8 years ago by
Ok, no more kidding around.
Let’s get serious. The ring! The wedding! The dress!
Mmmmm.
So I had never really wanted to get married, but then I had my vision after that weekend at the farm and suddenly, boom!!! It hit me. For the first time, I wanted to get married.
I don’t really know how it happens, this sort of thing. It’s a weird mix of wanting to be with someone forever, wanting to be a bit crazy, and wanting to really go for it, for good.
But I do know it definitely wasn’t wanting to be a princess, wanting to have one day that would be the high point of my whole life, or wanting a big diamond.
The princess stuff has never been my thing. I always preferred stories of adventurers (which means that as a child I unfortunately identified with boys more often than girls in children’s stories)(fortunately things are starting to change a little bit)(“Let It Gooooo…”)(anyway).
I have to warn you, even though I’ve been engaged for over a month, I still have absolutely no image in my head about what my dress might look like, simply because…I haven’t thought about it yet. I’ve thought about the party, yes, and kids, believe me, oh là là it’s going to be killer.
Just like the other things, wanting a diamond was never really part of my story.
First of all because, like I was telling you before, where I come from, it’s not really important. And even though I love beautiful stones, I’ve never really dreamed of having one.
And plus, here there is that crazy diamond competition.
Diamonds are very, very, very important here. It’s the country of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, after all. And Harry Winston. And Kim Kardashian and her enormous 15 carat diamond. Oh, wait, no, Beyoncé’s 18 carat one. Oh no wait, Mariah Carey beats them all with her 35 carat diamond!
The diamond is… depending on who you ask and which generation they’re from:
“What you get to keep if you guys get a divorce!!!”
“The diamond has to cost at least three months’ salary. It has to be expensive.”
“It’s a manifestation of how valuable you are in his eyes”
“It’s like marriage insurance, you know what I mean?”
Hmmm. Those conversations left me feeling a bit weighed down by all the conventions. I understood the idea. No, really! I could see what they meant.
But no matter which way I thought about it, it just didn’t speak to me.
One day I finally told myself it simply wasn’t my culture.
That’s one of the great things you learn when you move to another country. You can adapt, respect and understand, but you can also go on being yourself.
Plus I’d had a bit of a bad experience with a diamond and engagement situation and I hadn’t found that very fun at all, but rather very, very, very complicated. Anyway. Phew, come on, let’s talk about something else.
Come on, LET’S TALK ABOUT CHRIS.
Ok, I don’t know what happened in Chris’ head, but at one point in our relationship, he started sending me discreet little signals, which I pretended to ignore (well, yeah! I’m a pro when it comes to love games, what do you expect?) things like making really specific plans for the future, and sending me texts full of matrimonial hints that I avoided by pretending not to see them.
Except for the night when, totally drunk in the middle of a RAVE (yes, yes, they still exist, don’t ask how I, respectable priestess of a blog with a reputation to maintain, found myself at a rave in Brooklyn at 6am, but let me tell you it was amazing) I threw my arms around his neck and told him I’d marry him right then and there if he could find a can of Coke and put the tab around my finger (he didn’t find a can.)
Anyway, I’d figured it out: he kinda wanted to put a ring on it.
YES!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! But YES!!!
That’s when all the matrimonial scheming began (it’s all scheming when it comes to marriage. For example, right now my friends are organizing an engagement party for me and I’m not supposed to know about it, except that I gave them the addresses of all the friends I’d like to invite)(totally twisted, I love it).
Basically, the idea was to telepathically guide him toward a ring without him knowing I was guiding him while also making sure he knew I was guiding him. Scheming, I tell ya. And that was just the beginning!
Around that time, I met the jewelry maker Eva Fehren, who I fell in love with right away, and I spontaneously commissioned her to make me a ring. I love her work. It’s different, inspiring, beautiful. And plus, I don’t know, I just really loved her right from the start. I showed her something I liked, and that’s that and we didn’t discuss it any further.
