This Donegal couple are celebrating their engagement at a special ‘Second Chance Prom’ last weekend.

Brid and Thomas

Brid Chandler and Thomas Keaveny from Convoy were out celebrating a nostalgic adult prom night in the Central Hotel when Brid got a very special surprise for dessert.

Thomas had been plotting to propose for months before this dinner dance – and it all worked out perfectly.

Thomas laid out careful plans to have ‘Will You Marry Me?’ written on Brid’s dessert and to have their favourite song playing at the right moment.

Thanks to the Second Chance Prom Coordinator Evelyn Mc Glynn, the previous moment was caught on camera to share on the Donegal Mammy Facebook Page.

Video via @donegalmammy

Brid said she was totally gobsmacked by the secret message. In fact, it took her a moment to realise why she got a larger plate than anyone else!

Thomas got down on one knee as Pink’s ‘A Million Dreams’ played in the background. After Brid said ‘Yes’, the night turned into one big party for everyone.

Thomas and Brid celebrate their engagement at the Donegal Mammy Second Chance Prom. Photo: Evelyn Mc Glynn

Donegal Mammy Second Chance Prom. Photo: Evelyn Mc Glynn

The Second Chance Prom is a special event held for people who never had a school prom or want to make new memories. It’s a fun celebration of 70s and 80s music and a chance for couples and friends to dress up and enjoy a night out.

For Brid and Thomas, it all started off when she saw an advert for the dance. She knew Thomas never went to his prom because he didn’t have a date.

Little did Brid know that Thomas planned an even bigger night for both of them.

“It was a special night for us because we don’t often go out just the two of us. I have a little girl and we organised a wee night for ourselves. I got a lot more than I bargained for!”

Thomas, Evelyn and Brid celebrate the engagement at the Donegal Mammy Second Chance Prom. Photo: Evelyn Mc Glynn

Brid and Thomas met in 2010, when her little girl was 18 months old. They have both been married before, and so this is their second time around for marriage as well as at prom!

“The timing was perfect,” Brid said, “When the dessert came around I glanced at my plate but paid no heed. I thought it was just fancy chocolate swirls, only Thomas was smart enough to actually add my name to the plate. I’m so glad it was all caught on video, it was a beautiful memory.”

Proposal at the Donegal Mammy Second Chance Prom

“The very next day we went home to my daughter and Thomas got down on one knee to her with a bunch of flowers and a ring. He proposed to be her forever friend.

“For us, it’s both second time around to be married. This is the first time I’m experiencing true happiness and true love.

“Thomas is a cancer survivor, he has survived it three times and I just want to be by his side from now on,” Brid said.

“We are so grateful to have him here after all he’s been through with his health,” she added.

Pink’s ‘A Million Dreams’ from The Greatest Showman soundtrack will now be the song for Brid and Thomas’ first dance.

Brie said: “The song really spoke to me and my daughter when I first heard it, and it speaks volumes to Thomas too. It just says ‘us’ and it means so much more to me now.”

Elaine McInaw, the Marketing Manager of the Central, and Gillian the Duty Manager were the only other people in the know about the proposal on the night.

To cap off an unforgettable evening, the hotel managers gave Brid and Thomas a complimentary stay in their bridal suite, which they described as a ‘beautiful surprise.’

Thomas, Gillian and Brid celebrate the engagement at the Donegal Mammy Second Chance Prom. Photo: Evelyn Mc Glynn