To Have and to Holden is our series where we interview real couples about their romance, weddings, and whatever else comes up along the way. Enjoy!
Arlene and Stephanie met like most millennials have met - an online dating app. And after a short amount of time together, they knew that they were in it for the long haul. They got married wearing The Flush Baguette and The Square.
How did you get engaged?
We were on our evening walk along the river (where we had walked a million times) and we decided to walk all the way to Loverslock Bridge because the weather was so perfect that day. As we got to the bridge, jealously I joked "Do people even do this anymore, should we do this?" referring to adding locks to the bridge. When I turned to Steph, she was getting down on one knee laughing - that's when she proposed and she had brought a lock! It was perfect.
What's a moment from your wedding day that you'll remember forever?
It's the tiniest moment, but I will never forget the moment Steph asked me "Are you ready?" as we turned to our families to walk back down the aisle to exit our ceremony. It felt like she was asking me if I was ready for our life together to begin.
What advice do you have for a couple planning a wedding right now?
It will be perfect because it is yours! I think a lot of people get caught up in making their weddings bigger and better than the others, but once it's all over, you will see that no wedding will ever be as amazing as yours because it's perfectly unique to you and your partner. When the day comes - just enjoy it! Whatever happens, happens.
What was important to you in choosing a ring? What made you choose Holden?
Inclusivity and comfort while shopping. During our wedding planning process, we didn't see our ourselves (LGBTQ+ people) represented while shopping for rings - at Holden, we did. We were able to choose from all of the rings (not just between HIS or HERs), which made the options limitless. We chose an online retailer rather than a brick and mortar so that we didn't feel like we were being forced to make a choice. Holden set up a meeting with Andrew for us to get to know our ring options and made us feel empowered in our ring buying process.
What does love mean to you?
For us, love means "no pressure." It means that you can be exactly who you are at all times with no fear of judgment. It's just being together with no other expectation.
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