How did you and your significant other meet?

We met almost simultaneously on Bumble and OkCupid... and our first date was at (the sadly now gone) Max's Wine Dive.

As a couple, what are your interests/hobbies?

Hiking, camping, dining out, live music and our pup Murray

When did you know your partner was “the one” and you wanted to get married?

In a way you can say I knew from the moment she sat down next to me at Max's Wine Dive... but I think it was just something that grew and grew over time. That and, after a year or so, she started asking me when the heck are we getting engaged. :-)

What is one of your favorite things about your partner?

Gosh, where do I start? She's freakishly smart, remarkably loyal, and she's way funnier than I am. But she's also weird as f*ck... in all the best ways. So maybe it's that.

What was your proposal like (was the ring a surprise or was it collaborative)?

So, there were two proposals... for the first one I bought a ring and surprised her at the end of a terrible hike. But we decided we'd prefer to create a ring together, so I returned the first one and we worked with Jamie at Balefire to create the PERFECT ring for us. So she knew this one was coming... and she knew what it looked like... but I still managed to surprise her with it with proposal #2 at the giant waterfall on the way up to Sky Pond in RMNP.

Tell us about your wedding (if it has happened yet).

It was a 12 out of 10. It was at the Mountain View Ranch, just outside of Staunton State Park in Pine, CO... with a perfect mountain back drop and all of our favorite people. We had the time of our lives and so did everyone who came. Even our DJ and our videographer said it was the most fun they ever had working a wedding.

Why did you decide to work with Balefire?

Susanna found them. We were interested in salt & pepper diamonds... so I'm not sure if Susanna found them by searching for them in our area or because of the reviews. But we only made two appointments that day... the first was with Balefire... and the 2nd we almost canceled because we just felt like Jamie was a perfect fit for us. But we went to the 2nd anyway, just to say we did. But there was no comparing the two experiences.

What advice would you give to other couples shopping for wedding or engagement rings?

Skip the chains and the commercial jewelers. Find someone you like -- that connects with you AND your partner. Work with someone who's sole focus is to take your vision and make it real.