Bachendorf’s Engagement

bachendorf’s engagement PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE AND ROBIN PHOTOGRAPHY

TOM AND SUMMER MADE IT OFFICIAL AT A WELL-PLANNED PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF A BEAUTIFUL BACKDROP IN COLORADO— AND WITH A BEAUTIFUL RING THANKS TO BACHENDORF’S.

How did you meet and how long have you been together?

Summer: We met briefly in 2017 in Panama City Beach, Fla. at Jeep Beach Jam. I didn’t catch his name—I actually found him a few months later again. In true millennial fashion, I messaged him on Facebook and added him as a friend. We became friends over the years, and then started dating in May of 2020. We just knew we had to spend the rest of our lives together. It all made sense why he had been stuck in my head for all of those years.

How did Tom propose?

Tom: I started planning the proposal months ahead of time and knew I didn’t want to do a traditional style proposal. Summer and I love to get out and explore and love traveling to beautiful views, so I knew I wanted to propose with a beautiful backdrop. I researched “hidden proposal photographers” and got in contact with Joe and Robin Photography, who specialize in outdoor, scenic, mountain view proposals. That day we were “early to dinner” with some friends and I said, “Hey babe, let’s go see this scenic spot up here.” She was shedding tears before we got out of our Jeep. She knew what was coming but didn’t know I had this all set up. Summer: We pull up and there’s four mountains in the view with two conjoining lakes called Twin Lakes. He immediately jumps out of the Jeep and walks a few feet to take in the views. I’m like, “OK, what’s going on?” He walks back over to the open door and asks, “Are you going to get out?”—and I immediately start crying. He then walks me over to this beautiful spot and he looks at me and starts to tell me everything he loves about me and then ends it with saying he was tired of calling me his girlfriend and got down on a knee. He pops out the ring and I was blown away. Tom: We then shared some champagne, and Summer finally began to put the pieces together and spot the cameras and Joe taking pictures. Seeing how excited she was brought tears to my eyes and seeing how much she appreciates me made me feel like the luckiest man in the world. I could not have asked for a better or more special moment with her.

Any funny stories from the proposal?

Tom: The week leading up to the proposal, if I mentioned I was going to meet up with my friends for dinner, Summer would laugh and say something sarcastic. I even had my friend text me and ask when we were meeting up, but she wasn’t buying it much!

Why did you choose to buy the ring at Bachendorf’s?

Tom: I was shopping one day with Summer in Clearfork about a year before the proposal and I said, “Hey, let’s go in here and check out the Breitling watches.” Then we decided to check out the engagement rings, and it got the wheels spinning. Then I recommended Bachendorf’s to one of my best friends who got a few very nice items there, and I decided I would as well!

How was it working with your sales associate, Greg?

Tom: He is one of the best sales people I have ever worked with, and he made the experience fun and interesting. His communication blew me away, and we pulled off an amazing ring design. He found a customer for life out of us.

What inspired you to choose/pick this specific ring?

Tom: Summer had given me some good ideas of designs she liked because I used to always ask her so I would have an idea of what she loves [when the time came]. I knew she wanted an oval diamond with a plain gold skinny band. The one she got is a gorgeous 2.51ct oval with a hidden halo beneath it on a platinum setting to make the diamond even more bright on top of the yellow gold band. But I wanted to do something different, so I added a few special touches. I had seen this new NESW setting on social media—it’s like a compass with prongs instead of two on each side of the oval or circle. Summer and I love to travel and explore, and the NESW, or compass setting, as Greg calls it, felt unique to us. I also had our saying, “It was always you,” engraved on the inside of the band. It turned out absolutely amazing. I was speechless picking it up. Summer: It was the ring I’ve seen in my dreams since I was a little girl. So timeless and something that can be passed down for generations to come.

When is the wedding?

We are in the early planning stages of the wedding but are hoping to get married at the end of September 2022 in Colorado. The leaves all start to change color around this time, and we think it would be a beautiful time to do it.

What are you most looking forward to at your wedding?

We are looking forward to spending an amazing weekend with our family and friends and officially committing to a life together. We both believe in the dream of an old-fashioned love story. We know that no matter what comes ahead, we want to do it together.