Courtney and Brant from the Bellevue store were extremely patient and helpful. I’d told them all about my plan to propose on the Eiffel Tower and that I needed the ring by December 21st in time for our trip. A tight turn around! It was no problem for them and they made sure that time constraints weren’t going to prevent such a great proposal. They gave me some hints for how to stealthily determine Stephanie’s ring size and with that they had the ring ready 4 days later.

The Proposal From Stephanie…
I was completely surprised when Wissam proposed on the Eiffel Tower (just look at my reaction in the photos)!

Our trip to the famous monument on January 3rd seemed like any other vacation site-seeing adventure. Wissam had pre-arranged tickets for the elevator which delivered us to the upper-most level of the tower. However, as soon as we got there, Wissam insisted that we head down to the first level. This didn’t make any sense to me since the view from the top is better, but he persisted for about 5 minutes until I agreed to walk down the 20+ flights of stairs with him.

As it turned out, we needed to be on the first level in order to read the proposal banner on the Champs de Mars below.

Once on the first level, I proceeded to play tour guide since I’d lived in Paris in college. Little did I know he was focused elsewhere!

Continuing the tour, Wissam pointed in front of us and asked, “So what’s that there?” I thought he was pointing to the building at the other end of the Champs de Mars and I paused to try and remember the name. “No, what’s THAT?” he ventured again, this time pointing more strongly down to the grass below us. That’s when all of a sudden I noticed a white banner unfurling on the green below with large print that read “TazTaz will you marry me?” (TazTaz is one of his nicknames for me).

Speechless at first, I said yes of course and gave him a huge hug. Wissam’s brother was also with us on the Eiffel Tower and was an invaluable partner in crime (he texted the guys with the banner to signal the green light). Even more, he was there to photograph the life-changing moments. Thank you, Samer! Honestly,I was so surprised that I completely forgot about the ring portion of a proposal when Wissam bent down on one knee and presented the beautiful 9-diamond band. It was a magical moment and I bent down right away to join him and accept the ring.

As per Lebanese tradition, I’ll wear the engagement band on the right-hand ring finger until I switch it over to the left at the wedding. The idea is that you move the ring to the left upon marriage since it is closer to the heart!

My primary purpose in writing the book was not to make money. In fact, I found out early on that most business books are not profitable. My goal instead was to try to wake people up to all of the scams and gimmicks that are perpetrated on us by so many companies in today’s times. It seems many people blindly accept these deceptive business practices as just the way business is done. However, I am continually frustrated and disgusted by the way many companies do business. I never did have the book published, as I found it would have taken another re-write or two as well as an investment on my own part of fifty thousand dollars or more. However, it is still a subject I’m passionate about and the lack of integrity often found in business continues to disturb and disgust me. I’m a big believer in karma and that we get back what we give in one form or another. In order to know where to spend our hard-earned money, it’s important to be aware of some of the “snake oil” that’s being peddled out there. Thus the purpose of my book is to alert consumers so that they know and understand what businesses and practices to avoid.

Some of the subjects and chapters in the book include:
“Bogus sales” – a new and different sale just about every week with supposed savings of 30, 40, 50%? We all know the truth – the starting price is marked up higher to allow for such deceptive discounts.

“Phoney and Fictitious Claims”. Claims with “guarantees” to grow hair, lose ten pounds in a week’s time, enlarge or reduce various parts of the body, etc.

Extended warranties. Many companies don’t even make a profit on the products they sell, but are able to stay in business from the profits generated by these after-sale warranties.

Joining a club to save money. This one drives me crazy. Needing to have a plastic tag or a special number to save $$$ at the neighborhood grocery store and elsewhere?

Rebates – one of the most frustrating of all. These companies show the price in bold print with a small asterisk that says “after $50. Rebate” or similar. They know full well that less than 25% of the buyers will bother to redeem the rebate.

