An Engagement Story: Kristin & Justin
Kristin and Justin married in August of 2016 in a beautiful New England summer setting. They recently welcomed a baby girl to their family and in a bit of nostalgia, Kristin sat down with me to revisit their engagement and talk about her custom-designed sapphire ring. Read on to learn more about how this modern couple approached a traditional milestone…
Meaghan: I’ve known you guys for a while now and I only just realized I don’t know the answer to this: How did you two meet?
Kristin: Justin is actually a family friend of one of my best friends from growing up. This was about nine years ago, but that mutual friend, Lisa, was living in D.C. at the time and I visited her a handful of times over the summer. Justin was living in D.C. that summer for a law school internship and we met completely casually through Lisa.
Meaghan: Do you remember your first impression of him?
Kristin: Ha, it was probably not very positive! I was definitely not looking for a boyfriend at the time and I’m sure I was just dismissive of him as just another guy. But, he was a good friend of Lisa’s so we continued to overlap and I came to see that he was so different from other guys I had known up until then. We both ended up moving to D.C. eventually and he actually asked me out on a formal date which was, again, an indicator that he was different. He just had his head together and knew what he wanted. Justin actually had to ask for Lisa’s permission to date me, which I know sounds ridiculous but she was just concerned about her two best friends getting together and what could happen if things didn’t work out.
Meaghan: Oh, that can be so tricky. Especially with people you’ve known your whole life.
Kristin: Yeah, Justin and I were both like, “Oh boy… now we can never break up!” Fortunately, that never became an issue. Justin was just so committed, he is such a stand-up guy and was so much better than anyone I had ever dated before. I knew I wanted him to be in my life.
Meaghan: I know for you, marriage was never a traditional goal. But, here you are. What led to your decision to get married?
Kristin: We had just been together for so long! It felt like it was time. We had talked about marriage, of course. Marriage wasn’t a big deal to me but having kids was very important and we knew we wanted that… so one thing led to another!
Meaghan: Did you have anything in mind for an engagement ring?
Kristin: Well, again, I knew I wasn’t interested in a diamond because it just felt too conventional for me. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted a ring. Honestly, the whole idea gave me the creeps; it felt so overbearing to have this thing given to you that you have to wear forever. But, Justin is definitely more traditional than I am and really wanted something special. So, we designed it together which felt like a great compromise for us. I had control over the design but Justin was responsible for pulling it together.
Meaghan: What a beautiful way to bring yourself and Justin together on something that could have really been contentious. We see a lot of couples who have different expectations and desires in their engagement rings, it’s always great to see how they work out. What did you draw from for inspiration for the design?
Kristin: I knew I wanted something classic and clean, with a low setting. Something that I could wear everyday without having it look out of place. I knew low maintenance was key. At the same time, I wanted something that would look special and unique…if we were going to do this, it needed to be something beautiful. I had a lot of requests, but no real way to explain them or pull them together, which was why it was so incredibly helpful to work with you and Tim. I sent him pictures of things I liked but had no real words for why, and he focused on bringing out the themes of what I was talking about.
Meaghan: Designing a ring can be so challenging when you have no vocabulary for what you’re looking for.
Kristin: Yes, this is definitely not my usual thing! I consider myself creative and I paint, but I am just not an expert in jewelry. I think this is why I enjoyed picking out the stone so much. We chose a bright blue sapphire that really made the ring stand out, and I was so excited about the color. That spoke to me.
Meaghan: So, I know the proposal was still a surprise. How did Justin pull that off when you were so involved in the design process?
Kristin: I stepped away from the design once we had the stone and general layout figured out. Justin took it from there, which was simultaneously nerve-wracking and exciting. I don’t do surprises very well, but Justin loves them and wanted to plan something special. So, I just sort of waited…Justin kept telling me that the ring was delayed and that they were having problems with the setting, but he actually had picked it up one weekend while I was away and had hidden it from me.
Meaghan: Sneaky!
Kristin: Yes, definitely. Then, he planned the day. He took me to our favorite winery but he made me close my eyes on our way so I didn’t know where we were going. When we arrived, Justin told me we had a flat tire which was very believable because we had been having car issues, so I went inside to use the restroom while he figured that out. When I returned to the car, he had tied a small box around our dog Teddy’s collar and told Teddy to come over to me. There was a note (not the ring! Justin was afraid Teddy would run away with it!) in the box that he had written, asking him to marry him. I was so surprised and overwhelmed, and very glad this happened in the parking lot instead of inside in front of a bunch of people. It was perfect.
Meaghan: I love it. Justin had his surprise and Teddy was involved. And you had wine!
Kristin: Yes! All of my favorite things.
Meaghan: Can you describe your design process in one word?
Kristin: Easy. So easy. I’m not someone who knows about jewelry and had no idea of what exactly I wanted. It was so nice relying on you and Tim as my “guides” for this.
Meaghan: Our pleasure. Do you have any suggestions or tips for those about to get engaged?
Kristin: Good luck! (laughs) No really, it’s great. The wedding is the most stressful part of the whole process so once you’re over that, it’s easy sailing!
Venue: Bedford Village Inn | Wedding Photographer: Dan Aguirre
- About the company
Alexandria & Company is an Old Town-based workshop and design studio specializing in creating and restoring fine jewelry and silver hollowware. They are the in-the-know jewelers of Alexandria and have been serving clients out of their small workshop for decades. Tucked in their historic building on South Royal Street, the team at Alx&Co. brings a personalized, modern approach to their craft – this is not your average stodgy jeweler or antique shop. Visit them during their walk-in hours or online to view their collection of handmade fine jewelry or to drop off a repair project; or, if you’re feeling creative, make an appointment to talk about that custom design project you’ve been imagining.
inquiries@alxandcompany.com | alxandcompany.com
121-B South Royal Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.548.0659
Design Studio Walk-In Hours (all jewelry services): Wednesday – Saturday 12-6pm
Silver Workshop Walk-In Hours (all silver repair and restoration services): Wednesday or Friday 12-6pm, or by appointment
Appointments encouraged for custom design.
