Lara Won!

That's great news! Very pleased for her

Excellent! 95% Lara, and the rest - well what you can do with a little help from your gran!

Will she buy jewellery or sell that too for her house?

What's her next competition?

Splendid. What a multi-talented young woman.

Very pleased for Lara and Sam and for you too Greatnan

Thanks, eveybody. I have just spoken to her on the phone. They will be buying a diamond ring with the vouchers, then I suppose they will make a formal announcement of their engagement and have a party. For me, an engagement just means a promise to marry, whether or not you have the ring and the party, so I consider Sam to be her fiance already.
They will be selling the new car towards their deposit on a house.
I don't think they will be in a hurry to get married - Lara likes to plan her life carefully, so she will probably get established in her career first.

The need to be formally 'married' is changing anyhow. I wish Lara and Sam all the best in their joint life ventures.

Such good news Greatnan - always so uplifting to get lovely news of young people - I wish them a happy life together.

They have been living together since Sam arrived in NZ, the week after he completed his A-levels in England. I don't think Lara will want to miss out on a wedding, but I doubt if it will be massively expensive, as she is too sensible to want her parents to pay for something lavish.
Her mum hosted a wedding for a friend in their large garden, so they might do that. She is the third of my ten grandchildren to be in a happy relationship/marriage and I hear that one of the grandsons who is out of contact has a long-term girlfriend and looks set for marriage. They are going down like ninepins

Wow - the power of GN knows no bounds! Congratulations to them both and a long and happy life together

Fabulous news, GN

Fantastic news Gn, hard work really does pay off, congratulations to her and best wishes for them both

You are allowed to burst with pride!

Well done to Lara, best wishes to them both

That's great news. You must be very proud!

Great news

Well done, Lara! That's lovely news. I'm pleased for you Greatnan, too.

Don't burst. It could be messy? Congratulations to Lara

Greatnan what fabulous new's and so well done to both of them xx Lara now has loads of virtual nanna's so give her a big ((hug)) from them all.

When I spoke to her this morning, she did say how lovely my cyber friends must be!

Well done, Lara. What a talented young woman she is. That's a couple who are going places!

I have asked her to let me know when the results are published in The Nelson Weekly.

How lovely! I'm delighted for them - and you, Greatnan!

Having read all of the the entries I genuinely did think Lara's was the best, so I'm very glad she won.

Lara sent me this, so you have all been publicly thanked!

Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith "Makers of the World's Most Famous Ring"

10 hours ago.

And the winners of the 2013 Jens Hansen Love Story competition, as voted by the public, are Lara and Sam! Congratulations! The couple held hands as they waited in anticipation to hear who had won. Lara says she was speechless and her legs went to jelly when Halfdan read out their names! They would like to thank everyone who voted for them, especially Lara's Nan and her Nan's friends.