From the beginning of my relationship with Liv, taking the next step was always a collaboration. When we decided to make it official, we sat next to each other at an empty Upper East Side bar over cocktails as we deleted our dating apps one by one. A little over a year into dating, we sent each other hundreds of StreetEasy links and finally settled on the perfect Williamsburg apartment to move into with each other (and Liv’s cat, Ella). We’ve worked together to divide up menus to share the perfect meal, plan our social schedules and holidays, and choose which next show to binge.
Throughout those years, we also always talked about what our future would look like, from marriage to how many kids and pets we wanted. After throwing a very successful Halloween party—we pulled out all the stops for food, decorations, and our Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce couples costumes—we felt as if we had shifted into a new “era,” if you will. All our friends from both sides of our lives got along, and we had found home not only in our space, but in each other. We knew we would want to propose to each other within the next year.
When we began talking about engagement, it made sense that it would once again be a collaboration. Since I have covered weddings for publications including Vogue, Brides, and The Knot over the years, I had a bit more insight into the ring shopping process than your average person—but I still wasn’t sure what stone was right for my own hand. Liv had accompanied friends when getting inspiration for their own engagement rings, but hadn’t yet learned the 4Cs, or really thought about what she would want herself. We decided that before diving into designing each other’s rings, we should get to know what we actually would like to see on our hands for the rest of our lives.
On an emotional day after Liv lost her grandfather mid-November, we began talking more about our families and futures together. Spur of the moment, we decided to stop into a jewelry store and try on a few styles. While we were far from choosing our real rings on that day, there was something special about having that moment together. Seeing a diamond on Liv’s finger and imagining a near future where I would call her my wife brought a flutter to my chest and a well of tears to my eyes. (Even writing this now brought about the exact same reaction.)
