How did you and your significant other meet?

We met thanks to Hinge in early March 2020, just a few days before lockdown began. Despite Nik running late to our first date, we hit it off immediately, and we were able to squeeze in two more dates before the world changed and we weren't supposed to be out and about. Thankfully, by then we knew we wanted to be each other's "pod" mate :)

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

We knew that we wanted to get married, and we decided that Nik would propose at some surprise time of his choosing. Unbeknownst to Meredith, he bought a ring almost immediately and considered proposing on multiple occasions. However, the proposal hadn't happened by fall 2023 when we were going on a trip to Europe, including a week in Paris, a very special place for Meredith. Thinking that was likely to be the place where he'd propose (and it was about time!), Meredith decided to surprise him back with a ring and a proposal of her own. To make a long story short, let's just say Nik lost the ring he brought and had to hustle to find a replacement while in Paris, so it wasn't until their last day in the city that he got down on one knee in a park after an afternoon snack of eclairs and ice cream. Meredith said yes, let his nerves recover, and then also got down on one knee to his shock and delight. He said yes! The rings we exchanged were inexpensive placeholders that we ordered online since we knew we wanted to collaborate on something special after the proposal.

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

We loved our wedding! We decided to have a very small ceremony in South Valley Park where we had one of our first dates, and then we hosted a reception a few days later for all our friends and family at Coohills restaurant in downtown Denver. It was wonderful to combine our love of the outdoors with our love of the city and delicious food, and it felt right to have a very intimate ceremony with a separate big dinner and dance party celebration later. We felt incredibly loved throughout our wedding week, and we just had so much fun!

Why did you decide to work with Balefire?

We found Balefire online after feeling disappointed in what we were finding for online ordering options and stores in Denver. It looked like Balefire was the more creative vibe we were looking for, and we discovered that was totally the case when we visited the store in person. We felt welcome, we didn't feel pressured, and it was clear that we were free to think outside the box for engagements rings. Very quickly, we knew that Balefire was the kind of store we had been looking for!

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

Don't be afraid to keep looking! The internet is saturated with engagement ring marketing, and it can be difficult to wade through all the options until you find something that works for you. But, don't give up, and don't feel like you have to go with the first company you reach out to.

What is the name and social media links for the photographer to credit for any photos you shared with us?

David Lee is the name of our photographer, and his handle on Instagram is @whiteumbrellaphoto.