[dropcap letter=”G”]riff and I have been together for just over three years, and I proposed to him on February 7, 2016. We were introduced by my then-boyfriend, and were friends and work acquaintances for several months. After my BF and I broke up, Griff and I casually started seeing more of each other socially, and our friendship quickly became much more. When we started discussing marriage, there were no hesitations from either of us. Finally, I decided it was time to make it official and went to work finding the perfect engagement ring, which, for Griff, meant it had to be extraordinarily unique and reflect an important moment in the development of our relationship…the moment he knew he was in love with me.
That moment happened in the wee hours of the morning, on a sand dune in Florida. Griff was alone and staring up into the space (he’s fascinated by anything relating to the universe), and two stars caught his attention. Right at that moment, a meteor passed between them and something clicked inside him, and he knew he wanted to be with me forever. So I had a ring custom made out of Gibeon meteorite, stardust, white gold and moissenite stone, which sparkles more than diamonds, just like the stars he was watching that night on the beach. I popped the question at our favorite brunch spot. “Going to the Chapel” started playing over the speakers and Griff says “That’s a weird song to play for the brunch crowd.”
And then friend of ours appeared with a tray covered in rose petals, and the ring around the stems of three roses laying in the middle. Everyone in the restaurant started cheering, and he said yes. I had arranged a photo shoot in the park immediately after, so that our engagement photos captured our excitement and raw emotions. A few weeks later, Griff and I went to visit his parents in South Carolina, and I was surprised when Griff and his mom presented me with a family heirloom: Griff’s granddaddy’s wedding band. Griff looked up to his granddad as a hero, and to wear the ring he’d worn for 70 years is extremely meaningful to everyone in the family. We will be exchanging another set of bands at the wedding, which will compliment our engagement rings.
by Rick Twombley
Photos by River West Photography
