A COUPLE got engaged just five weeks after meeting on Tinder – after flying to Malta for an “intense five-day date”.
Kayleigh Castle, 35, met Mark, 50, in April 2024 when he messaged her on Tinder and complimented her smile.
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They messaged each other back and forth for a few days before speaking via FaceTime and hit it off right away.
Kayleigh then decided that she didn’t want to date and wanted to focus on her career, but when Mark asked her out, she decided to give him a chance.
The two went to a Turkish restaurant that Kayleigh had always wanted to try, and she said Mark made her feel calm and relaxed.
Two weeks later, the couple flew to Malta for a five-day “intensive date,” where they stayed in separate bedrooms and discussed the wedding.
And just five weeks after their first meeting, Mark popped the questions on May 18, 2024 at Castle Hill in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
The couple now plans to elope in Cuba in January 2025.
Kayleigh, a dating and life coach from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, said: “I wasn’t shocked when he proposed to me – it felt so normal.”
“Even though the engagement happened quickly, I found it reassuring that the relationship felt so natural.
“I didn’t feel like I was doing anything crazy, it felt like we were supposed to get married.”
Mark, a driver from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, added: “For me it was love at first sight.”
“When I saw her, I knew immediately that she was the one I wanted to marry.”
In April 2024, Kayleigh was swiping through Tinder when she noticed a message from Mark.
The two started chatting and decided to use FaceTime.
Kayleigh said: “He was smiling in his photos and we had a really nice chat on FaceTime.
“He told me about his life and was really nervous.
“I looked at his photos on Tinder again and thought I’d give him a chance.”
Kayleigh then realized that she didn’t want to date anymore and wanted to focus on her career as a dating and life coach.
But Mark wrote to her and asked if she wanted to meet, and she gave in.
Kayleigh said: “I said I couldn’t because I had left my makeup bag at my friends’ house. I didn’t have a car at the time so I couldn’t pick it up.
“Instead, he picked me up from the supermarket and took me home.
“When I got in the car I felt so relaxed, he made me laugh and smile, so I decided to give him a chance.”
A week later the couple had a date.
Kayleigh said: “He made me feel really calm and relaxed.
“I talked about some problems I was having and he tried to help me solve them.
“He asked me what was stressing me and said he would help me.”
During the date, Kayleigh said she wanted to go on vacation and Mark suggested going to Malta.
How to make a successful marriage proposal
Thinking about proposing? Follow this checklist from Fabulous’ Deputy Editor Josie Griffiths to ensure a yes…
- Choose the right time – the average Brit waits between 18 months and two years before getting engaged. But you might feel ready after just six months, or decide to wait five or more years before proposing. Only you really know when the time is right, and it’s not a decision you should rush into. Falling in love might feel great, but of course most relationships DO NOT end in marriage – and for good reason…
- Be careful – hopefully you’re not at the point where your frustrated partner is leaving their laptop open and dropping “hints” about rings they like. Ideally, you want the ring to be a secret, but also something they’ll enjoy wearing – for the rest of their life, so apply just a LITTLE bit of pressure here. You need to pay attention to any comments your partner makes about other people’s rings, what they like and don’t like, and what’s most important to them – size, purity, certain details. If you’re really not sure, or your partner hates surprises, the best thing to do is propose with a pacifier, then buy the real thing together.
- Family matters – tradition dictates that you ask the father for permission to shake his daughter’s hand, but these days it’s not that easy. Maybe your partner is closer to his stepfather or wants his mother to walk her down the aisle, in which case you’d be better off talking to him. Maybe he would think it was weird if you went to his parents first, in which case you could call the whole thing off. Or maybe he’s closer to his friends and the best idea would be to let your partner’s best friend pick out the ring. These things are important and could backfire if handled wrongly.
- Plan the setting – does your partner dread being the center of attention, or is he someone who would be devastated if you proposed at home and would berate you forever for a lack of “effort”? Plan the location for your perfect proposal – how busy it will be, whether you can get a good photo there, and other logistical considerations. A mountaintop proposal may sound good in theory, but your girlfriend may not really appreciate it if she has sweat dripping from her brow and isn’t wearing the cute dress she envisioned for the photos. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse than a public proposal with everyone waiting for your response – in a group of friends, in the middle of a restaurant, or with an announcement at an event. So keep all of this in mind and remember, it’s about what THEY want, not you.
Just two weeks after they met, the couple traveled abroad for five nights and stayed in separate bedrooms – according to his statements.
Kayleigh said: “It was like intense dating – it felt like I had known him for a long time.”
“There was no awkward silence and we laughed.
“While we were there, I told him that I was planning on getting married after dating, and we started talking about weddings.”
Kayleigh showed Mark a picture of a vintage engagement ring she would have liked to have, and Mark revealed that his late grandmother had had a very similar ring.
She said: ‘Before he proposed, he showed me the wedding ring and it was identical to the one I had shown him in the store.
“I tried the ring on and it fit perfectly. Then he told me to get my nails done and buy a nice dress.”
On May 18, 2024, Mark asked the question.
Kayleigh was “not shocked” by the engagement, even though her first message was only five weeks ago.
The couple now plans to elope in Cuba in January 2025.
Kayleigh said: “His actions matched his words and it felt like we were meant to get married.
“He is kind and generous and I could see in his eyes how much he loved me.
“The way he looks at me leaves me in no doubt as to how he feels about me.
“I just wanted to give women hope with the fact that I met someone on Tinder.
“I’ve dated men from all over the world, and the man I’m going to marry showed up at my doorstep.”
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