Don’t Postpone Love
As jewelers, we love what we do, and it shows as we have been in the jewelry industry for over 29 years. We have such a wonderful family atmosphere here at Mystique, and we love meeting new people and getting to know our customers – especially when we can help them with that once in a lifetime purchase. We know they are looking for something unique and personalized to their taste. We love to help them find the perfect ring – it is a big purchase, and the right questions need to be asked to be able to make the experience just right!
Adam and Amanda are an adorable couple we got to know through the process of designing an engagement ring and picking out their wedding bands. We had such a fantastic time getting to know them… and we thought you would too. Read on to meet Adam and Amanda and learn how they designed and picked out their rings, and how they’ve managed to plan a wedding in the midst of a pandemic.
Tell us the story of how you two met, how long you have been together, and when you decided it was time to get engaged?
Adam: Amanda and I met on an elevator at work. We worked for the same company, but on opposite sides of the floor, so we didn’t know each other. We smiled and I made a stupid joke, but apparently, I made enough of an impression that she stalked me on our company’s social media to find out who I was. After some quality detective work, she had a mutual friend reach out to me.
When opportunities for our friends setting us up kept falling through, I reached out directly, and we went on a date the next day. We’ve now been together for nearly two and a half years and engaged for five months. I proposed on leap day, which was extra special because our first date was on March 1st, so it would have been our anniversary if it wasn’t a leap year! But I can forever say that I proposed in less than two years.
What made you decide to create a custom ring, and how did you decide on the style? What made the ring you chose special, and why did you design it the way you did for Amanda?
Adam: Amanda was not shy at all about talking about engagement rings and showing me what she liked. Months before I started the process, we went to Mystique to look around and try some rings on. It was the best experience we had ring shopping, so when it came time to really start finding a ring, Mystique was at the top of my list.
Although she never plainly admitted it, there was a ring Amanda found online that I knew was her favorite. It was from a company in New York, so rather than try to work with an out of state company, I reached out to Melanie at Mystique because I knew they did custom designs. I showed her a picture of the ring I wanted to use for inspiration, and she helped me design a ring that was unique and specific to Amanda. Additionally, I knew Amanda wanted an antique diamond, and Melanie was very helpful in finding the perfect one.
What did you enjoy about the design process?
Adam: My favorite part of the ring design process was seeing the CAD drawings at each iteration of the design. It was great to be able to see all the little details at every angle, and I could nerd-out over it a little bit. While it was sometimes difficult to decide exactly what I wanted, being able to see the rendering made it easy to decide what I didn’t want. And Melanie was a trooper during all the iterations I put her through!
Now that you are engaged, how has COVID-19 changed your wedding plans and your honeymoon plans?
Adam: We booked our venue in early March right before everything shut down. We knew we didn’t want a long engagement, so we booked our wedding for November of this year, figuring all the craziness would die down by then. We (and by we, I mean mostly Amanda) took advantage of the quarantine time booking all our vendors. We got everything together in an amazing amount of time! Well, July rolled around and we finally accepted the fact that we couldn’t have the wedding we wanted this year. So, we made the painful decision to postpone our wedding a full year.
Despite this, we knew we didn’t want to wait that long to get married, so we are opting to get married on our original date with a smaller ceremony, just including our immediate family. Luckily, we hadn’t booked a honeymoon yet, so we didn’t have to deal with canceling it. But our dream is to go to southern Italy for our honeymoon, and we’re hoping we’ll still be able to do that next year!
Have you found a silver lining in planning your wedding and what advice do you want to share with all the other couples experiencing the same trials and interruptions as you all are?
Adam: The main silver lining we are clinging to is that I get to wear my tux and Amanda gets to wear her wedding dress twice. It makes the cost of a garment you only wear for eight hours slightly more palatable. But our main advice to anyone else going through this is not to postpone love and your life. Get married like you were planning to, start your life together, and celebrate with your friends next year.
- About the boutique
Featuring old world styles, textures in gold, and styles that are rich yet perfect for everyday wear. Mystique Jewelers evolved from that of custom goldsmith shop into a truly sophisticated boutique, featuring the most coveted designers’ lines such as: Jude Frances, Alberto Parada, Jaime Joseph, Lauren K, KC Designs, and Beverly K as well as creating “one of kind” designs that are timeless, heirloom, and classic. Planning on getting engaged? Our diamond experts, master goldsmith, and designers on the premises will assist you in creating a truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind engagement ring.
123 S. Fairfax Street 112 W Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314 Middleburg, VA 20117
703.836.1401 540.687.3100
