“In January 2018 I manifested my dream man and just six weeks later, I'd met him," explains Kelly Lundberg.
"I came across his profile on a dating app and instantly recognized him as Graham, the boy I'd gone to prom with at school back in 1998. We'd even shared a kiss on the night.
“Swiping right, we matched and started chatting, quickly hitting it off.
“When we were younger, things hadn't worked out because I’d taken a job to become a holiday rep, traveling the world.
“But now our paths had crossed again…”
Kelly and Graham at their Seychelles wedding
“At the beginning of 2019, I went on a luxury trip with my mum to the Seychelles, where I wrote a desire statement about what I wanted my dream partner to be like.
“Desire statements are when you pick a date in the future and jot down everything that you want to have happened by then, describing what it looks like from that perspective.
“I'd written them before to help me achieve my business goals and they’d worked. I’d been single for the past two years after my previous relationship broke down and now, I felt ready to meet someone.
“As my mum read her book beside me, I scribbled away.
“It's June 2019 and my life has changed drastically. I've met a man, he's into fitness, tall and picks me up effortlessly. He's also a great communicator and calls me beautiful.
“Sipping my wine, I told Mum what I'd written.”
"'I look forward to meeting him,' she grinned.
“Little did I know that just six weeks later, Graham would come into my life.”
Manifesting
“Manifesting is imagining bringing something and bringing it into reality,” hypnotist Paul McKenna told woman&home magazine in our March 2025 issue.
This practice is more popular than ever and in 2020, Google searches of ‘manifesting’ grew by a staggering 600%.
Many celebrities are also big fans of using the Law Of Attraction. The likes of Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande and Jim Carrey have all attributed their success to manifesting.
Oprah Winfrey also regularly discusses its powers. In 2007, she said, “The way you think creates reality for yourself,” and has often stated that visualizing herself as an actor led to her landing a role in The Color Purple.
Paul, the author of Power Manifesting, says that you must be very clear about what you want. “If all we had to do was wish for what we want, everyone would be living in peace with no worries - but getting what you want requires action.
"And there’s no point taking action until you’re sure about what you want. Otherwise it’s like setting off a boat with a rudder,” he says.
The first date
Left: Kelly and Graham in 1998, in their prom clothes. Right: Kelly and Graham in 2019, after reconnecting
"Our first date happened in Edinburgh two weeks after we’d reconnected," continues Kelly.
"'Oh wow, he's tall,' I thought as I stood on my tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek.
"We had a magical time, laughing away and chatting about the gym, where Graham frequently worked out. At the end of the night, we shared a kiss and Graham told me, 'You're beautiful.'
“I didn't even think about everything I'd written on my desire statement, but I knew I wanted to see Graham again.
“Flying back to Dubai, where I lived, Graham and I continued chatting every day and he promised to come and visit me.
“Back at home, I read over the desire statement that I'd stuck on my bathroom mirror. Gasping, I remembered that Graham had told me I was beautiful, just like I'd written.
"Phoning Graham, I told him about my desire statement.
"'It honestly describes you, but I wrote it before we met,' I explained.
“He was 6' 2", loved fitness and was great at communicating. Still, I didn't want to get carried away, especially as we were living in different countries.
“Graham flew out to visit me four weeks later and from there we started a long-distance relationship, relying on Zoom date nights to keep the spark alive.
“By the end of the year, I knew we had something special.
“When Graham flew out in February 2023, he took me out for a fancy dinner and popped the question. It was completely out of the blue and I was shocked, but obviously I said 'yes' immediately.
A full circle moment
Kelly and her mum on vacation
“In May 2024, Graham and I flew to the Seychelles to get married. Just the two of us, it was a super special day.
"'I can’t believe that this is where I wrote my desire statement just five years before,' I thought.
“The following month, we threw a big party in Scotland with our friends and family.
“I think the desire statement worked for me because I was truly honest with what I wanted. Sometimes you manifest something that you don't really want, so it doesn't end up happening. You also have to be very specific about what you desire.
“Graham now lives with me in Dubai and we've had a wonderful first year as husband and wife. We've found our groove and are building a beautiful life together.
“Desire statements are a good way to work out what exactly it is that you want in life, but you can't just write it and expect things to fall in your lap. You have to take action and be open to opportunities.
“Some things don't always happen exactly as you see them and others may take a little longer, but it's all working away in the universe.
“You just have to trust the process.”
