(i would like to preface this by saying that greg proposed on july 3, 2019—i am one year late in publishing this post. but better late than never.)
in march 2019, while celebrating my birthday, greg surprised me with a card that said something to the effect of “let’s start looking for a special kind of ring.” you can imagine my surprise and utter excitement when reading his note. in hindsight, i knew early on in our relationship that greg was “the one,” and i was absolutely thrilled—my heart skipped a beat—to learn that he felt the same way about me.
fast forward a few weeks, and greg’s parents returned from a visit with his newly widowed aunt debbie. debbie graciously gifted greg her wedding ring—a family heirloom dating back to the early 1900s. (the diamonds in debbie’s ring belonged to greg’s great-grandmother, grandmother, and most recently to debbie and her beloved husband jack.) i immediately fell in love with the ring and it’s rich history! below is a picture of debbie’s setting.
while lovely, the size of the band was a bit large on my finger, and the setting was damaged from years of love and wear. we knew the ring would need minor repairs to keep the diamonds safe. greg and i made an appointment at green lake jewelry works, located in downtown bellevue. we were matched with a designer, ben, who facilitated our re-design process. i had a few ideas as to how i wanted the ring to look —thank you, pinterest)—and ben was gracious to oblige my many pictures and email updates. in late april, ben drew up and provided a cad image for us to approve before the true magic commenced.
after seeing this cad image, i was removed from all communication with ben. and then, i waited. and waited.
each summer, greg and i visit lake chelan for the fourth of july holiday with a group of friends. last year, my brother also planned to join in on the fun. i asked greg if we should plan to meet up with nick for dinner and/or a trip to the local safeway. greg said “not to worry,” and that he had been in communication with nick. instead of stopping to meet nick, we pulled in to my favorite winery, tsillan cellars. (if you have the opportunity to visit lake chelan, i highly recommend stopping by tsillan cellars. their rosé is my favorite, and the views from the winery and on-site restaurant are unparalleled.)
we enjoyed an outdoor dinner at the on-site restaurant, sorrentos. it was delicious! around sunset, greg suggested we bring our wine on a walk around the property. i thought it a bit odd to simply abandon our table, but i followed him to a nearby koi pond, situated above the tasting room and restaurant. i have to admit, this part of our story is a bit fuzzy. greg got down on one knee and proposed (!!!). he said he loved me and wanted to spend his life with me. (i also vaguely recall him saying, “i know i get on your nerves, but i love you so much!”) 😉
i said “yes, yes, yes!” we eventually went back to our table, sipped champagne, enjoyed a complimentary chocolate cake, and left to call and facetime with our families. july 3, 2019 was a magical day!
my ring turned out better than i could have imagined! greg and i are thrilled with the design, and the overall process with green lake jewelry works was easy. as a way of honoring debbie and jack—and the treasure they gave us—we have their wedding date engraved inside the band, april 11, 1981.
one year later, i look back on this day and can’t help but smile. it was perfect, and i feel blessed and beyond excited to spend my life with greg!
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