Next, I informed my closest partners in crime, my friends that Chris knows so well he has their numbers in his phone, that Eva was the person to go to, and if one day Chris asked them anything, they shouldn’t say anything to me, but should just trust her.
I had told Eva: Eva, I want the simplest ring in the world. I don’t want a solitaire. I want a ring I can wear every day. Symbolic, but personal. A ring that’s just for the two of us.
———
Apparently when Chris went to see her, he was surprised.
Troubled, even, that I didn’t want anything more than that. Just a band with tiny diamonds? Are you sure? Can’t we add a little bling? I’m a classic kind of guy, I’m from the South, the diamond is important. No? Are you sure?
———-
Oh, here. I asked Eva to tell me the story from her point of view:
“I am very pleased to say that the world of engagement rings is changing and constantly evolving. As a designer, it is much more important to me to reflect the personal style of the woman wearing the ring, rather than only considering “the rock,” and the formalities of clarity, cut, and color. Don’t get me wrong, I love a big diamond, but it didn’t feel right for Garance. When designing the ring, it was important to me that it reflected Garance’s style, and that it worked with her other jewelry. I love its simplicity and I wanted it to mirror the refined, minimal, and effortless elegance that Garance embodies.
Meeting Chris to talk about the ring was so much fun. When I met Garance, it was love at first sight. Garance and I just clicked, so my expectations for Chris were high — to say the least. Chris was bursting with energy when he walked into my studio. I asked him if he was nervous, and he said, “No, just so excited.” I appreciated the trust he gave me in making the ring. Initially, I do think he was worried that it wasn’t your “typical” engagement ring. But Garance isn’t your “typical” woman, and the ring felt right for her (she had dropped a few hints in the past).
When Chris picked up the ring, he was so excited he whipped out his trumpet and gave my team a private concert. It was definitely a moment I will never forget. I feel very lucky to be part of this beautiful couple’s love story.”
So there you go. Isn’t she adorable?
————————
So one morning, on our first day of vacation in Mexico, the sun was pouring into our room in the middle of the jungle. I was just getting out of the shower and Chris was sitting on the bed. He had just come back from fishing and…Hmm. Wait a second…Chris never sits on the bed. I was drying my hair and singing and Chris was sitting like Rodin’s sculpture “The Thinker” and…Hmmm. Weird. Chris never sits like The Thinker. I went on drying my hair, then finally I couldn’t take it anymore:
“You’re being kind of weird, is everything ok, babe?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. All good.”
Two minutes later…
“No seriously, what’s going on?”
“No, nothing! Everything’s cool, I promise. Super! Great!”
Five minutes later (the most annoying girl in the world)…
“But I know you. Something’s up, what’s going on with you?”
…
And at that point I don’t think he could stand it anymore. In one single motion, he jumped over to his bag, took out a shiny black box, opened it, then whispered something, then got on his knee, then I took him in my arms, then I whispered something…
It was beautiful, touching, imperfect, and really really really moving. For hours and even days. Moving to the point that we had a hard time having a normal conversation after that. It unleashes so many profound emotions and stirs you all up inside. And you look at this man next to you and say he’s going to be your family. And you love him even more because he had the incredible courage to do that, to ask you to marry him. You know it won’t change anything and it will change everything at the same time. You hope you’re ready and up to the task.
I still have a hard time talking about it, I’m realizing. That’s a good thing. I thought I was the kind of person who could talk about everything, but there are some things that are beyond words.
I send you all kisses and a million thank yous for all of your congratulations. I wish you all pure happiness, and that you’ll let life surprise you.
Translated by Andrea Perdue
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I just love these stories. And I love it that you stay true to your culture.
https://sofaundermapletree.wordpress.com
Quelle belle histoire. J’aime sa profondeur et sa simplicité. Je vous un immense bonheur à tous les deux.
que d’émotions dans tes mots !
je fais partie des lectrices anonymes de longue date
c’est vraiment tres émouvant de continuer à te suivre et te voir pleine de bonheur
Quelle belle histoire. J’aime sa profondeur et sa simplicité. Je vous souhaite un immense bonheur à tous les deux.
