Monica Corley & Maury Winter, Golden, CO
How did you and your significant other meet?
Our love story felt straight out of a romantic comedy. Maury actually saw me on a video interview for the company he worked for, and he says he was instantly smitten but convinced he would never see me again. To his surprise, I ended up accepting the job and months later, on my first day, we officially met for the first time. I felt the electricity between us immediately, and we started inventing excuses to spend time together at work. We went to lunch together one day and accidentally spent hours together laughing and talking about our deepest thoughts. We built up a strong friendship over the next few months—both of us secretly being obsessed with each other—until we finally decided to get together. We have been inseparable since then!
As a couple, what are your interests/hobbies?
We love all the typical Colorado things, like camping and hiking, going on outdoor adventures and seeing the wildlife, especially birds! When we have to be inside, we enjoy cooking and eating good food, cuddling with our two beautiful kitties, playing strategy board games, and watching football or Formula 1. We value quality time with our family and friends, and we love experiencing new things and meeting new people!
When did you know your partner was “the one” and you wanted to get married?
I knew Monica was “the one” within days of knowing her… I had either found the love of my life or was destined for heartbreak. I had never met someone who carried herself the way she does – with the most incredible combination of knowing her worth, while not taking herself too seriously. Just simply being herself, Monica would teach me a very important lesson – that it is okay to explore yourself with curiosity instead of judgment. She taught me that it was more important to take risks, fail, and learn than it was to be perfect. I knew she was the one with whom I wanted to share the ups and downs of my life.
What is one of your favorite things about your partner?
Everything about Maury is my favorite! He is the funniest person I know, and he sees the best in everyone. He is always open to new experiences and loves challenging himself to be the best version of himself. He is so supportive and encouraging and makes everyone around him feel like the most special person in the world. I have never met anyone else with the same insatiable curiosity about life, and he has pushed me to grow in ways that I could not on my own. I truly believe your partner should be someone who you want to be more like, and I would be very lucky to be half the person Maury is.
What was your proposal like (was the ring a surprise or was it collaborative)?
While the ring was collaborative, the proposal was a complete surprise! Maury took me out to a fancy dinner the night before to fake me out – and it definitely worked. The next day, one of my friends picked me up to go to an arts festival, but instead I was sent on a scavenger hunt to all of our favorite places around Golden. At each stop, one of my closest friends or family members (who flew in from all across the country) gave me the next clue, until I eventually found Maury waiting for me with a romantic picnic! He even built in an outfit change stop so I could feel my best during the proposal! It was the most perfect weekend: we had our alone time at dinner, and then the next day we got to be surrounded by our people. We both felt so loved and honored that everyone traveled so far to be with us (the weekend of the major tech outage too!).
Why did you decide to work with Balefire?
It was an easy decision for us to work with Balefire! The moment we entered the studio, we felt immediately at ease and inspired by all of the beautiful work around us. We got to meet our artist, Baleigh, and we could tell how passionate she is about her work. We knew we were in good hands and that our ring would be uniquely “us”. We really loved being able to meet the artist behind the work, and because of that, we feel like the ring is so much more special.
What advice would you give to other couples shopping for wedding or engagement rings?
Find a jeweler you connect with and whose work you love (like Balefire!) – that way you can communicate with them directly and trust your ring will turn out exactly how you want it! Start a Pinterest board with all the ring photos that inspire you and try to nail down what stones you like and what type of ring you want (for example, I knew I wanted a sapphire and a vintage-style ring). For me, I spent a lot of time curating my favorite inspiration photos, and then I wanted Baleigh to have some free reign to design something unique because I felt like I was getting a piece of art and I did not want to be too prescriptive. After that, we went back and forth on the design and tweaked things here and there but I ended up going with the very first design! Whether you go this route—or you know exactly what you want—just be very communicative and don’t settle for anything less than your perfect ring!
What is the name and social media links for the photographer to credit for any photos you shared with us?
Nina Rini: @therinisphotoandfilm Allie: @rowdyalliephoto
