It was the best kept secret that had this girl guessing until the end.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And even Leader photographer John Veage played a part, pretending his mission was to take photos at a community radio station for its 40th anniversary. But there was an ulterior motive.
It all started at 2NBC 90.1 FM Kogarah, where a plan was set in motion to bring Georgia McGrath, the daughter of drive host Paul McGrath, into the studio for a morning bulletin.
This wasn't an unusual request. Georgia and her boyfriend Riley Holmes, had previously been co-pilots on air at the station. Shortly after 8am, Riley, 28, read the weather report, before things took a romantic turn. He proposed to his girlfriend of two years.
He had been sitting on the idea since last October, when he asked Georgia's dad for his blessing to marry his daughter. Presenting a ruby ring with seven diamonds, Riley, professed his love. "I've had this plan. I also called Georgia's grandma and asked if she could be there," Riley said. "I started by saying she's my absolute best friend, that she's the kindest, most beautiful person I've ever met. I finished by saying she's my first love, because she's my first girlfriend ever, and I said I want her to be my last."
Riley designed the custom-made engagement ring, which was created by Georgia's favourite jeweller, Millie Savage, based in Melbourne.
"The ring was at Georgia's parents place because I didn't want her to come across it," Riley said. "The night before I proposed, Georgia was in the shower. I grabbed the ring box and put it in my jacket. Georgia was really cold that night and asked to put the jacket on. I gave her my dressing gown instead because the jacket had the big chunky box in it."
"He did an amazing job," Georgia said. "He got my birth stone. I had no idea. I never thought Riley would do it on my dad's radio station. Mum asked me to come in and said the Leader is just going to be there to take photos of dad."
The newly engaged couple who met at Jindabyne were in Sydney for one night. They recently moved to Karratha, Western Australia, for work. Riley, from Como, a boilermaker and welder by trade, got a job with Kempe Engineering, and Georgia, from Blakehurst, works for Woodside Energy on a gas plant. "We want to buy a farm house on far south coast of NSW," Georgia said. " Our dream is to get married on our own property."
It was a double celebration as Georgia turned 31 on July 8. The couple spent the evening wining and dining at Crown Sydney.
