An Engagement (Upgrade) Story
This week, I am pleased to introduce to you Sarah and Aaron, clients for whom we recently completed the most gorgeous Toi et Moi engagement ring "upgrade." Sarah and Aaron are fellow local Old Towners and Tim and I frequently run into them while we're all enjoying our beautiful neighborhood. In our many conversations, I have come to know them as a fun-loving, thoughtful couple with a close-knit sense of family and friendship. It was a complete pleasure working with them recently on their engagement ring "upgrade" and I especially loved learning more about Sarah's family heirloom, the gorgeous marquis diamond around which we designed her ring. Read on to learn about how Sarah and Aaron initially met, the grandmother behind the diamond, and how Sarah navigated the many decisions inherent in designing her ring.
How did you meet your spouse?
Sarah: Aaron and I met through a mutual friend in college. She had a crush on Aaron and wanted me to meet him, but Aaron thought she was setting him up with me. All's well that ends well, though. There were no hard feelings, and she is still one of my closest friends!
What drew you to each other initially?
Sarah: What drew me to Aaron is what keeps me in love with him. Aaron is smart, funny, quick-witted, and handsome. He's also a deeply kind and compassionate person who allows me grace and encourages me to be my best self.
Aaron: We had immediate chemistry. Sarah is the most charming person you will ever meet. Her bright smile, warm heart, sense of humor, and adventure always make her a delight to be around. She's an amazing partner, too; smart, tough, and immensely conscientious of others.
Even though this was an engagement ring, you and Aaron are already married. How many years have you been married?
Sarah: It is hard to believe that we've been married for 13 years. We've moved all over the country together, supported each other through graduate school, adopted a dog, and it feels like we've only just begun.
Before getting engaged, did you know what you wanted for a ring? How did you select the ring you originally had?
Sarah: Before we got engaged, I really wanted a yellow diamond ring. I think they were very popular at the time, and I was all in on that trend. After we got engaged - over the phone, with me in Charlottesville and Aaron in Lexington - we decided to go ring shopping together, and reality set in. Aaron and I were still in college, we didn't have real jobs, and the economy was in the middle of the Great Recession. We made the right decision for us and decided to forgo purchasing an engagement ring entirely. I selected a plain platinum band, and that was my only wedding ring for years.
I love that. What is the strongest memory you have from your wedding? Is there anything you would have done differently in retrospect?
Sarah: The strongest memory I have from my wedding is our vows - we memorized them (they were pretty short and simple) and I've never forgotten them. The event itself was a blur, but I know we had so much fun with our friends and family! The only thing I would have done differently is I would have eaten at the reception. I was really hungry when we went to bed that night!
What made you decide to design a new engagement/anniversary ring? Tell us about the design process from your perspective.
Sarah: When my sister, Ivey, got married in 2019, our mother gave Ivey her wedding ring set and gave me our grandmother's. Aaron and I had just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, and I wanted to recognize that huge milestone by having my grandmother's marquise diamond ring redesigned as an anniversary/engagement ring that was special and personal to me. I quickly learned that I had no idea what I wanted. Before I met Meaghan and Tim, I had hundreds of screenshots of marquise diamond rings on my phone. I had the diamond reset twice in beautiful settings that were not me, even though I thought I would love them. I was spinning my wheels for over two years before Meaghan and Tim helped me design the perfect ring. I told Meaghan that I wanted to incorporate my grandmother's diamond into a design that represented Aaron and me and our marriage. We were very young when we got married, and Aaron is a Marine, so we essentially became adults together and have often found ourselves far from home and leaning on each other for support. I wanted this anniversary/engagement ring to say, "Look, we made it!"
Meaghan helped me realize that a toi et moi ring may be exactly the right design to encompass that story, and she let me lead the design process while also keeping me focused. In the end, the design is fairly simple, but the simplicity belies the care and thoughtfulness Meaghan and Tim imbue in the design process. I wasn't sure what shape I wanted for the second stone or how to get the proportions or scale right. I thought maybe it was the right time to get that yellow diamond I'd always wanted, and I wasn't sure if I wanted platinum prongs or yellow gold. I knew I wanted it to stack or sit flush with my existing platinum band but also not sit too high on my finger. I had questions and new ideas at every design meeting, but Meaghan was the epitome of kindness and patience as I kept throwing out ideas and then walking them back. She helped me stay true to my vision, and in the end, the toi et moi ring with my grandmother's marquise diamond and an emerald cut lab diamond is exactly what I wanted, and I could not have dreamed this without Meaghan.
Your ring is set with an heirloom element. Tell us a bit about the person behind this piece and why you wanted to integrate it into your ring?
Sarah: The marquise diamond is from my maternal grandmother, Maw Maw, with whom I have been close since childhood. I lived across the street from my grandparents from the time I was five until I went to college, got married, and moved away. Maw Maw has always spoiled me with her kindness and generosity, and her humor and vivaciousness are infectious. My grandparents were married for 57 years when my Granddaddy passed away, and I wanted to incorporate her diamond into my ring as a symbol of their enduring love for each other and hopefulness for Aaron and me to have a long, loving marriage, too.
Any tips for those who are thinking about getting engaged today?
Sarah: Getting engaged and planning a wedding is so much fun, and I enjoyed that phase of our relationship. I would advise those thinking of getting engaged today to be intentional and thoughtful about the process, whether that's designing rings or planning the reception, budgeting, etc., and to meet the chaos with a little levity.