Zero percent interest scams or “Don’t pay until 2015”. C’mon, we know these prices are marked up to cover the interest charges. Such offers can end up causing a lot of financial trouble later for those customers that are not as fiscally responsible.

There are many more chapters and various other “ruses, rip-offs and outright lies”, but we obviously haven’t the time or space to list them all here.

The bottom line is that wherever and whenever you shop, it’s important to recognize these deceptive and even immoral business practices and avoid the companies that employ such tactics to try to con you. Remember, Caveat Emptor, i.e. buyer beware.

Spend your hard-earned dollars with companies that deserve your business and that have integrity and treat you with respect. In business, buyers vote with their pocketbooks. It’s a powerful tool that can influence how businesses operate and advertise, so be sure to make your vote count!

When Jeremy knew that he wanted to propose, he went to Arizona to meet with her family and get their blessing. He was also lucky enough to get his hands on Sarah’s grandmother’s diamond ring! However, the ring itself was more of a “cocktail ring”, which wouldn’t work for Sarah in a classroom environment (she was teaching 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade special education). Jeremy brought the ring back to Seattle, and took it into the Seattle Belltown EE Robbins right away. Jeremy had been referred to Kim Todd through a friend, and with the advice of Kim and one of Sarah’s friends who discretely came along, EE Robbins helped Jeremy design a new engagement ring which featured her grandmother’s center stone.”The level of expertise and personal attention made this experience one of the most confident and satisfying shopping experiences I’ve ever gone through. Kim was wonderful, and I’m constantly going out of my way to refer business to EE Robbins whenever I can!”

Jeremy wanted to make the proposal special, so he picked the spot where he and Sarah were supposed to have gone on their second date (but got there after they’d locked the doors)…the Seattle Aquarium. He arranged to have a group of mutual friends invite them to tag along on an aquarium visit, and then surprised her during the main diving show where the scuba diver feeds the fish while talking to the audience. As the diver reached for the fish food, she instead brought out a sign that she pressed right up against the glass in front of Sarah. “You’re the Only Fish in the Sea,” it read on the front, then “Sarah, Will You Marry Me?” Sarah looked over at Jeremy in surprise, only to be distracted by the miniature lightbulb inside the EE Robbins ring box (to illuminate the ring in case the aquarium was too dark) before she could give him an answer!

Sarah and Jeremy have been featured as one of the success stories on Match.com, and were invited back into the Seattle Aquarium after regular hours to hold a special engagement photo shoot. Some of those pictures are featured here. They will be getting married on January 19, 2013 at Blue Ribbon Cooking on Lake Union in Seattle.

Engagement photos courtesy of Reema Al-Zaben photography @ reemaalzaben.com

Andres proposed on June 16th, 2010 (his birthday) while we were in Jamaica to attend a wedding.  Even though we had been together almost 3 years, he was the type of person who always told people he just wasn’t ready to get married, so it was a huge surprise.  After a great dinner at the resort and a walk along the beach, we went to our room to sit on the deck watch the ocean.  I asked him if he had a good birthday and he said that he did but that he wanted one more thing.  He got down on his knee and told me he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me!

He had already discussed it with my parents and when they asked him if he had a ring picked out, he said no because he knew that I would want to help pick out my own engagement ring.  So they gave him my great grandmother’s ring to propose with.  Of course I said yes right away!  I was so surprised and excited and finally stopped crying.  I think I was still a little in shock when I said, “I’m going to have a husband!”  He looked at me and said, “And that husband’s going to be ME!”

When we got back from Jamaica, I was excited to start ring shopping right away but the US men’s soccer team was playing in the world cup that morning (we are both huge sports fans).  I knew he was serious about being ready to get married when he suggested that we go to EE Robbins DURING the soccer game!  Lucky for him when we got there, the staff happily turned the game on so we could watch as we looked at rings.

