How did you and your significant other meet?
Short answer, bowling. Long answer, we were both league bowlers at the same bowling center for many years, but we bowled on different nights. However, my teammate and I were scheduled for a make-up game on Jason’s league night, and we ended up on the lane next to him. He offered to buy me a drink and I turned him down, but he kept talking to me anyway.
As a couple, what are your interests/hobbies?
Since we met more than 10 years ago at a bowling alley, it should be no surprise that we now bowl on a league together. We also raised a teenager together, but I’m sure that doesn’t qualify as a hobby. In the past few years we’ve also enjoyed working together on home improvement projects for our fixer-upper cabin. I do the planning and the woodworking, he makes the plans happen and does the dirty work. But what we mostly enjoy doing is just being together in the small moments. Those seemingly inconsequential times that are, in reality, the really important ones. Sitting quietly together with no pressure, no expectations, no judgment, just cuddly fur babies and maybe a sci-fi movie or show on the TV.
When did you know your partner was “the one” and you wanted to get married?
When he found out this amazing show that I’d introduced him to was only 14 episodes and a movie, and didn’t leave. ;)
What is one of your favorite things about your partner?
Alison: He has nearly boundless patience and an incredibly generous spirit. As an example, after his own son stopped playing football, he continued to coach youth teams for another 10 years with only the gratitude of the players as payment.
Jason: Her intelligence and desire to learn along side an ever evolving passion in her interests, and her genuine caring nature for her friends and family.
What was your proposal like (was the ring a surprise or was it collaborative)?
The proposal was, well, awkward. :) We’d been designing the ring with Jamie for months so I knew when the ring was done, and it was ready in time for us to celebrate our 10th (dating) anniversary. He knew that I knew that he was going to propose that night, and so it was funny (at least to me) that we were both nervous wrecks. But, instead of suffering through an entire night of stilted conversation and nervous glances, he decided to propose while we were at home before we left. It was very sweet and also very, very us. We were able to enjoy the rest of the evening and I got to wear my amazing new ring for the first time!
Tell us about your wedding (if it has happened yet).
We decided to keep it small, simple, and as stress-free as possible. We hired Iver Marjerison of Colorado Micro Weddings to help us find vendors for only what we needed. We were able to work with the officiant to craft our ceremony to suit us precisely and hire a photographer and videographer for only the few hours we needed. We were married at our cabin just outside of Boulder with only our son Taylor in attendance.
Why did you decide to work with Balefire?
I am ridiculously picky about, well, everything so I knew that I would want to work with a designer who could truly craft a one of kind piece for us. I knew Jamie in a previous life and knew her to be an amazing human. Her care for others shines through in the business that she’s built in Balefire. I loved the work that she and her staff were doing at Balefire so they were my natural first choice.
What advice would you give to other couples shopping for wedding or engagement rings?
Identify a realistic budget, get an idea of what you like and what you don’t to help guide the conversation with your jewelry designer, and be patient! Crafting a truly unique work of wearable art can take time.
