Continuing our celebration of Stuller’s Year of the Wedding™, we are highlighting stunning engagement rings and the Stuller associates who wear them.
Behind every ring is a unique story. The spark, the first date, meeting family members, the first trip together, the proposal. Everything from the moment you meet to the moment you say “I do” builds on an epic story worth sharing. For Stuller graphic designer Marci, reminiscing on those moments with her husband Josh are particularly special now that they are about to embark on a new journey together as parents. More on that to come.
This is Marci and Josh’s ring story.
Setting the Scene
Marci and Josh had a unique start to their relationship. In the world of online dating, it’s sometimes hard to meet someone in person without some assistance. Friends of Marci, who also worked at Stuller, approached Marci about potentially setting her up with their friend Josh. Marci was not too eager to go on a blind date, but eventually agreed.
On their group bowling date, “it was as awkward as a group date can be and as blind as a blind date can be in the world of social media. I for sure looked him up online before showing up,” Marci said.
While Marci may have thought the first meeting to be awkward, she stayed on Josh’s mind following the date and he eventually worked up the courage to ask her out on a solo date.
The Perfect, Modern Trend
As you might have guessed, things progressed very well for Marci and Josh onward. For nearly two years, their relationship grew and then it became time to consider the next step.
Working in the marketing department at Stuller, Marci has studied thousands of engagement rings. So you can imagine that there was a list of features and styles that she liked. That is, until the day she found the one she loved. While assisting in a photo shoot, she found what would ultimately be THE one. Immediately, she took a picture of the ring and sent it to Josh along with an item number to make sure he got the hint.
“Noted,” he replied. With the help of public relations and social media manager Nichole Guillory, he began to create her dream ring.
While not particular about many of the details going into the ring, Marci provided some guidance to Josh. She was partial to a moissanite center stone and preferred yellow gold or rose gold.
In the end, Marci’s engagement ring was a simple, yet beautiful rose gold solitaire (122004) with a crown setting. The center stone is a 7.4mm round-shaped colorless Charles & Colvard Forever One® Moissanite. Josh wanted his band to match Marci’s so she got him a lightweight comfort fit half round band (IRL11) made in rose gold, a very trendy style for men’s bands.
As a special touch to his band, Marci worked with Stuller’s CAD/CAM Services to inscribe a little note on the inside of the band. “Love, Marci” accompanies their wedding date to serve as an eternal reminder of their new beginning.
Full Circle Moment
There is something else special about Marci’s wedding band that really touches the heart. To provide some background, Stuller was not Marci’s first job in the jewelry industry. She began her journey in jewelry at a local jewelry store in Opelousas, LA while in high school.
Mornhinveg & Castille has been a loyal Stuller customer for nearly 40 years. In fact, Marci was first introduced to Stuller while working as a holiday gift wrapper there at the age of 15. She was a part of the Mornhinveg & Castille family through high school and even during college. For her, it only made sense to honor where she came from.
When she went to visit the showroom, she was greeted by current owner and former Stuller associate, Eric Castro. He was able to give her a perfect buying experience and helped her find the perfect band. She found a beautiful rose gold diamond-set wedding band to match her ring and Josh bought it right out of the case.
This band now serves as a reminder to Marci that you never know where life will take you and how parts of your past can come back to make your future that much brighter.
The Proposal
With the rings in hand, all that was left to do was to seal the deal by popping the question. But it did not happen how Marci thought it would.
Part 1 – She Thought
There was a moment when Marci was sure that Josh was going to propose. They were traveling to a friend’s baby shower out of town when they decided to make a weekend out of it. What better way to spend a weekend getaway than at a charming bed and breakfast?
For an afternoon outing, they decided to visit the local state park. When they arrived, Josh pulled out a picnic basket Marci wasn’t expecting. They enjoy a picturesque walk followed by a magical picnic complete with wine and a cheese assortment. While they were eating a deer came out of the woods and Marci was sure this was a sign that this outing was something out of a movie.
She was so sure that he was going to use that moment to propose. But the moment did not come that weekend, much to her dismay. Although she will admit it was a wonderful weekend that she enjoyed spending with him.
Part 2 – The Real Deal
Keeping her anxiousness to herself, they returned home. But Marci didn’t realize her real surprise was soon coming. The following week, Josh asked Marci to join him for a trip to Avery Island’s Jungle Gardens – home of the Louisiana famous McIlhenny family’s Tobasco® hot sauce factory just south of Lafayette.
She felt a feeling of dejá vu as he brought along another picnic basket on their walk through the gardens. When they arrived at their picnic location, he opened the basket to reveal a dozen roses along with a letter. In the letter was a note to Marci that expressed how he felt about her and presented a very important question.
As she finished the letter and looked up, Josh was waiting on his knee with the ring in hand. After she gave an enthusiastic “YES!”, they joined their families who were waiting for them at a local brewery. They were all in on the plan.
Two Plus Two
Marci and Josh have a beautiful love story that is complemented by gorgeous rings that carry special meaning behind them. These rings tell their story – one as unique as their love. And now they prepare for that love to grow exponentially. After three happy years of marriage, Marci and Josh are expecting twin baby girls to be born next month!
We wish the ultimate happiness to the soon-to-be parents and are sure their love will last as long as their cherished rings that symbolize a lifetime of commitment, stories, and new beginnings.
Pick out your favorite Stuller ring story from the others featured on our blog.
