Simon & Hadley

We met working on a sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A. I was the chef, and Simon was the first mate. I always say, he must have loved my cooking, but the first night I made a really spicy Indian curry not knowing he considers black pepper to be spicy!

I left work that night and told my mom I met my future husband. He asked me out for a drink 2 days later, and we were attached to the hip every day since!

Simon and I have travelled to 40+ countries together for pleasure as well as work, including sailing our 40 ft sailboat from the USA to New Zealand.

We finished our dream trip, sold our boat in New Zealand, and the first week we were back in Rhode Island, Simon took me down to my hometown favourite beach in Rhode Island for a romantic picnic dinner, and proposed as the sun was setting.

He told me “I brought a piece of New Zealand to your home” (meaning the ring).

He’s a New Zealand native and we decided to settle down in the U.S. so it meant so much to me, that despite where we have been, we came all the way back to where we started.

He then had all of our friends from all over surprise me the next day as we were celebrating at the same beach he proposed.

I think it’s impossible for Nolan and Vada to create anything other than a stunning engagement ring, but I am very fond of mine!

My ring is a 7.5 carat yellow emerald cut sapphire with a 3D diamond halo, a cathedral setting and a diamond band.

I always wanted an emerald cut stone, as my mom has an emerald cut diamond and I’ve always loved hers.

Simon knew that one day I would inherit my moms, so he wanted something a bit different, and something that was ethically sourced, but also natural.

Having been together for 7 1/2 years, a lot of our friends have gotten married before us, so he knew I was wary about having something similar to someone I knew.

The result was something stunning, classic, and so unlike anything I had ever seen! It’s truly one of a kind.