At Dianna Rae Jewelry, we enjoy sharing the love stories of our customers because your story is our story. Read Ryan and Raven’s story — from their serendipitous evening at Walk-On’s to the romantic proposal at the Hoh Rainforest and their beautiful wedding day at Rip Van Winkle Gardens.
Our story starts at Walk-On’s Lafayette, where I (Raven) was working as a server and bartender, and Ryan would often come to the restaurant with his roommates. In summer 2012, Ryan’s two roommates were moving out of Louisiana back to where they were both from, so Ryan was considering doing the same and moving back to Texas. He and one of his roommates, David, were going to get dinner on one of David’s last nights in Lafayette. They had originally decided on another restaurant, but serendipitously ended up at Walk-On’s instead. They sat at the bar where I was bartending, and Ryan ended up staying and talking well after David left. We had met before, but this time was different. Ryan ended up not moving back home, we started dating and eventually ended up in Houston.
In August 2018, we were on vacation in the Pacific Northwest exploring Olympic National Park. I had seen pictures of the Hoh Rainforest and just had to see it in person. We read that the best time to explore the Hoh was early in the morning when dew was still on the ground and the sun hadn’t risen yet. So, we woke up early and made it to the trail head for about 6:30am and started our walk through the giant moss-covered trees. We took a break on a log that had fallen over the Hoh River and just sat enjoying the peaceful sunrise. There was no one else around and it was perfect. I had gotten up to walk off the log, and then turned back around to help Ryan up, and there he was on one knee with my beautiful ring. Looking back, I am so shocked that he proposed balancing on a log in the middle of a rushing river with how clumsy I am, but the whole scene was beyond what I could have imagined. The best part was there was no cell service in the park, so we got to really enjoy the day with just ourselves before we were able to give either of our families a call.
Let me start by saying I am obsessed with my rings! Ryan and I had been to a few jewelry stores before visiting Dianna Rae and were feeling overwhelmed and pressured. Every store wanted us to buy something immediately – Ryan even bought one from somewhere just so we could leave, but he returned it a few days later. I had seen a few friends on Facebook post about using Dianna Rae, and after checking out her website I loved her style. So, we made an appointment for the next time we were in town and it was the best experience we had! Dianna and Preston didn’t make us feel pressured AT ALL! We were able to talk through what I had in mind and ways we could tweak the design, etc. They were both so patient and helpful that it made all the difference. Being part of the design process wasn’t something I thought I would be part of prior to Ryan and I dating. I was a traditionalist and wanted Ryan to pick something out himself. However, Ryan had a good point in that it was something I would wear every day, so he wanted to make sure I liked whatever he bought. And thankfully so! I ended up with a ring that looked nothing like rings on my Pinterest board and I absolutely LOVE it! My ring is 18 karat rose gold and I love the way it looks on my skin tone. I wanted some sort of detail in the band of the ring and we also wanted to explore going with a lab-created diamond. Dianna and team made sure to bring us different diamonds to look at and really helped us talk through the options. I love the daintiness of my rings and how it always seems to sparkle and shine. My wedding ring and band and Ryan’s band are all from Dianna Rae and we could not be happier!
We got married on November 16, 2019 at Rip Van Winkle Gardens. It was truly the best day and better than I could have imagined. The only thing I would have done differently was made it last longer. 🙂 It was over too soon. We ended up with perfect weather and it was just a beautiful day. Rip Van Winkle is such a beautiful venue that it didn’t need much extra decoration. We were joined by family and friends from all over and just had the time of our lives. I wish I could relive that day every year.
Photo Credit: shelbielouviere
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