I had an idea what I wanted but Tony patiently showed us tons of styles.  They ordered more cushion cut diamonds so that I would have even more to choose from.  It was so fun!  We finally landed on an elegant engagement ring with a beautiful 1.5 carat cushion cut diamond.  When it came time for the wedding band, they crafted a band that matched my engagement ring perfectly!  We couldn’t have been happier with the service we got.  (Plus, they give my husband cookies and soda every time we go back to have it cleaned.)

We were married in the beautiful Holy Names Academy chapel on April 16, 2011 and honeymooned in Bora Bora.  We live in Seattle with our black lab puppy named Chola (she turned 1 on April 1!)  We love to cook, travel, attend sporting events, watch home improvement shows on HGTV and are always taking on some new home or garden project.  And we think the world of the great people at EE Robbins!

She was nervous at first, but our unique personalities broke through the initial fear, and a wonderful relationship took flight. I knew early on that I wanted to marry her, and we had been very intentional about our feelings as well as the potential prospect of becoming united. I wanted to make sure Brandi was happy wearing the ring of her dreams, so naturally I included her in the picking-out process. One of our good friends had a wonderful experience with E.E. Robbins, so she referred us to the Bellevue location. When we entered the building, we were greeted by Tony Hoag. Never have we been treated with such personal care and respect. It also helped that there were delicious snacks for our enjoyment. Given Brandi’s tastes, he pointed us to a talented ring designer, who was equally helpful. After numerous visits and rough drafts, we were presented with the perfect ring design. We knew without a doubt it was the one. The ring was not only crafted in less time than the expected date, but Tony would email me personally to give me updates on the progress. This personal attention is what solidified my confidence in E.E. Robbins.

The only obstacle I had to overcome was how I would pop the question.

I wanted to do something creative, not just the clique sunset-beach proposal. I remembered Brandi telling me about how she and a high school friend would draw these funny comics in class. I took that idea and created a fantasy graphic novel, where she and I represented the characters in the story – a true Princess Bride spin-off. At the end of the story, the male hero gets down on one knee and proposes to his princess. Unaware that this tied into my own proposal, Brandi was caught off guard when I pulled the ring from my pocket and asked her to be my wife. I remember trembling uncontrollably, but her lips uttered an emphatic “yes!”

We set the date for our wedding on September 4th, 2010. The wedding took place on a beautiful Argosy cruise ship. The weather cooperated, and we were joined on the deck.

Marriage has been wonderful so far. We enjoy snuggling up together on the couch watching a movie and searching for hidden geocaches in the area. Every year, I illustrate another graphic novel to bring remembrance to our engagement.

The ring selection process was fantastic – according to Andre  “I had been to Jared’s and other stores and I felt pressured and hustled more at those locations. At EE Robbins, I felt comfortable, at home, and shown respect.  The sales associates gave me the attention, focus, and education that is needed in deciding a great ring.”  Since, Lonie and Andre are physically in two different locations, it was difficult to decide on the best ring.  But with the use of technology, distance was not a factor in the selection of a beautiful, elegant, timeless ring.

