Three Proposal Stories from New York City Ring Shops

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

To wrap up our Weddings Week, we asked three jewelry stores in New York City to tell us about the best proposals they've ever been a part of. For Erica Weiner, that meant participating in an elaborate ruse that put her completely on edge. In her words, the anxiety of it all made her feel like she was "headed to the principal's office or something." Read all three engagement stories after the jump.

Erica Weiner, Owner of Erica Weiner in Nolita:
A guy called the store and wanted us to hold a ring that he and his intended had been scoping online. He went on to explain that when he brought his lady in, I was to pretend that the ring was temporarily on hold for someone else, but that he and his gal-pal could take a look at it in case this mystery person decided they didn't want it anymore. That way, he explained, he could gauge her interest while still maintaining the surprise.

We're generally inclined to give customers anything they ask for, but I am a terrible liar and I knew I would wig. When they showed up I tried to hold it together, but all I could think was that I had talked to the guy on the phone a million times. It was such a seriously covert operation that he would have to call me when she wasn't home, and if she came home unexpectedly, he would have to get off the phone really fast. I miraculously managed to not blow his cover, and I think he bought the ring online a few days later. We are always happy to commit deception if it means that your proposal can be a pure and beautiful surprise.

Elizabeth Doyle, Co-Owner and Founder of Doyle & Doyle on the Lower East Side:
One of my favorite stories is about a client who emailed us a photo of the perfect ring. He had found it and fell in love with it, only to find out it was reproduction. He was quite set on finding a vintage ring and asked us if we had one similar. Amazingly, we had one that was almost identical to the one in the photo, but ours was indeed vintage and was hand-engraved with not one, but two dates.

From the dates and style of the ring, we could surmise that the ring was most likely presented on October 15th, 1928 as a 20th wedding anniversary present and that the original wedding date was also engraved in the ring. Unfortunately, though, it was on hold for another customer. When the hold came to an end and the customer didn't end up going through with the purchase, we emailed the client.

He was a student in Boston, but was so thrilled that he took a bus to New York to look at it. Then, we told him about the dates and he realized it was October 15th, and that he was buying it on the same date that was inside the ring. He took a bus back to Boston and proposed the very same day.

Sarah Oldfield, Social Media and Communications Coordinator for Michael C. Fina in midtown:
During a walk together, one of our couples came across an abandoned building in lower Manhattan. Though rundown, it had a gorgeous glass atrium and the interior was also untouched. As they walked past, the woman mentioned to her then boyfriend that she would love to see the inside of the building before it was restored.

After some careful planning with the staff at Michael C. Fina, our customer took his girlfriend on a walking tour of the area around the building. It just so happened that a member of the building's maintenance staff was standing outside as she mentioned this, and he happily offered to take them on a tour. They made their way inside and up the floors to a stairwell filled with a trail of rose petals. Following this path, they came upon the spot right below the atrium, where the light was brightly shining through.

This is where he dropped down on his knee to pop the question to his shocked girlfriend, who of course said, "Yes!" After the proposal, the newly-engaged couple was led to the rooftop, where the staff at Michael C. Fina had set up an oasis for the couple to enjoy some glasses of chilled champagne along with breathtaking views of Manhattan.
· All Weddings Week Posts [Racked NY]