At Dianna Rae Jewelry, we enjoy sharing the love stories of our customers because your story is our story. Read Matthew and Courtney’s story, from the dating app that brought them together, to the giraffe-assisted proposal, and the custom three-stone ring. Theirs is a great story!

How They Met

To bee or not to bee…well, really to bumble. Courtney and Matthew met like a lot of young working professionals — online with the dating app Bumble. Knowing just a little bit about each other, based on photos, some conversation (and a touch of internet research), they agreed to meet for a first date at a local bar in Lafayette. They spent the next five hours getting to know each other, talking about music, work, and what they like to do for fun. After the first date, they both knew the other was something special.

As they spent more time together, they discovered how much they had in common. The same sense of corny humor, the joy of singing & music, a love for animals, and a big, crazy South Louisiana family.

The Proposal

Courtney, who currently lives in Florida for work, had come to Lafayette for a week-long visit. Little did she know, her whole week was carefully calculated by Matthew and some helpers.

They were planning to watch a parade Saturday evening with Courtney’s family. Matthew told Courtney that before going to the parade, they had to make an appearance at a cocktail party for some of his extended family members happening at Zoosiana.

After arriving at the Zoo, Matthew told Courtney they would stop to say hello to her favorite animal – Gabriel the Giraffe. Gabriel wasn’t in his yard and Matthew encouraged her to call him out of his barn. Gabriel came right up to Courtney and bowed his head to her. While Courtney pet Gabriel, Matthew took a deep breath, tapped her on the shoulder, and took her hands. He said, “Now that my wing man is here, there’s something I want to run by you.” Matthew said that it had been one year to the day since the couple first said “I love you.” He then got down on one knee, and asked if Courtney would marry him.

After she said yes, Matthew said they still had to stop by the party in the front to tell his dad hello. He told Courtney that the rest of the family was at the parade. While walking up to the party room at the front of the Zoo, Matthew asked Courtney “Who do you want to tell?” As she responded, “everyone,” he opened the door to reveal family and close friends who had traveled near and far to celebrate the newly engaged couple.

The Ring

With the guidance of Dianna Rae, Matthew designed a three stone diamond engagement ring crafted in everlasting platinum. A sparkling emerald cut diamond is set in the center, framed by two trapezoid diamonds.

What does Courtney say she loves the most about the ring? “I love that my ring is classic and timeless (and it sparkles). But what I love most is that my fiancé took the time to design something that was special for me. We didn’t do much shopping together before and what he gave me was completely perfect.”

Photo Credit: Sarah Beth Photography