I was soo looking forward to this post ! Everything is always so beautiful and simple and real ! Thanks for sharing.
https://stylishwishes.wordpres.com
Trop chou cette histoire, j’a-dore suivre cette saga.
Sinon, un super livre à lire sur les bagues de fiançailles, c’est celui de Courtney Sullivan The engagements ! L’histoire de la bague, de la promotion du diamant, de la place de la bague dans le coeur des femmes et des hommes. Bref, une super romancière ET un super roman.
My dear G. I feel you so much about the ring choice – here’s what I ‘ve deviced would be my engagement ring and still bless the day I made that decision : a Perlée ring, medium model from Van Cleef & Arpels in rose gold.. I absolutely support those beautiful Eva Ferhen rings you chose! Wish you all the best in this new chapter of your life…
Kisses!
y
http:// yohannasof.blogspot.gr
can we see the ring? :)
Beautiful! Best wishes and congratulations! The excitement you describe just after your engagement is perfect, just how myself and my (now) husband felt, you’re giddy and excited and just don’t know what to do or say! It’s such a lovely exciting happy time, enjoy and soak in every minute of it! I went for a non-typical ring too, a green tourmaline with tiny side diamonds that I spotted in a vintage/antique shop and couldn’t get out of my mind! We weren’t even engaged when I spotted it but I knew it was the one, just like him, ha! Here’s to being yourself and staying true to your personal style and philosophy! x
Wow Garance I was so happy for you when you announced this-I’ve been following your blog for years. But this post actually made me cry a little!
Quelle belle histoire !
De ce qu’on connait de votre couple à travers le blog, elle vous ressemble parfaitement.
Personnellement je suis d’accord avec ta vision de la bague de fiançailles, elle ne doit pas être ostentatoire (c’est une vision un peu macho, plus le diamant est gros et brille mieux c’est ?! Ce n’est pas un concours…) et nous ressembler, et puis cette bague on la garde toute notre vie, elle symbolise notre relation, c’est très intime comme choix.
Encore toutes mes félicitations !
Amélie
http://charlesrayandcoco.com/
Lovely. So happy for you! So…when do we get to see this ring?
Garance, congrats and bravo on the ring choice! I, too, am a bit of a non-conformist (Sagittarius), and my fiancee was also dismayed at me not wanting a diamond (engagement was a conversation for us, as well – a mutual decision). But when I explained that 1) ethically sourced diamonds are still quite hard to come by, not to mention pricey, and 2) I didn’t want what every single other woman has – he got it. It wasn’t “me”. And? I get compliments on my ring all. the. time. You won’t be sorry, well done!! Congrats again!!
I love your story & how it evolved, still evolves <3
I really wish you all the best!!
especially as somebody who never felt the need to marry (although being blessed with a wonderful guy) and from a culture where engagments (and all the things coming with it – rings, parties…) are just as weird as it were for you!
Bordel que j’aime cette histoire, cette touchante imperfection, cette sensibilité, je suis fan et je vis ce bonheur et cette demande par procuration !! Vive l’amour !
je commence à rire en lisant ton texte et ensuite les yeux un peu brillants
bonheur à vous deux
Such a beautiful story. I have somewhat of a dichotomous and complicated feeling about solitaires. I worked at Tiffany for a long time and it was every girl’s “dream”. I wanted a vintage ring, and my now-husband wanted that classic solitaire. So guess what. I have both. My wedding band is more of a cocktail ring with a very vintage flair. My engagement ring is the oh-so-classic solitaire but I still love the simplicity of a thin band sprinkled with a few diamonds (or any stone). Congrats, Garance!
And yes, I’m crying again. Thank you for sharing…we send big kisses right back to
you and Chris. Did I miss a photo of the ring?
This is such a beautiful story! Happy for you :)
Toutes mes félicitations encore une fois!
Trop mignonne votre histoire à tous les deux et bon courage pour les préparatifs du mariage! Hâte que tu nous en dises un peu plus!
Belle journée,
Julie, Petite and So What?
