A new bride-to-be found that she couldn’t say no when her boyfriend handed her a marriage proposal on a plate.

Tim White of Christchurch spent a productive few hours at The Clay Studio in the town painting a unique plate featuring the character Jack from the film Nightmare Before Christmas.

However, this was far more than just a well-painted plate – it contained a marriage proposal to his girlfriend of four years, Sue Hamilton.

Although he was a newcomer to painting pottery, Tim recognised the advantages that using pottery to convey his message could have.

He said: “Proposing to Sue on a hand-painted plate would be an opportunity to truly personalise my proposal and make it really special.

“There would be a surprise factor and the staff at the Clay Studio helped by being generous with their advice and proudly displaying the plate in the centre of their window display.”

A surprised Sue, who instantly agreed, said she saw the plate on one of their regular walks in the centre of Christchurch.

She added: “I saw the plate in the window with a character we both love from one of our favourite films. On closer inspection I saw that Tim was proposing to me. I thought this was a really romantic way to propose and I said yes instantly.”

Mary Payne, owner of The Clay Studio, said: “This is the second proposal we have had at The Clay Studio.

“The nature of hand-painted means that not only is the message totally unique and personal but the recipient knows how much thought and work has gone into it.

“This is so much more special than mass-produced items or those painted by somebody else.”