Classical singer Hayley Westenra has confirmed reports she's planning to wed her longtime boyfriend after he proposed to her on a trip to her native New Zealand.
The 24-year-old soprano was rumoured to have accepted French sound engineer Arnaud Sabard's marriage offer, and now the star has revealed that he popped the question during a romantic lakeside date on New Year's Day (01Jan12) during a festive trip to her hometown of Christchurch.
Sabard asked Westenra's father several weeks before for his daughter's hand in marriage, and relatives gave him a family heirloom to aid his proposal.
Westenra tells Britain's Hello! magazine, "It hasn't quite sunk in. I'm still contemplating it myself.
"It was a total surprise and incredibly romantic... I was completely overwhelmed. I think I went into shock. I didn't even say 'yes' straight away - Arnaud had to prompt me. He said, 'So, that's a yes, right?' and I was like, 'Of course!'"