy at the beach before dinner. She later came to pick us up in a golf buggy, driving us to one of the bigger villas on the resorts, with a garden connected to a spot on the island named “champagne rock” — I should have known what would happen next, but still, I had no idea.
I was handed a flower crown and a white bouquet, both of which she’d handmade herself, yet still, the bridal nod was lost on me
As I walked in, I spotted a giant hollow rock on the beach filled with ice and a bottle of champagne. Yogi handed me a flower crown and a white bouquet, both of which she’d handmade herself, yet still, the bridal nod was lost on me. Surprised and a little confused by what I thought was an incredibly sweet but unnecessarily extravangant send-off by the hotel staff — there were two deck chairs, a blanket with pillows and two champagne flutes placed next to a tray of canapes, and our names were written between hearts in the sand — I turned to my boyfriend, expecting an equally puzzled look on his face. Instead, he was down on one knee holding a dark blue box with a shiny, princess cut trilogy ring inside. The sky was pink and purple, and the crashing sounds of the waves had eased in time for him to ask me to be his wife. I was still in shock, still processing how he’d been secretly conspiring with the resort staff all week to pull this off.
It sounds very dramatic but in that moment, I felt my entire body overwhelmed with euphoric joy, excitement and utter disbelief. It was a level of happiness so pure and perfect that it almost felt like an out of body experience.
We spent the rest of the night revelling in the idea of being husband and wife, while I blew up every single group chat with friends and family at home to break the news to them, sending pictures and answering frantic FaceTime calls before eventually putting our phones away to soak up our final hours on what had now become our most special place yet.
