In this next segment of Modern Love, where we highlight our amazing Elana Jovero Fine Jewelry clients and the unique love they share, we follow the story of Sara and Chris and their modern story. In this interview, you’ll read everything from the sweet little ways they stayed connected during the pandemic to how Sara killed his dog. Get some insight into the custom process with us, and how strongly your love can be represented in your custom ritual jewelry. Follow Modern Love to hear more stories about the ever evolving relationships of today, and what the new traditions of romance look like.
The first time he said I love you - he wrote it on a little letterpress card, and put it in my Christmas stocking in my apartment. It had been there for weeks before I noticed it, I had no idea!
How did you meet?
Sara: Online, not a very unique story in this day and age. I stumbled across Chris’s profile and thought to myself “wow, this guy is my type!” I messaged him and never heard back. Went on a few other dates. Turns out, Chris had his notifications turned off, because he had basically given up on online dating, and then a few weeks later he signed in to delete his profile for good, but saw my message and figured he’d give it a try. The rest is history :)
Tell me about your first or most memorable date?
Sara: Our first date was at an Italian restaurant walking distance from Chris’s house. I thought it went well, but immediately after dinner, Chris excused himself to walk his dog. I figured he must not have had a good time, since I’m a vet, surely if he liked me he would have invited me to meet his dog and walk through town with them! Turns out he did have a good time but didn’t want to ruin it!
First kiss? The first time said, “I love you?”
Sara: The first time he said I love you - he wrote it on a little letterpress card, and put it in my Christmas stocking in my apartment. It had been there for weeks before I noticed it, I had no idea!
Our love grew steadily over time, it didn’t become a sudden realization - it was more like a thing that was just true.
When did you know you were meant for each other?
Sara: SKIP - still unsure - just kidding ;)
Chris: As uneventful as it might sound, it was like the tortoise and the hare - slow and steady. Our love grew steadily over time, it didn’t become a sudden realization - it was more like a thing that was just true.
Let's talk about the rings for a moment. How did you enjoy the custom process and creating your own ring from start to finish?
Chris: The process was fantastic. You were a joy to work with, taking the time to get to know me and Sara (even though Sara wasn’t involved in the design process) and educating me on various methods and materials we could use. You pulled out what was important to Sara to help me choose a gorgeous stone and craft a beautiful yet traditional engagement ring that was exactly what Sara wanted.
We also decided on a simple, wave hammer texture for the wedding band and an “anniversary” band that I called the “Sorry there was a pandemic, I lost my job, and we had to wait an extra year to get engaged” band with some extra diamonds. You sketched many ideas and revisions for the whole set, incorporating my feedback, and guiding me towards the perfect ring for Sara (even with the yellow gold she didn’t know she wanted…)
Were you expecting to design/receive a three-ring set?
Chris: I definitely was not. I was looking to do an engagement & wedding band. I’m not even sure where the idea of 3 bands first came up. Sara has severe FOMO and also really likes variety, so the idea of a stackable set (with potential future additions) resonated with me. Sara repeatedly mentioned wanting her ring to be “sparkly” but also minimalist with no extra stones on the engagement band. The anniversary band adds some extra sparkle and she can “dress up” the wedding set if she wants to.
During the process of creating Sara’s, I decided I wanted you to make my wedding band and we would incorporate some of the aspects of Sara’s ring - like yellow-gold and the hammer pattern - so the set will really end up as 4 rings.
So many couples had to find ways to endure COVID lockdowns and the unique challenges brought in 2020. What is your “COVID love story?”
How are you keeping the romance, intimacy, and companionship alive through this scary time? As things are changing every couple is faced with new challenges and ways to interact and be with each other, some are finding it easier than others. ****
Chris: We watched A LOT of the Great British Baking Show. In the early days, we tried to do some remote game nights with friends. I made a point of cooking and trying new meals. We adopted a dog - which was a long and difficult process since everyone was adopting a dog and we needed a dog who was both dog & cat friendly. In the first year, we had a few date nights with quarantini’s, holiday dinners, tubing down a river, and a lot of reorganizing.
What challenges have you faced as a couple outside the pandemic?
Sara: Moving in together shortly before COVID hit. Although I wasn’t working fully from home, we were together A LOT. Something I’m sure most COVID couples can relate to. Chris is a loner and an introvert and thrived during the lockdown. We made the best of it - Chris made bread (focaccia - no sourdough) and I painted and did puzzles. Chris had the idea to do “fancy date night at home” where we got dressed up and sipped martinis to break up the monotony.
Chris: Sara killed my dog, Hailey. Sara discovered some lumps on Hailey and knew right away that it was probably cancer (she’s a Veterinarian). Sara came to my house to send Hailey over the rainbow bridge in a very peaceful manner. Then we moved in together - because Hailey wanted to eat Sara’s cat.
How has COVID impacted your wedding?
Sara: When COVID first hit, Chris got laid off. We had talked about getting engaged in early 2020, but this all got put on hold.
Chris: COVID had put an enormous amount of pressure on getting things booked ASAP. Especially venues and florists. Many venues only had a few dates open, quite a few had none. Many florists weren’t accepting inquiries for 2022 at all.
How did you propose?
Chris: I proposed at home on a random Friday night. It might not have been the most romantic setting, but it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. Both of our families were coming for Thanksgiving and I wanted everyone to be able to celebrate together. It was a last-minute decision that day, I ran around getting balloons, flowers, and photos printed to try and set up something cute. Sara was spending some time with her friends and had no idea it was coming that day. We had planned to go to a remote cabin a few weeks later and I think she was expecting that would be the time and place. Surprise!
Back onto the rings, how did the set differ from what you expected going into this?
Chris: Well, I had no idea what to expect! I knew nothing! I think the first round of talking was “white-gold” and I knew that Sara would love Elana’s jewelry style on her website - “modern bohemian” (I think our wedding is headed in a boho-ish direction). The first few rounds of sketches were stunning, but we discovered that Sara wasn’t as enamored as we were. We had a bezel setting, a rose-cut diamond and some other things that Sara loved - just not for an engagement ring.
We ended up with a semi-traditional, yellow-gold engagement band, hammer-textured wedding band, and the anniversary band in addition.
At some point during the process, a group of friends, recently engaged, were sharing stories about the search for the perfect ring. Quite a few said, “They couldn’t imagine deciding on a ring without seeing it in person.” I had to just sit there and bite my tongue because I had never seen the ring in person but I was 100% confident it was going to be a perfect ring (and it is).
What do you look forward to for the rest of your lives together?
Sara: We are super excited to see where our next adventures take us. Hopefully outside of the house once COVID settles down, hopefully there’s many more animals and possibly some small humans in our future. No more plants though, Chris says I’m at max capacity for plants!