Love was in the air at the i98FM studios this morning with a live proposal and then spur of the moment wedding on the Marty, Christie & Crammy Breakfast Show.
To celebrate the return of ‘The Bachelor’ to the WIN Network this week, i98FM and Simon’s Jewellers had been giving listeners the chance to win a $4,500 diamond ring.
After receiving over 680 entries via the i98 website, Robert Manago was selected as the winner after explaining how he and now girlfriend Monique were high school classmates in the 1980’s.
Robert confessed in his entry that he always “Had the hots” for Monique, but never had the courage to ask her out on a date, but a chance meeting 28 years later in a supermarket carpark saw Robert’s passion reignite and eventually they went on their first date.
Now two and a half years later, Robert bought Monique to the i98 studios under the guise that they were competing against three other couples for the chance to win the ring in a game of who knows their partner the best.
With Monique being put into lock down preparing for the challenge, Robert spoke to Marty, Christie and Crammy about the upcoming proposal. “Monique changed my life and after knowing her when we were in high school, then going off and living our own lives – I wasn’t going to let her go again.”
The unsuspecting Monique was then brought into the studios where Robert got down on one knee and popped the question. However, the surprises didn’t stop there.
The Breakfast team then introduced the newly engaged couple to i98 Sales Manager, Peter Norman who is also a registered celebrant and suggested that he could conduct a ceremony live on air there and thenand in a blur of 10 minutes, the i98FM team put together the station’s first on-air wedding.
Breakfast Show co-host Christie Hayes says “To be able to make not only a proposal, but a wedding happen on-air in the space of one hour for such a beautiful couple is why we love what we do. We’re so honoured that they let us be part of this special moment in their lives, which I know they’ll remember for many wonderful and happy years to come.”