Tia & Stephen

Q: When did you first meet and how?

A: Stephen and I met last year at a fair through a mutual friend. I still remember the moment I saw him walk up. He towered over me as we introduced ourselves. I recall talking to my friend Lorin about how "mysterious" and "sweet" Stephen seemed. Meanwhile, Stephen was trying to find out how to get my number from his friend after leaving the fair.

Q: What about the design made you choose this ring to be the one?

A: I really loved the band of the Sydney ring but I liked the idea of having diamonds on the prongs. I chose the traditional round shape because it is classy and will never go out of style.

Q: In each your own words, can you describe what the days leading up to the proposal were like? Can you tell us about the proposal? (Feel free to be as detailed as possible!) 

A: Stephen’s Side of the Story

I knew after two weeks of knowing Tia that I wanted her to be mine forever. I had planned the proposal for months, not even knowing if the ring would make it in time. I had Tia’s mom, sister, and friend Michaela on standby. The day before Thanksgiving I told Tia that we were going on a fancy date. As we were on our way to the restaurant, I asked her if she wanted to take a detour and grab some coffee. I thought it was a good idea because I love coffee. Turns out I just made it more suspicious.

There is a park right by the coffee shop we were going to. “We” saw paper bags lit up by candles in the park and I said, “Hey, let’s check that out!” As we walked up, there were pictures of us, flowers all laid out along the aisle, and a sign that read, “You Are My One” (what I always say to her). Even though I had a pretty good idea of what her answer would be, I was still extremely nervous. After I asked, and she said, “Yes”, I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for giving me this incredibly gorgeous woman. She motivates me and truly brings out the best in me. I’m so honored that I get to have her as my wife. April 28th cannot come soon enough.

  

Tia’s Side of the Story

We had talked about when we would like to get engaged for a few months but I didn’t know when it was actually going to happen. The day of the proposal I could sense that my sister and mom were acting very weird. But, I went about my day like any other. On our way to dinner Stephen could hardly form sentences. I could tell he was extremely nervous…which was hilarious to me. I didn’t think I would be nervous, but walking up to the park and seeing all the decorations he had done, I literally couldn’t breathe. I even had to ask him what exactly he said to me afterwards because I was so excited and ready to say, “Yes!”

Q: How was your overall experience with Fire & Brilliance? How did you first hear about us?

A: Our experience was good. It was extremely easy to customize the ring and Peter responded very quickly to our requests. We first heard about F&B from a friend. I really wanted a 2 carat ring and didn’t want to pay $15k or more for it—that is just crazy to me. On top of that, moissanites are quality stones that really are brilliant. 

Q: What do you each like doing that is different from the other and can still find admiration for it? 

A: Stephen is a daredevil. He loves jumping off anything with great heights. I’m pretty sure he’ll do anything for an adrenaline rush. Although I love adventure I’m not as brave as he is. I admire his bravery and fearlessness. I love that his “risk taker” mentality filters out into other areas of his life. - Tia

Tia is an executive assistant at a hospital. She knows how to run the show so to speak. She is smart, organized, and loves order. I’m not so put together, haha. Sometimes it causes a clash in our relationship when I want to be carefree and she wants there to be structure. All in all, I admire it because she keeps me grounded. She thinks of details that would never even cross my mind and I’m so thankful for that! - Stephen