How did you and your significant other meet?
Ice climbing in Ouray, CO
As a couple, what are your interests/hobbies?
Mountain biking, skiing, climbing, playing with our dog Prince, listening to audiobooks
What is one of your favorite things about your partner?
Jake- I admire her strength and her ability to challenge herself and others as well as her strength to do whats right.
Alysa- I really appreciate how he supports and listens to me whether I'm pursuing my career goals or just having a hard day.
What was your proposal like (was the ring a surprise or was it collaborative)?
Both! The proposal itself was absolutely a surprise (Jake used a placeholder ring) but we worked on designing the ring together afterwards. Jake- I walked around for months with the ring in my jacket pocket waiting for the right place and time. We were visiting Moab, UT and decided to go on a last minute evening hike out to Delicate Arch despite some moody weather and high winds. Alysa- Jake asked if I wanted to take a picture under the arch to which I reluctantly agreed (we already had a lot of pictures of the arch from prior trips). When it was our turn to go up, Jake got down on one knee and proposed to which I started crying and immediately said yes!
Why did you decide to work with Balefire?
Jake- I was working at Framework Cycles and we were brainstorming ideas for student art projects when Balefire and Jamie were mentioned. Living nearby, I went by the shop daily while out on dog walks and I would ask my dog "should I go in?" Eventually I went in without a plan, budget, or knowledge of what size/style of ring to get and we went from there!
What advice would you give to other couples shopping for wedding or engagement rings?
We really enjoyed the ring design process which allowed us to work together as a couple to build something that was true to us and unique despite not having a plan when we started. Trust Jamie and the other Balefire team members! Their vision and efforts to understand what you like/what makes sense for your lifestyle will go a long ways to creating a meaningful piece of jewlry. Try to approach the process with an open mind too, you may find yourself drawn to unexpected metals, cuts, or designs.
