Courtney & Zach
What was your ring buying experience like?
Z: My experience with Chelsea was amazing! She was so helpful with every key detail, from the ring to the proposal and everything in between. Chelsea has a unique way of taking all of your thoughts and ideas and turning it into something that's so much better than anything I could have imagined. Plus, she's just a cool, down-to-earth person to work with, which made the experience even better. Anyone who has plans to propose should work with her!
Why did you choose Honey Designs to design your ring?
Z: I found out about Chelsea and Honey Designs through a friend of Courtney's, whose now-husband worked with Chelsea a few years back. He kept saying how awesome and helpful she was to work with, so when it came time for me to propose, it was a no-brainer! I reached out and heard back from her right away, and from there, we were off!
What surprised you the most?
Z: Again, I was just so surprised (and grateful!) at how Chelsea was able to take any thoughts or ideas I had and make them so much better. One of the earliest surprises for me was when I first met with Chelsea to talk about everything. That night, within a few hours of meeting her, she sent me a ton of early renderings for different ring ideas. I was so shocked at how quick she was, and it's just a testament to how efficient and dedicated she is to making one of the best days of your life absolutely perfect. She gets just as excited as you are for the proposal, which made it a lot of fun. And of course, another huge surprise moment was when I finally got to see the ring in person for the first time. Everything I had imagined was right there in front of me, and I couldn't have done it without her!
C: Honestly, I was most surprised and totally blown away by the insane amount of hoops Zach had to jump through to make the proposal perfect. Knowing everything now just totally blows my mind. I can only imagine how helpful Chelsea was for him during this process!
What do you love most about your ring?
C: I love so many things about my ring, but I especially love that it came from Zach. I know how much thought he and Chelsea put in to make it perfect, and they absolutely nailed it! Of course, he had an idea of what I liked and what I didn't, but I couldn't have even imagined the amount of detail they thought through! Not only do I have a ring that I absolutely love, but knowing it was made specifically for me by the man I love (with Chelsea's insane talent and expertise of course) is a pretty amazing feeling.
How did you & your significant other meet?
Z: Courtney and I have known each other for a long time, even longer than our 10-year relationship as a couple. We first met back in high school, where we hung around the same group of friends. We eventually had a class together which was all about, well, relationships. From then on, a great friendship grew until we went our separate ways. But as fate would have it, our paths crossed again a few years later in college, and that's when our own relationship finally blossomed.
C: Coincidentally enough, Zach and I met in 5th period "Relationships" class on the first day of my junior year, and his senior year, of high school. What started out as a really rough day for me (high school, amiright?) turned into me meeting my best friend on the planet. We immediately hit it off and it's been filled with Scrabble, Photo Hunts, and Uno ever since. After a few years of friendship, we made it official and have been together ever since. Zach proposed on our 10 year anniversary, which couldn't have been more perfect.
Where was your first date?
Z: Yellowsprings! But yeah, like Courtney said, we were friends for so long before we were together that it's kind of hard to tell. We both decided that a day trip to Yellowsprings we took shortly after making it "official" was probably the closest thing to a first date that we have. We spent the day hiking, going to shops, and eating pizza, and Chelsea was actually able to help me sort of "recreate" our first date for the proposal, which was awesome!
C: Ohhh good question. Because we were friends for so long before we started officially dating, it's hard to tell what technically counts and what doesn't. However, we consider our first date to be a day trip to a little town called Yellowsprings.
Where’s your favorite hidden gem in Cincinnati?
Z: I'm not sure how "hidden" this place technically is, but there's a diner in Northside called Blue Jay that we spent A LOT of time at together when we first started getting into vinyl and record collecting. Every Saturday, we'd get brunch at Blue Jay before heading out to different record stores in the city trying to find our favorite albums on vinyl. Some of my favorite Cincinnati memories!
C: Same here!
Favorite Way to Spend a Date Day/Night:
Z: With us, it really just depends on our mood. Most of the time, we'd prefer to be at home with our dog and cat watching a TV show or documentary, eating a delicious meal, and maybe even squeezing in a round of Uno or Mario Kart. On the flip side, we also like going out to get drinks at a brewery or catching a show or concert somewhere in town.
C: We're both homebodies who genuinely enjoy just being around each other. My favorite way to spend a night is to enjoy a great meal together, cuddle up with our pets to watch a TV show or movie, then rounding things out with a solid, competitive round of Uno. Of course, we love a great night out every now and then, but being home and together is really my favorite.
Proposal Photography by KWebster Photography
Florals by Katie’s Blooms
Bonus Ring Shots by Odessa James Photography