Je finis cette lecture les yeux brillants ..”Et puis on regarde cet homme et on se dit qu’il va être notre famille. On l’aime encore plus parce qu’il a eu le courage incroyable de faire ça, nous demander de l’épouser” . Tellement juste et vrai, Je te souhaite de tout mon coeur qu’un enfant, si vous le desirez, vienne combler ce bonheur. Je sais je vais vite en besogne mais j’adore variment j’adore le fait que Garance dore construise une famille! Merveilleuse vie à vous deux
C’est trop beau! Tu me fais presque changer d’avis sur le mariage. Beaucoup de bonheur à tous les deux.
Tous mes voeux de bonheur Garance !
Merci pour le partage de ton histoire, c’est émouvant. Merci !
I find it so fitting that you are thinking more of the party than of any other component of the wedding. What came to mind for your wedding when the subject was raised in another of the posts (maybe the one with the dresses, not sure) was your 40th bday party and how you described it, this fun and easygoing/anything goes party. you value your friendships and like to foster a community. In the end if you think about it, it’s exactly what you do with your blog, you are creating this community/party for people to come together and you are the engine that makes it happen.
Regarding the ring, I’m also of the same mindset. For me at this point I think my ideal would be a pure gold band intricately designed. no diamonds for me, I would feel self-conscious and not safe with a huge rock on my finger all the time, plus it will probably bother me, I can’t stand bulky rings, I get the sensation that something is in my way. Now, does this mean I would miss in this “marriage insurance” thing, if you think about it, diamonds loose a big part of their value the minute you take them from the store (it’s like cars) after all who wants an used engagement ring/diamond, (not many ppl I would think, it’s like mentioning divorce), also the price of diamonds in general is manipulated by artificially restricting its supply just like oil, in short you pay x but really you only will get x- later on, gold on the other hand is always one of the safest investments out there, LOL Arabic people have this part right, women get a lot of gold when they marry! Any way, I’m a believer that it’s best to spend the money in a house/apt and a great bonding honeymoon, and not a wedding extravaganza, if it weren’t for the fact that I would ruffle a lot of feathers with family and friends I’d be the type to elope. I dream of the day finding the right guy and eloping, no planning necessary.
I just thought, I guess the only really “acceptable” used rings are family heirlooms. what do people think?
I think that, too. And it has to be from a happy marriage, no divorce rings. My brother used up a ring like that on his first marriage, so I designed my own and love it.
I’m so happy for you both! Marriage is a wonderful thing, for me it sunk in a few months after we got married. It felt, and still feels so right, as if he was always meant to be here. I wish you both all the happiness in the world :)
Ana
http://www.champagnegirlsabouttown.co.uk
Au diable les conventions, tu as bien raison de te passer d’un gros caillou !
D’ailleurs, savez-vous pourquoi on offre un diamant quand on se fiance : à cause d’une campagne marketing géniale de la compagnie diamantaire De Beers en 1938. Marilyn et ses “Diamonds are the girls best friends” : tout était téléguidé par De Beers !
Article scotchant :
http://www.influencia.net/fr/actualites/art-culture,conversation,pourquoi-offre-t-on-bague-avec-diamant-quand-fiance,5739.html
Merci pour cet article ! J’avais déjà entendu parler de cette incroyable histoire, mais cet article apporte en plus une analyse très fine de la signification d’une bague
Comment se coucher moins bete ;)
Voilà, c’est ça le mariage, ça ne change rien et ça change tout. Ce post est moins drôle mais beaucoup plus touchant. On sent toute l’émotion qu’il y a encore à raconter ce récent évènement. Profitez de votre bonheur et qu’il dure le reste de votre vie…si, si, c’est possible!
this is very sweet!! all the best again and again! x
Ah ben bravo! Je pleurs maintenant!
Another movie and charismatic story, Garance. I could listen to you talk for days.
http://www.dressupchowdown.com
Garance, I am glad you are choosing to be yourself, that’s the best relationship really with oneself.
I wish you and Chris happiness together, It was lovely meeting you in London at your book signing event.
