Mystery couple who got engaged at Coombe Abbey's Luminate trail revealed after call out

A grainy photo of a marriage proposal at the hugely popular Luminate sparked interest after it appeared online in the middle of December.

The team at Coombe Abbey Hotel, which is run by No Ordinary Hospitality Management (NOHM), launched a call out to find the couple and Vikki Buckby came forward just a few days before Christmas.

Her partner of nine years, Kieron Francis-King, had popped the question during a Luminate walk at the start of the festive season and an image taken by a member of the Luminate team went viral.

The occasion was also captured by friends and family.

Vikki, who grew up in Earlsdon, said the marriage proposal by Kieron, who grew up in Whoberley, had come as a huge surprise – only surpassed by the interest in the couple that followed.

She said: “We have been together for nine years and I just wasn’t expecting him to ask the question.

“We’d been on the Luminate walk previously and enjoyed it but our daughter was a bit too young to appreciate it.

“So, we went back and Kieron decided it was going to be the perfect place to ask me. He asked my dad and the children beforehand so they were all in on the surprise! He really outdid himself.

“It was such a lovely, special moment and the team at Luminate were really great with us throughout the walk, offering hot chocolate and mulled wine.

“We just didn’t expect what came next and all of the attention has been so nice – it’s been amazing and quite funny to think we we’re the ‘mystery couple’.”

The team at NOHM have now offered an evening meal with bed and breakfast in a grand feature bed chamber to the happy couple to celebrate their engagement at one of the most popular wedding venues in the region.

Vikki added: “It’s such a nice gesture and, again, we are so grateful for it.

“We’re planning to get married in 2026 and we’re looking at venues already. Coombe is definitely on the list because we know people who have got married there and they said how wonderful it is.”

Ron Terry, Group Operations Director at NOHM, said: “The mystery engagement has had everybody talking in the past few weeks.

“We’re so pleased that Vikki and Kieron got in touch and we can’t wait to give them a special treat to celebrate their big news!”

Coombe Abbey Hotel will host a pair of Wedding Open Days on February 16, where visitors can explore the venue and meet the weddings team, and March 16 featuring a full wedding fayre and a host of suppliers.

For more information visit www.coombeabbey.com/wedding-open-days

Coombe Abbey Hotel’s sister venue St Mary’s Guildhall will also host a wedding open day on Saturday, January 11. Visit www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk/wedding-open-day for more details.