Our Engagement Story

Photography: Ugo Photography

Florals: Bloom Scout 

During last week’s Instagram Q&A, I got a ton of questions about my engagement story with Adam. We’ve been married for almost ten years so I’ve never quite delved into content on our wedding or how we even navigated the engagement process – let alone share any pictures. 

We scraped together what we had to pay for a wedding photographer, let alone capture an engagement session so getting to do one ten years later in collaboration with JamesAllen.com was a real treat for us! As I’ve mentioned, Adam and I had known each other since we were about 10 (me) and 12 (him). Though friends as teenagers, we never dated and it certainly wasn’t on my radar. Around 18 however, things changed and the friendly MSN Messenger chats (I’m totally dating myself here!) we had went from casual conversations to something much more. Fast forward to almost two years of dating and he finally popped the question. 

Ever the romantic, Adam booked 2 tickets to Montreal for the day (I had to be back home for curfew). Once we landed, we spent the day walking around the city, perusing boutiques and enjoying being in a city that feels so foreign and yet feels just like home. He asked me to pick out an outfit for dinner and following our meal, we took a horse carriage ride through town. After stopping in an alleyway, Adam asked me to get out of the carriage and despite my stubborn reservations about poking around some sketchy alleyway, I agreed. To my surprise, he had a stoop ladder pulled down and ready with flowers on it as he bent to one knee and proposed – I was completely blown away and shocked. We quite quickly noticed the time however and after one blurry photo was snapped of the two of us caught in the moment, we galloped (literally!) back to town so we could catch a cab ride to the airport. 

Aside from the memories of that day, the other memento I always have to reflect on that way is my wedding ring. What I loved is that Adam designed it himself taking the time to think about what he thought would reflect my style now and then. While I do love my ring, we do have our ten year anniversary next year and I can’t help but find myself trying on  different types of rings perhaps in celebration of the bring 1-0. The team at JamesAllen.com was also kind enough to send along some sample rings for our shoot so I could give different styles a test drive for our couples shoot. 

A concept completely foreign to couples like us over a decade ago was the idea that you could buy your ring online. Thanks to the brand’s Diamond Display Technology, you now can get a 360-degree view of the ring that’s caught your eye which gets you a heck of a lot closer than the glass window often separating you from your dream ring. Comparing two rings side by side becomes much easier in spotting possible imperfections or angles you may like on one but not another. 

The brand features Canada Mark diamonds – one of the most popular brands in the world when it comes to diamonds. If you’re unfamiliar, the brand is sought after because of the organic diamonds it represents and lack any treatments some brands will use to enhance features of the diamond. Each stone has a traceable story (which I love) since they hail from mines in the Northwest Territories. As the exclusive online distributor of this brand, JamesAllen.com proves how committed it is to to giving you the best diamond with the best qualities. 

If we do decide to add to my set or possibly create a new setting, I also love that the option of creating a custom design once again is a route we can explore. Whether the setting is gold, rose-gold, platinum or white-gold, there are so many options available now. And don’t get me started on the convenience of being able to shop online. The process of searching for a jeweller can be a lengthy one and often finding the time to work around their schedule is a nuisance. It’s such a big decision and a pricey one so it’s nice to be able to make decisions you’re comfortable with in your own time. 

What is your engagement story if you have one? I’d love to know! 

Thank you to JamesAllen.com for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.