John & Kathryn

John and Kathryn both attended Army Officer Training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona during the summer of 2019. John, being from Charleston, South Carolina, and Kathryn, being from Portland, Oregon, initially had no intentions on striking up a relationship. Once they got to know each other, they were able to relate on so many levels; they knew it was meant to be. John and Kathryn both work for the U.S. Government in Washington, D.C. while continuing their military service in the United States Army National Guard.

On Kathryn's first trip to Charleston, South Carolina in September 2019, John took her on a special date to Middleton Place- America's oldest landscaped gardens. There, he first said "I love you" and they were sure to take several trips back to Middleton on their numerous visits to the Charleston area. Their visit to Middleton Place on September 5, 2021, however, was no ordinary one. At the same site as the first "I love you" within the Parterre overlooking the Ashley River, John "popped" the question. Both in tears, Kathryn couldn't say "yes" fast enough! The engagement ring, eloquently created through Midtown Jewelers in Reston, Virginia, has significant sentimental value. The main diamond was given to John from his grandmother, Marina Provenzano, from the engagement ring given to her by her late husband.

While COVID times have certainly been challenging for everyone, John and Kathryn have done everything to make the best of it. From the extra time being able to spend together to recovering from the virus itself, there have been many more ups than there were downs. Both of them are in the process of planning a date for the wedding ceremony as many venues are booking quickly through the end of 2022- another huge effect from pandemic-related event cancellations. John and Kathryn are, however, really enjoying the process and taking time to celebrate simply being engaged.

About the Ring
Sylvie Collection Classic Halo Diamond Engagement ring in Platinum - known as the "Vivian"

Nick & Eliza

Nick and I grew up attending the same school district and started dating in high school. Nick works in the hospitality field as an assistant general manager for meeting spaces in the DC area and I just finished getting my doctorate in physical therapy and will be starting my new job this fall. As you can imagine Covid has really changed our lives this past year between managing school from home, working from home, and the stressors of 2020. We had been planning a trip to Italy since 2019 as we had family moving there. Once Covid hit we patiently waited for a safer world. As numbers did start to decrease early this summer and Italy opened for USA travelers we were able to book our tickets and manage the new requirements with covid times traveling. Our engagement was perfect and the ring even more beautiful. As lovers of the outdoors, we took the most amazing hike ever in the Dolomites to the beautiful Lago di Sorapis where the rest is history. It was AH-MAZING.

One Dozen Wings, One Rocket Launch, One Lifetime Together - Jason & Sarah

From the very beginning, Sarah and Jason were destined for one another. What began with a couple of nice glasses of white burgundy on their first date quickly devolved into a dozen, well-sauced, late-night wings, exclusively eaten by her (Jason definitely knew she was the one!). From that point, Sarah and Jason were inseparable as they bounced from romantic dinner dates at DC's best restaurants to debaucherous trips to local watering holes for NFL Sunday football. The pattern of Sarah and Jason was established - two parts sugar, three parts spice.

Soon (almost too soon) they were meeting each others' families. First, Sarah introduced Jason to her giant and raucous family on Thanksgiving and then Jason introduced Sarah to his small and quiet family of just two - his mom and his dad. Jason liked the free-wielding nature of Sarah's family and Sarah loved the quiet dinners filled with lots of good conversations with Jason's family. These early introductions set the stage for future adventures together - sledding on Jason's childhood hill outside of Boston and crazy, three-day wine tour of Napa capped off with a visit to a Space-X factory in LA (more on that below). Sugar and spice, once again.

By this point, Sarah and Jason had started to talk about next steps. Sarah had assertively laid out some timelines and, because he loved her, Jason made sure to take good mental notes. Fast forward to a warm June morning at Cape Canaveral - 2:37 in the morning to be precise - and a Space-X rocket (one they had seen build in LA) was ascending into space, two booster stages were beginning to descend, and Sarah's eyes held fast to the gripping scene unfolding in the heavens above. Meanwhile, as Sarah's gaze was distracted, Jason - as planned - was down on one knee, with an ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, princess cut diamond from Bobby at Midtown Jewelers. It was the perfect stone/setting for the perfect woman, as one can clearly see from the shocked look on Sarah's face!

Thankfully for Jason, she did, in fact, say yes. And soon thereafter, Bobby and his wonderful wife Julie, were able to join Sarah and Jason on their post-engagement trip - this time to Alaska! The really nice scenic pictures are all thanks to Julie's skilled camerawork, but what is most amazing is that even against the raw and powerful beauty of the landscapes in Alaska, Sarah - and the ring from Midtown Jewelers - still continued to steal the show.

Thanks again to both Bobby and Julie for all of your help navigating one of the most important purchases a couple will make and for your continued friendship. Looking forward to having you both at our second, post-COVID wedding - elephant and all. Sarah and Jason - Two parts sugar, three parts spice.

Our Wedding - Grant & Sahyli

After meeting in college, we moved to Reston, Virginia. As we dated for 5 more years, we envisioned our life together and started to search for the perfect ring to solidify our commitment. We went to several generic stores but once we found Bobby, we knew Midtown Jewelers was it. We peppered Bobby with questions and went through many different ring styles and sizes. His patience never wavered. Even though Sahyli chose the ring she wanted, the engagement was a surprise. During sunrise pictures overlooking Bryce Canyon National Park at Sunrise Point in Utah, Grant suddenly got on one knee. As the sunlight beamed across the canyon, he poured out his heart and asked Sahyli to marry. She said yes! We got married one year later in Pepin, Wisconsin after moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota for school. We are so happy Midtown Jewelers became a part of our love story!

Kevin & Taylor