The engagement moment took place in San Jose, CA at a place that they call their own…called Grandview.  It is a restaurant located on top of a hill side that overlook the entire city of San Jose and the bay area.  It started out as a simple trip up there where to grab some wine and desert. They sat down at their favorite table overlooking the view and Andre noticed that Lonie was a bit cold.  He decided right then to put his plan into action.  He said that he had to go to the car to grab a blanket.  During that time, he hid some speakers to play some romantic music nearby.  He slipped on a suit underneath his overcoat so she wouldn’t notice.  When he returned, he secretly hid an object on the fence post overlooking the city.  One year prior, Lonie gave him a love coupon book which lists coupons for couples that say things like, “Turn this coupon in for one day of being angry at each other.  No matter what or how angry you are, remember the love that we share.”  Things like that.  There were over 20 of those coupons.  Andre saved the best one for last which said, “Turn this coupon in for one great surprise.”  So after “cashing in” all his coupons, he told her that he could see something on the fence post.  Lonie said, “Oh it’s nothing, it’s just an ash tray”.  On closer inspection, Andre said, “No, it’s something else. Come quick!”  She replied, “No I’m cold, come back.”  Frustrated, Andre nudged Lonie towards the object.  She picked it up and said, “Oh man there’s something in here, put it back, it’s not ours.”  Andre laughed and said, “Let’s open it and see what it is first.”  Lonie opened it and found a small elephant with diamonds all around it.  The year before, Andre had flown a mission that had taken him to Thailand where he found a fabulous elephant jewelry case made from the local mines there.  When Andre saw it, he knew that it was just right for Lonie.  In his mind, Andre thought that the elephant symbolized an image of ‘always ready to go, always supporting, strong and willing, ready to go at moments notice no matter what’. While playing with the diamond elephant, Lonie said to put it back.  Andre said, “Oops, I think I broke something off” while looking at the ground.  At that moment, Andre got down on one knee in the pretense of looking for something.  He then looked up at her and opened up the Elephant jewelry case and showed her the EE Robbins engagement ring that he had  gotten for her.  She was shocked.  The picture describes it all.

At this point, Lonie and Andre have not set a wedding date.  They are enjoying being engaged!

Over the years, however, we found that several of these Designer lines weren’t a good fit for our brand. Some lines had quality issues; with others their rings just didn’t sell that well. And then when the recession hit in 2007, several of these companies broke their exclusivity agreements, wanting to sell the national chains to increase their suddenly declining sales volumes.  Since one of our core beliefs at EE Robbins is to offer unique styles to our customers that can’t be found all over the town, we elected to drop many of these Designer lines. We have always felt that uniqueness is important to our clients when selecting this very special ring that will symbolize their lifetime commitment to one another.

So for many of the above reasons, we decided it was time that we started designing and manufacturing our own rings. Fortunately we already had a great head-start here. For many years, earlier on in my career, I had designed rings for a major jewelry Co-op, made up of hundreds of stores around the country, I knew that I already had a talent for design. In addition, our Ring Buyer, Susan Greenwood, had years of experience as a fashion consultant and New York fashion model. We had also established a great friendship and a close business relationship with noted Northwest artist, Erik Hall, who over the years designed hundreds of incredible engagement and wedding rings for our clients. We were equally fortunate to find a very talented Production Manager, Julian Lin, not only an expert in jewelry manufacturing, but also extremely skilled in CAD CAM – the state of the art methodology for ring design. We also already had an accomplished  Master Goldsmith and wax carver in Sanh Duong. We were further fortunate to add to our Design team a gifted English Designer, Benjamin Marchant. With this talented group of Designers and others as well, we began to build an impressive collection of magnificent engagement and wedding rings. Not only were these styles beautiful, but we found that we could save up to 30% and more by manufacturing ourselves rather than paying for Designer rings. We not only could offer lower prices on our rings, but we could better control the quality, offer faster delivery and better control our own destiny. Within a few years time, almost fifty percent of our rings were designed and manufactured by us.

However, we still intend to represent a handful of coveted Designer lines in our stores. Lines like Simon G. who offers beautifully made rings that are very well priced; styles by Mark Schneider, who has won more awards for jewelry design than any other Designer on the planet. We also are proud to feature rings by Ritani, a company that has mastered the art of micro-pave’ – a very difficult diamond setting methodology as well as several other lines that we feel that offer our customers diversity of style and are consistent with our uncompromising quality standards.

