Tell us your love story — how did you meet, when did you know they were the one? :
In a parallel universe, Eric and I serendipitously met in a psych ward, where we bonded over our shared love of eating inedible objects. Brown garage doors with their uncanny resemblance to chocolate bars, and brightly colored aquarium gravel that looked like candy? Irresistible. Yum. But in this universe, our meeting was no less magical. The zeros and ones of online algorithms conspired on our behalf. An agent of destiny named Tinder. A quirky question that sparked a conversation… Love didn’t arrive with fireworks. It came quietly, like stillness in the middle of chaos. For me, it was the way my anxious mind felt calm around Eric. How my restless heart could finally breathe. I didn’t have to perform or hide the messy parts of myself to be loved. He accepted it all—my past, my fears, even the fact that I was parenting full-time. What I feared might be too much, Eric saw simply as part of who I am. He doesn’t just love me, he values every layer of me. In that, I found a peace and belonging I didn’t even realize I was missing. For Eric, there wasn’t one single moment. It was all the little moments strung together. From the beginning, he knew he wanted something real. With each day, his love grew. Every choice began to include me. I became the person he wanted to come home to, the one he wanted to share everything with. He says, “Kate is my best friend, and when we’re not together, all I want to do is get back to her. I’ve never felt so completely comfortable just being myself.” And that’s what love became for us: something wildly honest, deeply safe, and beautifully weird.
Do you have any advice or tips for others planning a proposal?:
Don't propose when your partner is half asleep watching Gossip Girl; or maybe do that, worked for us.
Why did you choose a PNPS ring? What stood out to you?:
Eric was drawn to the designs that featured kite-shaped stones. He appreciated their clean and modern look. One design in particular, The Empress, stood out to him, and he knew right away that he wanted my ring to be based on that style. He began sketching out the design, incorporating elements that reflected our shared interests. He chose alexandrite as the center stone because he loved the way it shifts colors. The fact that those colors are our favorites made it feel like the perfect representation of both of us in one stone. Eric also wanted his wedding band to include matching elements, tying our rings together in a subtle but meaningful way.
What has been the most memorable part of your engagement/wedding?:
The most memorable part of our wedding was having our Australian Shepherd Astro sign the marriage license as a witness. It was such a special and unique moment that we’ll never forget. We also really enjoyed the drive to pick up the marriage license. It was a peaceful day spent together before all the wedding chaos began, and the scenery along the way was absolutely beautiful.
