A self-described “old romantic” took his girlfriend on a mystery holiday to Barbados , where he shocked her with a surprise proposal followed by a fully organised wedding just three days later. Adam Blakey, 40, from Blackpool in Lancashire, whisked away his girlfriend of seven years, Victoria, 41, to the Caribbean island of Barbados in April, convincing her the trip was to celebrate his 40th birthday, when in reality he had organised a proposal and wedding without his wife ’s knowledge. The entrepreneur kicked off the surprises before their Barbados trip at Manchester Airport where he brought along Victoria’s parents who had not left the country for more than 15 years, and continued the theme when he and Victoria shocked their close friends and family with their secret marriage when they arrived home.
Adam chose Barbados to honour Victoria’s Caribbean heritage and proposed to her while surrounded by roses placed in a heart shape on the beach outside their hotel, before marrying in the same location just days later. Adam, who was previously married, had planned to marry Victoria sooner, but said finalising papers for his divorce took seven years, which was not helped by the coronavirus pandemic. He added that he felt the need to take the weight of wedding planning off his partner’s shoulders as a thank you for her patience.
Adam, who started planning the wedding in early January 2024, just a week after his divorce was finalised, said: “I always knew that I wanted.
