Magic moment Lucas Dong and Leia Gao got engaged at City Beach

The sun was setting, the evening was inviting and friends were on hand — perfect for getting down on one knee and popping the question.

For Lucas Dong it was a nervous moment — but he got the answer he craved when Leia Gao, in shock, excitedly said yes.

“I just screamed ... a lot,” Ms Gao said. “He said that when I hugged him, I had such a big scream that he was nearly deaf.

“I didn’t cry as I expected. I guess, mixed emotions like, you know, excited, a bit confused and, you know, in the moment, surprised but mostly happy, of course.”

The lovely moment at City Beach on Wednesday was set up earlier in the day when Mr Dong, 27, let their friends in on the secret.

“We have a group of friends meet fortnightly, so I asked my friends to help me to prepare,” he said.

“I decided to propose at City Beach because it is very, very beautiful when the sun is going down.”

With their friends setting up a picnic of sushi and champagne, everyone was asked to close their eyes in prayer for the food — and that’s when the plan unfolded.

Mr Dong got down on one knee and brought the ring out.

“I turned around and I saw he brought the ring out, it was a little box ... I was surprised,” Ms Gao, 31, said.

The couple, who come from China and have known each other for three years and been going out for six months, plan to tie the knot quickly.

“We’re trying to do January, actually, to be honest,” Ms Gao said. “Both our parents are going to visit us for first time then. It will also be the first they have met each other.

“Yeah, it’s like skyrocketed really quickly.”

Mr Dong and Ms Gao, who live in Maylands after moving to Perth from China several months ago, very much see their future in WA.

“We love it here,” Ms Gao said.