In closing and without hesitation, I can proudly state that this metamorphous in our merchandising make-up , transitioning from Purveyors of Designer rings to Designers and Direct Manufacturers of our own rings, has been the most exciting and important change since our company was first founded. Our business has improved since we made this transition and our clients have found our rings to be equal to any Designer ring styles that we’ve ever carried. With our expert design team, we are also able to custom design a unique ring for our clients that can’t be found anywhere else in the world and often for less than a pricey Designer mass manufactured ring. This custom process is both interactive and fun. We start with a detailed artist’s sketch, produced by either Erik Hall or Benjamin. Then once this sketch is approved, we build a three dimensional CAD Cam rendering. Then again when our client approves this, we produce an actual wax of the ring. Again, changes can easily be made anywhere along the line. Once the wax is approved, we then produce a casting. From here, when approved, we polish and set the diamonds and voila – one’s own masterpiece – a one-of-a-kind ring that is sure to be cherished forever. Either way, with an EE Robbins in-house ring creation or a custom ring, our clients can’t possibly lose. As most people already know, we at EE Robbins will not compromise on quality. We are totally dedicated to our customers’ happiness and a ring that is truly the ring of our clients dreams, each made to last and be treasured for a lifetime and more.

Joe had heard great things about EE Robbins and chose the Bellevue location. Knowing his fiancee well, he decided they would go together to look at engagement rings. Their sales associate, Courtney, helped them find the perfect engagement ring. Courtney was so friendly, patient and helpful and made them feel so comfortable throughout the process.

Joe decided that Christmas morning would be the best time to give the ring to Stacey. He wrapped the ring up in a series of nested boxes and placed it under the Christmas tree. It made for a very memorable and special Christmas morning!

They returned to EE Robbins for their wedding bands, which fit their personal styles very well. Later that summer they were married on July 31st at Chambers Bay in University Place. It turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day. They like returning to Chambers Bay to enjoy the spectacular view, go for a walk and have a delicious meal.

However, everyone with any decent amount of time and experience looking at diamonds will tell you that they have seen many diamonds that can look great on paper, i.e. on a Gemological Laboratory Grading Report (commonly referred to as a Lab Certificate), but that don’t look so great when compared to other diamonds of similar quality. These diamonds can come with high ratings in clarity, color and cut, but can appear somewhat dull and lifeless, lacking brilliance and beauty. This is especially noticeable when comparing that diamond to a brighter and more beautiful diamond. The reason for this is because of the actual rough material formed in nature. There are no categories or descriptions of this rough diamond material on any Lab Report. However, this may in fact, be the most influential aspect affecting a particular diamond’s beauty and brilliance. Every diamond expert knows that a Lab Report only tells a part of the story regarding a diamond’s beauty and brilliance.

Those that buy diamonds sight unseen usually either don’t understand this fact or they may not really care. Some shoppers feel that good enough is, well… good enough. Or maybe they are buying a diamond sight unseen because an online diamond company’s representative did not tell them the truth in a phone conversation or via instant-chat. To test this, I recently used an alias and had an online instant chat with a representative from one of the most recognized internet diamond companies.

The following is part of the transcripts from that “conversation”:
You have been connected with Josh
Josh: Hello Sam
Sam: Hi. I have a ring that my Grandmother gave me and I’m looking for a one carat diamond for it. I would like to spend no more than $5500.
Josh: I see – Thanks. One moment please
Josh: Here is a diamond that is actually below budget. It offers what we would call, ‘visually perfect’. Meaning, it will
appear colorless to the eye, unless it were to be compared to much higher graded diamonds, and the Clarity of VS2
means there are no eye-visible flaws. Most importantly, the Cut Grade of Ideal will guarantee the most brilliance, fire and scintillation.
Sam: should I click on this link?
Josh: Yes, that is to the diamond I was referring to.
Sam: It’s not a one carat?
Sam: I already found one this size that had even a higher grade at a local jewelry store
Josh: I did find a 1.00ct that is the same VS2 Clarity and Ideal cut under your budget.
Josh: I’m sending you the link to view this diamond : www.(companynamewithheld.com) #  XXX 416805.
Josh: I should say, though, that you would hardly see the size variance between the smaller diamond I sent to you before
Sam: Do you have this diamond in front of you?
Josh: We have 70,000+ diamonds, they are vaulted all over the world. However, based on the GIA diamond certificate,
I know that this diamond is going to be perfect to the eye. That is how we have become such a popular company.

