Texan places love story in the frame

Tyler Whittington from Texas proposed to his girlfriend Natasha Adams from Royton in Saddleworth Museum.

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

A LOVE story fit for the silver screen was exhibited at Saddleworth Museum when an art teacher surprised his girlfriend with a proposal.

Natasha Adams, from Royton, was shocked when, on Sunday, Texan Tyler Whittington got down on one knee with a stunning engagement ring in front of a piece of his own art, which had been hidden at the end of the Uppermill museum tour.

The proposal had taken months to plan with Tyler (23) recruiting the help of Natasha's family and friends to keep the secret before the big reveal.

Natasha, also 23, said: "I had no idea Tyler was going to propose. I thought everyone had been acting a bit odd, but I didn't suspect this."

The couple met in May 2015 at Camp Stewart, Texas, when Natasha spent a summer teaching horse riding with the Camp America programme.

Tyler, who was a camp counsellor, said: "It was love at first sight. At first I wasn't able to talk to her, I was too nervous."

Once they began talking, they soon realised they had a lot in common and a relationship blossomed, with the couple even discovering they had almost met a summer earlier.

Both had been set to work at the camp in Summer 2014 however Tyler had been involved in a car accident on his way and could not take up his role.

Luckily Natasha returned to the camp the following year and they were finally able to meet.

"We had to keep the relationship quiet as the kids at the camp were not supposed to know anything about it, " Natasha said.

"But we'd spend time together on our nights off and we'd write each other notes all the time."

It was these notes that Tyler used as the background for his proposal artwork, with an image of the two of them together in the foreground, complete with Tyler holding an engagement ring.

The pair enjoyed a champagne toast to their future and were joined by Natasha's parents and the couple's friends.

With a happy tear in her eye, Natasha said: "We have a lot to think about with the wedding but I'm excited about our future."