For years our platonic friendship grew, our friends waiting patiently for our love to coalesce, when finally Jess decided enough was enough and said, "We're getting drinks." That night we made out on a dark dance floor in a basement bar, and we've been inseparable ever since.

It was love at first "swipe." Pepe and I met on a dating app, and I am forever grateful because otherwise I would not have met this wonderful man. He was the first guy I had actually agreed to meet for a date...and the last.

For this engagement inspiration shoot at Feminist Photo Vaycay in Palm Springs the models were Janet and Gabe. When they sent us images of themselves, their smiles were absolutely infectious and the team knew they’d capture that “in love and on vacation“ attitude. 

Artisan jeweler Lori Linkous Devine makes wedding jewelry with a modern aesthetic that is perfectly suited for texture-lovers with an avant-garde streak. Here are six ways her designs set her apart from other wedding rings on the market.

Looking for the perfect engagement ring or wedding band? Here are our 8 favorite rings by Valerie Madison Jewelry.

I loved being able to document the little looks between these two and learn about their engagement story. When Cass first told me about the way Brent proposed I was ecstatic to hear something as romantic as the story she shared! She told me about how Brent invited her to travel to Paris with him, how they spent a few days in the city as girlfriend and boyfriend, and how he surprised her one morning with the question of a lifetime. Doesn’t that sound dreamy and oh-so-romantic?! Brent and Cass left the country as a couple dating and returned ready to promise each other their forever.

Emily's engagement ring is gold with a small diamond and was made for my great-grandmother in the 1940s by my great-uncle in Melbourne. My great-grandmother was a rabble-rousing Anglican woman who loved me dearly and was always kind. It seemed appropriate to give it to a rabble-rousing Episcopalian woman who loves me dearly and is always kind.

We chose to have our engagement photos in Oakland because it's special for both of us. My grandparents migrated from the Fiji islands to Oakland, and his parents from Mexico to Oakland. It was the landing place for both our families – their first taste of a foreign culture where they longed to be and the start of the American dream. 

Matt had been carrying a ring around for over 4 months and proposed on the last day we were in Copenhagen. We were at a dessert bar and he asked the waitress to hide the ring in my pastry, but they almost brought my dessert to the wrong couple! He told me that this place specifically puts gold in their desserts and when I found the ring, I thought it was part of the tart until he got down on one knee. Good thing I didn't eat it! I was surprised to hear that all our family members already knew except me. He nailed it!

We planned this trip just for leisure and our lovely photographer just so happened to have time to meet us in Joshua Tree for a quick engagement session. It was so nice to have such a different landscape in these shots.

Whether the ring is 20 carats or $25, if you’re not the one rocking it, keep your two cents to yourself.

There weren’t many sentimental locations in our city that we could use for our engagement session (unless we did it at Steak ’n Shake where we had our first date) so we decided to leave it up to our photographer, Jasmine. Jasmine amazed us yet again. She gave us a few suggestions and showed us previous engagement sessions at each location, and we loved the look of the battleground, so that’s the one we chose.

One thing I'm looking forward to about being married (other than the typical cliché of spending the rest of my life with my best friend) is being able to call Megan my wife, sharing a last name, and knowing that she will forever be my family.

Are you looking to breathe new life into a family heirloom piece or a vintage ring? We know just the place for you! Bario Neal is an amazing jeweler, not to mention they are an ethical company run by WOMEN. We have profiled their gorgeous, creative, inspiring jewelry before, and we have talked to them extensively about using white sapphires as an ethical diamond alternative. What always amazes us is that many of their rings are one-off pieces created for a special individual, often recycling family pieces.

Tory planned the most elaborate and heartfelt proposal for her girlfriend, Kate, and a run-of-the-mill engagement ring would not do. After dating for seven years and living together for two, Tory and Kate knew they wanted to get married, but both felt ambivalent about engagement rings, as neither wears much jewelry. Tory says that after guessing at Kate’s finger size based on a mood ring, she went into Tiffany’s one day after going for a run, “which was one of the funniest experiences. I was like, can I just look at bands with no bling, and they were very confused why this sweaty woman with no engagement ring wanted to try on wedding bands.” In the end, Tory decided they would make their own wedding bands together at With These Rings in Port Townsend, Washington, and she planned an elaborate proposal leading up to the making of the rings.

