When you design engagement rings for a living, you meet a lot of couples. Over the past five years, I've gotten to hear countless love stories and I thought it would be fun to share them. I have asked our first couple, Maggie and Eliot, to answer a few questions about their relationship; how they met, who said I love you first, etc. Neither has seen the other's answers...until now.
Their engagement ring is aptly named the A-Frame, inspired by the couples' love of architecture and the outdoors.
HE SAID:
How did you meet Maggie?
I met Maggie underground on a subway car after noticing each other for some time, but never catching each others eyes until one morning.
How long have you been engaged?
7 fantastic months.
Who asked who out?
Maggie handed me her phone number and then leapt out of the subway on our morning commute before the doors closed, leaving me grinning. We then later ran into each other on a busy sidewalk and started to get to know each other after I asked her out for coffee.
Who kissed who first & when?
I'd say it was mutual and also fitting that it happened under a birch tree on the high line - a bit of nature in the city.
Who said I love you first? / When did you realize you loved each other?
It's difficult to pinpoint a specific moment since we felt incredibly connected and at ease with each other early on. For me these feelings evolved naturally and became more concrete with our relationship. I believe that Maggie first expressed what we were both feeling about a year in.
How did you propose?
I proposed on a late afternoon in November over a picnic on a Brooklyn Bridge Park pier. It was brutally cold but perfectly deserted and it felt like we had the whole city to ourselves. I gave her a homemade wooden ring as a gesture knowing that we wanted to design THE ring with Shahla!
What is your favorite thing about Maggie?
Her commitment and energy devoted to everything she does and curiosity for things she has yet to do.
What would she say is her favorite thing about you?
No clue, but maybe my ability to keep myself entertained during long car rides while she is sound asleep in the passenger seat.
What is the best thing Maggie has ever whittled? Be honest.
A spoon - from a birch tree.
SHE SAID:
How did you meet Eliot?
I gave Eliot my number on the subway after we had been seeing each other from afar for almost a year on our commutes to work. It turned out he was dating someone at the time, but months later we ran into each other randomly on the street and they had since broken up. The rest, as they say, is history.
How long have you been engaged?
7-ish months
Who asked who out?
I asked Eliot out after seeing him from afar in the mornings on our subway commute for close to a year (if you can call shoving your number into someone's hand and running off the train before they have a chance to respond asking someone out). I guess we had similar routines in the morning and I'd see him on the same train car as me fairly frequently. He seemed truly outdoorsy, which at the time felt impossible to find in NYC. I never expected anything to come of it, and for many months, nothing did!
Who kissed who first & when?
I'd say it was a mutual smooch, under some birch trees on the High Line.
Who said I love you first? / When did you realize you loved each other?
I don't know if there is a specific moment I realized I loved Eliot - the feeling of adoration grew pretty quickly into love as I saw how purposefully and creatively Eliot lives his life. I think we knew it early on, but we waited almost a year to actually say it, and I think I said it first in context of a conversation we were having about saying "I love you".
How did he propose?
Eliot surprised me over my birthday weekend with a picnic on one of the new Brooklyn Bridge park piers. It was a 40 degree November day and no one was around. I was so stoked for the little picnic he made, where he created his own cocktail (he was making cardamom syrup and testing cocktail recipes at 9am while I was at the gym earlier that morning), and brought an entire cheese board full of treats. The whole time I was thinking this was all just a really sweet birthday surprise. Then, he pulled out a wooden ring he whittled (I know :-)) and asked me to marry him. At first I was totally surprised because although we had talked about getting married, Eliot is a big romantic gesture kind of guy and private person, and I would have guessed he would want to do it in a more outdoorsy spot so I never saw it coming. But then it sank in and of course... Yes! Duh!
What is your favorite thing about Eliot?
It's hard to pick just one, but one of my favorite things about Eliot is he makes whoever he's talking to feel like they're the most important person in the world, even if they're a total stranger. He's an excellent listener and has an abundance of empathy, arguably one of the most important qualities a person could have.
What would he say is his favorite thing about you?
Oof. Tough to say. Definitely the way I sing Beyoncé in the shower?
What is the best thing Eliot has ever designed / built?
Eliot has created so many incredible things ranging from perfectly formed whittled objects, to dreamy drawings of a sauna he wants to build, to designing and building a full on timber frame cabin (currently in progress) that it's hard to choose. I think my favorite thing so far though has to be the A-Frame he built for his brother and sister-in-law to spend their wedding night in. He surprised them with this adorable abode after having worked on it with in secret over a summer. It was truly special.
1 comment
I am Maggie’s dad…watched the whole thing unfold. It’s been a beautiful experience. Eliot is a terrific guy!
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