Here is the most important part of this “conversation”

Sam: They told me at a local jewelry store that diamonds that have the same grades can look very different from one another.  Is this true?
Josh: That’s not true – Especially for Round diamonds. A  Round Excellent cut is about the best you are able to receive in terms of visual perfectness. You really can’t do better than perfect.
Sam: so every diamond that is Ideal cut and has I color and VS2 will look exactly the same?
Josh: That’s correct – If you had 2-3 diamonds side by side, only a skilled diamond gemologist would be able to determine which is which.
Sam: okay, I’m getting conflicting information here from what I was told when shopping at some well respected jewelry stores. I think I need to investigate this more.
Josh: Sure, I would encourage you to do so

As you can see, this representative did not tell the truth. Either he just doesn’t know the truth or he is being intentionally untruthful. Please understand that I am making no assumptions regarding their true intentions. It should be mentioned that these same kind of untrue answers were received when our other associates had similar “online chats” with other representatives from several of the most popular online diamond companies. This is upsetting since the average diamond shopper is relying on this representative and other associates of internet diamond companies to provide them with accurate information, so that they can make a wise decision in their diamond purchase.

Another fact to be aware of with most internet diamond companies, is that they normally do not own nor do they even normally see the diamonds that they are selling. All they usually see is an accredited Gemological Laboratory Grading Report, which as we reminded you earlier, does not adequately describe the diamonds actual brilliance and beauty. If we could buy diamonds from just looking at their Lab Reports or by fax, phone, e-mail, etc. and still insure that we had the most beautiful looking diamonds for the money, I can assure you that we would do so. Then we would not have to send our Diamond Buyer, Brant Kane to the diamond centers of the world to hand-pick each and every diamond. Sending Brant overseas several times per year to select our diamonds costs our company quite a bit, when you consider the airfare, hotel costs and the time he is away from our company. However, it is also critical to send Brant there in order to insure that we are offering our customers a selection of the brightest and most beautiful diamonds possible.

If we could simply buy diamonds from a Lab Report or by fax, phone, e-mail, etc and still insure that we were getting the most beautiful looking diamonds for the money, believe me, we would not hesitate to do so. However, the fact is, you have to see a diamond in person and compare it to other diamonds, in order to find the most beautiful diamonds. Just like most things in life, there are usually no short-cuts to success.

So knowing these facts, why would anyone buy a diamond sight unseen?

Most diamond experts are still amazed that anyone would buy a diamond without seeing it up close and comparing it to other diamonds. The answer is that most online diamond purchasers just don’t know the truth about diamonds – that diamonds with the exact same ratings can look very different from one another. And that even the finest quality diamond (on paper) may not be the most beautiful and brilliant diamond, when compared to a similar quality diamond.  One other answer is the reality that some people shopping for a diamond just don’t care about finding the most beautiful diamond for their money. As long as they can find a diamond that looks good and is affordable, they’re content. The irony here, is that quite often, a diamond of a lower color or clarity or even cut or any combination of the three can appear to be brighter and more brilliant than a diamond with higher grades. Sometimes, the less expensive diamond is even more beautiful, so it always makes sense to see diamonds in person and compare one to another before purchasing your diamond. Another fact is that just like many other things, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, so what is beautiful to one person may not be beautiful to another. This is also very true in diamonds.

When shopping for diamonds, remember the adage: Caveat Emptor, which translated from Latin, means “buyer beware”. Even an associate from the most well known online diamond company may not be telling you the whole truth. I’d suggest that you shop at a reputable jewelry store and look at a lot of diamonds and take the time to compare one to another. Look at these diamonds under the proper lighting, using a 10X calibrated Gemscope with the guidance of a Graduate Gemologist or Certified Diamontologist. You should always listen to your intuition. If you don’t trust the person or the company showing you diamonds, then don’t buy from that person or company.