Looking forward to hearing your stories
A follower of your blog for several years, Polly xxx
Read Wife of Brooklyn. A great message about planning for ‘happily ever after’ not just the wedding. xx
http://brooklynchateau.blogspot.com/2016/01/wife-of-brooklyn-beauty-reals.html
Beautifully written. Sometimes i love my engagement more than the wedding because it was a total surprise and the wedding was my planning. but it is all wonderful. Best wishes to you and Chris.
Garance, I completely understand about being moved by a gesture and for a length of time, not being able to have a normal conversation with your partner!! It just shows how much love and affection you have for one another. I’ve been with my boyfriend (also a musician;) for almost the exact amount of time as you have with Chris and can identify with so much of your story!! All I can say is, I think we both found our partners in love and in life and oh what a feeling that is.
xxx to you both!!
Merci Garance de partager tout ça avec nous! C’est très émouvant de te lire :)
Et je suis “rassurée” de savoir que tu as eu une bague qui te ressemble! Je ne t’imagine pas une seconde avec un gros solitaire au doigt… Top que Chris se soit adapté ;)
En tout cas, du bonheur tout plein pour vous deux!!! Bises
Please get married in a white jumpsuit and some statement shoes or barefoot ?
My husband and I got our wedding rings made after we designed it ourselves. They are engraved with secret words on the inside and have some words on the outside about the words we want to say to each other all the time. Never once did I want a rock or envy any other ring.
Jewelry sends beautiful messages, captures moments & rekindles unforgettable memories!!! Congratulations….enjoy that beautiful man/ring. Bless you both on your union/journey! Stay strong like those Jewels…there will be moments when you will be eachothers rock… =)
Can we please see the ring??
Oh my beautiful Garance! This is just so touching and stirs up all my happy feelings! Congratulations, to you and your soulmate. It’s the best feeling in the world. ??????
Ok, this really got to me: “And you look at this man next to you and say he’s going to be your family. And you love him even more because he had the incredible courage to do that, to ask you to marry him. You know it won’t change anything and it will change everything at the same time.” (tears on my cheeks and sniffles) So beautifully put! Once again, congratulations!!!
http://fashiongrinch.com/
XO! You’ll be happy to know not all us American girls want big diamonds… I love your story!
Beautiful story. So passionate. Best Wishes Garance and Congratulations to Chris. All the best to both of you! ???? Thank you for sharing your story to us.
Felicitations chère Garance! Je t’aime tellement…et tu es géniale et drôle et parfaite et je vous south site tout le bonheur intergalacticale!
Thats lovely, Garance! I ‘ve just finished reading your book when we’ve got the big news! Its so great how life leads us in so many ways!
Wish you two hapiness and a life full of surprises and experience!
ps: Cant wait to see the ring, dress, celebration!
Très émouvant! La bague c’est un peu le symbol ;) J’attends l’histoire de la robe, la recherche, les essayages :))))) Ton histoire donne envie de se marier!
Ohh Garance,
Congratulations to you and Chris! being from Argentina, I could not relate more to the relative importance (or lack thereof) of the ring, etc. Having been married for 24 years, I can only wish you and tell you from experience that this very special feeling follows you throughout all your married life, and hopefully deepens with time. The best moment is the aftermath of the wedding, and for at least the first four years of married life, when day after day you wake up to your spouse still in disbelief at the wonder of loving that person more and more profoundly each day. May you be this happy for the rest of your life and thanks for sharing this with your readers!
Oh c’est émouvant !
Je viens de finir ton livre, puis je rattrape le derniers épisodes.
Merci de partager ces belles choses avec nous !
Léonor
This is movie material! LOVE IT!!!
Garance, thank you for sharing this beautiful story. And, may I just add that Eva Ferhen’s jewelry is stunning! What a great choice you made.
Just so you know, not all American women care about the big traditional diamond. Yes, diamonds are beautiful, but when I got married in 1990, many diamonds came from South Africa, which was still under apartheid. I did not want something that supported that system. I also felt that a traditional diamond engagement ring was very conventional, so I chose a Ceylon sapphire, and we had the rings custom made by a jewelry designer. My husband and I split up years later, but remain close. Some day I may even wear the ring on my right hand because it’s a cool piece of jewelry, and I don’t have any bad feeling about it.