They made their rings with Stephanie in January of 2017. “It was one of the best experiences of my life!”, Alex says. Alex had ethical concerns with diamonds, so she knew she didn’t want a traditional engagement ring. Furthermore, she “loved the idea of having completely matching rings. We have a long history of making each other handmade custom gifts (for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, etc.) so the idea of hand crafting matching wedding rings really seemed to be the perfect fit.” They drove to Port Townsend: “We were actually very nervous when we arrived because once you get there it all becomes very real, and for a moment you almost feel like you aren't really going to leave with a real life wedding ring because how could you possibly make it with your own hands in an afternoon?” Alex said she also had “this weird feeling that she was going to mess it up so bad that she’d be asked to leave.” But her fears were alleviated once she met Stephanie: “Once you sit down with Stephanie before the actual metalwork begins, she does a really good job of making you feel at ease and reassures you that you really are going to leave with professional quality rings that you hand craft, and that it will be easy and fun.” Right away, Alex knew she had made the right decision.

These two Americans have been together for twenty years. They celebrated their anniversary, and pre-wedding, with a photo shoot in Hong Kong.

With These Rings is a sweet studio in Port Townsend, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula where you and your special someone can make your own wedding rings and fall in love all over again. The studio tagline is “You Can’t Buy Love, But You Can Make It.” The owner and artist behind the studio and concept is Stephanie Selle, a kind and gentle soul who will ensure you have a pleasant and creative afternoon melting metals and crafting one-of-a-kind rings.

"I proposed to Cameron at Magic Kingdom via caricature. Plans were for me to propose to him on our cruise we took via karaoke, but they only had karaoke the first night of the cruise, and we were at dinner during that time, so I missed my opportunity. When we arrived at Magic Kingdom after our cruise, I had his ring in my backpack and no clue how I was getting it on his finger!! After lunch we noticed a caricature artist, and Cameron was excited, as we had been wanting to do one! There were no appointments for a while so we walked away, but then I came back and booked the appointment and told them what I was planning: she was to draw me on one knee proposing. When the time arrived I was beyond nervous and fidgety; a crowd was gathering and Cameron asked the artist if crowds were common. She played along and said, 'Oh yes, it happens all the time!' When she was finished and turned the picture around, I was on one knee and asking the big question, while Cameron was confused as to his positioning in the picture...a few (what seemed like minutes) seconds later, he realized what was going on, and with tears in his eyes he said YES!!!"

Varun and Amanda met up with me early in the morning on a weekday, on a day when the world was still too cool in the morning to not wear coats, but it warmed up quickly. They told me they met getting their MBAs and joked that their hands brushed while using excel, and the rest was history. We traipsed through the tiny bit of forest we found near the water in Georgetown, DC, as we discussed all things Wes Anderson, and Amanda talk about how Varun has taught her a lot about South Indian food and culture. We ended the session just as most coffee shops were opening and as the sun started to warm the city. 

Six weeks ago, my fiancé Nathan and I were in Park Slope with a jewelry saleswoman encouraging me to try on a $19,000 vintage ring from early 19th-century Europe. That’s right: $19,000.

Seeing that rock, my stomach sank — not because the ring was way out of price range, which it was, but because I didn’t know how to express my diamond ambivalence to the clerk without being rude. After all, her hands were bedazzled with five diamond rings of her own. With the price tag, it should have been easy for me and Nathan to tell her we were going to pass. But as we explained our preferences, I started to feel like my value was under the spotlight — as though the worth of the ring was a reflection of my worth.

Chrissy and Sam initially met through friends in 2014, but at the start it was a slow burn. They had no further contact until four months later when Sam found Chrissy on Facebook. He was about to be a groomsman for his friend and the night before the wedding he stayed up chatting on the phone all night with Chrissy, such that he overslept and was late for duty the next day. Since then they have been inseparable.