It is wise to make sure that there is an accredited independent Gemological Laboratory Grading Report with the diamond and to look at its ratings, but do NOT buy the diamond based strictly on its grades. These grades are just for your protection, to give you an idea of the quality of that particular diamond and a rough reference for price. However, these grades are not meant as a complete description of the diamond any more than a drivers license will adequately describe you or the one you love.

The diamond that you should purchase is a diamond that you have seen with your own eyes, that you have viewed using the proper gemological equipment and that you have compared it to other diamonds at the same store and at the same time.

Remember that the human mind is incapable of storing the concept of color, beauty, brilliance, etc.  So once you leave that store, you will not be able to remember exactly what that diamond looks like. It’s best to purchase the diamond that looks the brightest and most beautiful to you, the diamond that appears under natural light to have the most life and sparkle, the diamond that seems to call out to you. This is the diamond that you’ll want to own, to give to the one you love and plan on sharing your life with.

“I was actually the one who caught Jason’s eye with my incredible looks.  It runs in the family. We went on our first casual date and had some chicken teriyaki.  Afterwards, we talked a lot on the phone because at the time he lived in Silverdale, and I lived in Tacoma.  During the week we were very busy, so we would just converse on the phone for hours during the week, and see each other on weekends.  The distance was actually a blessing because we were able to truly communicate and we realized that we shared a lot of values and beliefs.  We knew early on that we were meant to be.  From then on we were inseparable.  We love to live life to the fullest.  We have made it a point to try a lot of different things such as snowmobiling, a glass blowing workshop, go kart racing (I won!), sand dunes buggy ride, hot yoga, and we plan to go sky diving.”

“We did things a little differently…Jason asked me to marry him before he had a ring.  So after he asked me to marry him we went online and looked for places to look for an engagement ring.  We first went to Jared’s in Tacoma, and were there quite some time.  Nothing really stood out to us, so we decided to look at EE Robbins.  I decided to look it up on Yelp and there were some great reviews.  So, after church one day we headed to Seattle to EE Robbins.  When we walked in we were greeted by Ben.  He was very friendly and offered us some refreshments.  I must have asked to try on at least 15 to 20 different rings and he was very patient and friendly…I think it was because I kept Ben entertained the whole time since I was constantly cracking jokes.  We even shared a very funny moment, but I promised Ben that I would keep it between him, Jason, and myself.  Ben is actually a pretty funny guy himself.  I think I helped bring it out of him.  Anyway, the moment I was waiting for finally happened…I saw the ring that was for me!  I tried on the ring and I knew that it was the one.  Of course, I had to get Jason’s approval and he agreed.  It felt great to finally find the right ring for me.  We decided since EE Robbins and Ben were so great that we wanted to get Jason’s wedding ring there as well.”

“Our engagement moment was a little different because it was a surprise to both of us.  In fact, it happened when it did due to circumstances out of our control.  My husband is in the Navy, and he had to go to Chicago for a month to go to school for his next duty station.  He was supposed to be gone for a month, but it ended up being a month and a half.  We had never been away from each other for that long.  It’s true what they say – Absence does make the heart grow fonder.  One night he called me and told me that being away from me made him realize how much I truly meant to him.  It solidified the fact that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.  So he told me he wanted to marry me when he gets back.  Even though I didn’t get to spend that evening with him on a romantic beach somewhere, it was one of the best evenings of my life.  It felt good knowing I had found the love of my life.”

“We got married on December 10, 2011 at St. John’s Church in Tacoma.  It was important that we got married in a church because God is the head of our life.  The church was already beautifully decorated, so I didn’t have to worry about much.  It was an amazing ceremony, and afterwards we had a small reception with our closest family and friends that have been there for us throughout our life.  We ended the night in Seattle with a suite at the Alexis Hotel, compliments of my wonderful parents.”