I also chose not to have a traditional wedding dress. I had never seen one I really liked, so I had a dress made in cream colored silk with a strapless brocade bodice, like an evening gown with a clean, simple silhouette. (This was before Vera Wang started her bridal line.) In any case, it’s so important to do things your own way. Continue doing what feels right for you. I wish you and Chris many years of happiness!
Moi j’ai une bague de fiançailles peu ordinaire et un poil fragile, mais du coup ça me plairait d’avoir une alliance qui résiste tout en étant belle et classe, ça serait cet anneau là que je rallierai à ta définition de la bague de fiançailles :)
Ah, j’ai eu des frissons et failli pleuré sur la fin de l’article.
Pourtant je ne me vois pas mariée. Quoique dans 10 ou 15 ans peut-être. Oh wait, un peu comme toi en fait ;-)
Such a beautiful post, thank you for sharing this story with us and once again congratulations! x
http://jessicawoods.fr
Loved reading this! You have a very refreshing viewpoint on engagements and marriage.
http://www.cocktailsaturdays.com
I wish you a lot of happiness Garance. I am married for 24 years now and it was one of the best decisions of my life. As for the ring, my husband gave me his grandmother’s vintage ring and to this day I adore it. The ceremony wasn’t important to me when we got married but strangely enough this year I had this desire to repeat the ceremony on our 25th anniversary and want to marry in one of the oldest churches in Armenia, i hope i can realize this dream.
bonjour Garance
c’est en effet une belle histoire
et la bague est superbe
je trouve que symboliquement elle représente vraiment le couple que vous allez former avec Chris : 2 bagues unies
ma bague de fiançailles que j’ai depuis 31 ans maintenant s’appelle une toi et moi (2 pierres en quinconce??? pour l’orthographe) et je l’a trouve toujours aussi belle
je te souhaite la même chose
What a beautiful story and you are so good in showing your personal feeling and excitement…It makes me cry. Congratulation for both of you , I’m so happy you found a man which ” had the incredible courage to do that, to ask you to marry him” ….many people say it doesn’t matter , and I have friends which never get married and have a great , good life …but, I believe it matters a lot and my husband always say, that if you love a women, you would like to tell THE WHOLE WORLD that she is yours! and asking her to marry is just that!
I love your stories and your view on ‘the day’ and ‘the diamond solitaire’.
Why run with the crowd, stay an individual. I love your idea of a simple stylish ring that suits you and your personality.
How classy!
I have a simple tiny Tiffany diamond band that I wear with an 5 unique gold bangles given to me over the years by my husband And a day does not go by that someone doesn’t admire my bracelets. A big diamond would fight with them.
I’ve been married for 18 years to the perfect man. Our wedding was on New Year’s Eve at my sisters apartment where a guest came late in the middle of our vows at the “altar” which was the front door. We went to back to our hotel by train where the whole car drunkenly congratulated us as they saw my corsage. Our kids (12,14, and 14) ran ahead of us to the hotel and taped hotel stationery with ‘Honeymoon Suite’ on our door. They threw rose petals on the floor and arranged for strawberries and champagne with the hotel. We all sat and laughed and my husband and I reveled in our perfect wedding. Sans bridesmaids, sans enormous expense we started our life together. It’s after the wedding where details are the most important. Being there for each other, trust and laughter are where the real attention will be needed. Good luck and have a blast!
Tres joli choix quant a la bague. Je me souviens avoir eu une grande envie d’un anneau croise lors d’un precedent post qui m’a fait decouvrir cette merveilleuse artiste.
Chere Garance, surtout, restez vous-meme !
G, please show us the ring!!!! ;)
As always very moving!!! Once again big congratulations!!!!
A true love moment! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! And I love that you ‘exposed’ everything and ut will remain eternally in this virtual space :-) i wish you eternal joy, love and happiness!
