A couple holds hands and walks along a brightly lit sidewalk at night, passing by a toy store with colorful displays.

A Spontaneous Mutual Proposal after Finding Perfect Rings

Despite their differing personalities – Jen’s (they/them) extroverted charm and Haley’s (she/her) introverted creativity – they found harmony together. Their journey began on Bumble and quickly turned serious, culminating in a heartfelt, unplanned proposal in St. Joseph, MI. The moment was marked by a perfect ring fit and a mutual decision to get engaged on the spot, blending their love for vintage finds and meaningful locations.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do for work and fun?

We’re an ‘opposites attract’ sort of couple. Jen works as a procurement manager, which is really perfect for them. They get to turn on the charm for their vendors, which makes everyone fall in love with them. I am currently an event planner for a medical society, which is also a great fit for me. 

I am a planner in every sense of the word, and that is reflected in our very unique engagement story. 

Jen loves to do anything extroverted- rave shows, dinner with friends, movies at the park. I am the more introverted one- I love crafting and creating and scary movie nights, but mostly I just love quality time with my fiancé.

How did you know that marriage was something that you’d both want?

We discussed marriage early on. We’ve been together for two years now. 

We had both been in very serious and long-term relationships before. It was clear to us that if we’re doing this, we are doing it through and through. 

Our connection was strong from the beginning, and it just felt like we had known each other forever. 

In January of last year, I reached out to a jeweler to create a custom black diamond and gold band. I planned a backyard movie night with our neighbor’s outdoor projector, intending to propose with a slideshow of us and our friends hiding in the house. 

However, things didn’t go as planned.

What led you to the destination of the proposal?

We visited friends in St. Joseph, MI, a place dear to my heart because of my grandpa. We arrived early and decided to explore downtown St. Joe. We passed a jewelry store and saw a 3-carat oval London blue topaz with a diamond halo, which was almost exactly what I wanted. We went inside to try it on, and it fit perfectly. Jen then found a vintage silver wedding band lined with diamonds that they loved. We talked outside about how it wasn’t an “if” situation but a “when.” We bought the rings and decided to put them on immediately, becoming fiancés. It was spontaneous and perfect for us.

Give us the details of the engagement ring. 

We both found nearly perfect rings at a jewelry store in St. Joseph, MI. Mine was a 3-carat oval London blue topaz with a diamond halo, and Jen’s was a vintage silver wedding band lined with diamonds.

A couple holds hands and walks along a brightly lit sidewalk at night, passing by a toy store with colorful displays.
The couple is seen from behind as they walk hand in hand down a busy street, with blurred city lights and traffic in the background.
A black and white photo capturing the couple joyfully crossing a street while holding hands, with city buildings and pedestrians around them.
The couple shares a kiss under a traditional Chinese gate adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, with bustling city life in the background.
The couple sits close together on a bench, sharing a tender moment and a kiss under a bilingual sign that reads "you are beautiful."
The couple embraces while sitting on a bench, looking lovingly into the camera with a brick wall in the background.
The couple sits on steps outside a building, illuminated by neon lights, sharing a kiss in a romantic and urban setting.
The couple stands in front of a neon-lit restaurant, sharing a kiss and framed by vibrant red and green signage.
The couple stands close together with the woman resting her head on her partner's shoulder, illuminated by neon lights in the background.
The couple sits on stairs, one is eating noodles from a cup while their partner laughs beside her, against a backdrop of vibrant red decor.

Tell us about your spontaneous proposal.

For my entire childhood, my grandparents lived right on Paw Paw Lake, Michigan. I was really close with my grandpa, so the location was very important to me. When we planned a trip there in July, I was excited to show Jen all the places I’d visited and loved as a kid. We arrived too early for our destination, so we decided to kill time in the downtown St. Joe area. It’s a super quaint, mom-and-pop kind of area.

As we were walking around, sharing stories from my childhood, we walked past a small jewelry store. In the window, there was a beautiful 3-carat London Blue Topaz with a diamond halo ring. It was almost exactly what I’d dreamt of. 

We window shopped, walked around, and knew we wanted to go back and have a look at the ring. Jen made a joke, “If the ring fits, we have to take it home.” 

We laughed it off, but the ring did indeed fit perfectly.

Despite already having started the custom ring design process, I found a beautiful silver band lined with diamonds, exactly what Jen wanted. 

We went outside and talked about how this isn’t an “if” situation; it’s more of a “when” we get engaged. 

We discussed how special this place was, and I confessed that I had planned on proposing a few months later with a ring I’d started designing. We looked at each other, and they said, “Are we doing this?” To which I replied, “Yes?”

We went inside, bought the rings, and went back to the car. We had this moment of “Do we wait?” “Should we put them on?” – and we did. From that moment on, we were fiancés.

How do you feel about making the decision to get engaged together?

It’s not super romantic, but it fits us. We made the decision together, we got to be part of the ring choosing process, which we loved, and it just felt like it was supposed to be. 

I called my dad right after and recounted the story, and he said, “Grandpa definitely had a hand in this somehow.” I burst into tears. 

He would have loved Jen and would have been so proud of me for being so authentically myself and loving who I want to love. 

I did show Jen the ring I designed, and they didn’t like it. So, thanks grandpa for helping me avoid that.

What does your engagement mean to you both, has anything changed?

Our engagement solidified our commitment to each other. It means a lot to us, knowing we made the decision together and found rings that we both love. It feels like the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.

The couple leans against a white railing, smiling at each other, with a colorful mural on the wall behind them.
A black and white photo of the couple on a spiral staircase, looking at each other with joy.
A black and white shot looking up at the couple through a geometric metal structure, with the woman making a heart shape with her hands.
The couple shares a kiss in the middle of a street under a traditional Chinese gate, with city traffic around them in a black and white photo.
The couple kisses against a storefront illuminated by green neon lights, creating a romantic urban scene.
The woman kisses her partner on the cheek in a close-up black and white photo, against a detailed decorative wall.
The couple poses on stairs, with the man standing and the woman sitting, both looking confidently at the camera against a backdrop of red and neon lights.
The couple stands side by side in front of a neon sign reading "Hong Kong Restaurant," illuminated by vibrant red and green lights.
A couple holds hands and smiles at each other as they stand under a large traditional Chinese gate in the middle of a busy street.

Photography by Allie Idrac

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