What a lovely story. Best wishes to you and now I can’t wait to see the ring!
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you two. Miracles happen and love is the biggest gift of life!
Garance,
you just made me cry a bit – how cute can a couple get?
xxx
I also can’t identify with this part of the culture here. I can’t see myself wear a huge diamond, I prefer dainty rings, or no rings at all. But can’t wait to see the ring, Garance! Such a touching story!
http://www.lerablogs.com/
I’m so glad I came late to these posts and was able to read all four in one sitting on a rainy Miami afternoon while my toddler tears up the house! xoxo
Please a peek at your ring in tomorrow’s blog.
Ahhhhh I have been reading your blog for sooooo many years and it means SO much to me and i just shed a tear in this blog post! You’re so real, you’re such an important authentic joyful voice, this new part of your story adventure delights me and THANK YOU for sharing with us! All the best for you and Chris ! I just moved to a tropical city in Australia for a boy and it’s so hard and weird and lonely yet also nice and you inspire me to embrace my own adventure every day xxxxxxxxxxx
J’adore cette histoire. A chaque fois que je viens ici, j’espere trouver un nouvel episode de ton histoire avec Chris.
Je paierai cher pour etre la le jour J!! Ca va etre dingue! Toutes mes felicitations encore! :)
Love you , Garance and love reading your perfectly imperfect love story. Felicitations!! And blessings for a beautiful marriage and continued life together, full of fun, magic, celebrations and surprises.
So happy for both of you. Did you get the ‘shorty’ ring that is shown? Is it in white gold, yellow gold or rose gold? Eva’s jewellery looks gorgeous, I like the black onyx one. The rings are quite simple but very striking and probably have lots of sparkle, just like you! Congratulations again.
Quel joli moment !J’en ai encore la larme à l’œil…
Pleins de belles choses à vous deux !
So beautifull. Thank you for sharing your story Garance ?
Yes in France a big diamond is really vulgaire just as much class as Mariah and Kim with their tits a l air
Heureusement un peu de classe dans ce monde, merci Garance, ma soeur a une bague dans le meme genre. La mienne est plus classique mais c est aussi ma personalite ( juste un carat carre et des petits diamants autour)
My husband is american, we have very different cultural backgrounds on proposals and valentines day ( first year he gave me a big gift and i had nothing, second year I had a gift he had nothing…he he…) etc…
However he assures me that what you say about the US is not true that dates are just exactly the same as what we call aller boire un verre and that there is not that much difference
He knows no one who rented a whole restaurant and filled it with red roses to propose….but I do and they were definitely american
Félicitations! Et après tu dis que tu n’aimes pas les princesses?! Mais c’est on ne peut plus conte de fée tout ça… ;)
such a lovely story…..
please show us a photo of the ring at some stage!
Congrats Garance!!! Beautiful and touching way to tell us your love story! I wish you love and joy forever!
My husband got me the most beautiful enagagenet ring with a pearl (I LOVE pearls) and we got married.
Then one Saturday, 5 years into our marriage, strolling through antiques market and stores in Islington/ London, we saw this amazing ring, art deco style, really beautiful, and it was only 40 pounds. I really loved it – my husband bought the ring for me. We got it cleaned and restored, it’s a white gold ring with diamonds, perfect for my style and complements my wedding ring like it’s made just for me.
And so, since that day, I consider this my true “love statement” ring. It;s not exactly an engagement ring, but it is THE ring.
yes, this is really a great story… but we want to see the RING now :):)
ET LA BAGUE, ELLE EST COMMENT ALORS ??
xx
Ouais, mais nous, on aime les histoires de princesses, surtout quand elles ont l’air accessibles…
Et sinon, on l’a vue quelque part, cette bague? ou c’est un secret réservé à ceux qui vous connaissent? (en même temps, ce serait pas plus mal, parce que sinon, la créatrice va pouvoir lancer une ligne “Garance”!!)
Félicitations, encore!
Yes, I understand the cultural thing and the fact that Europeans are a bit less conservative. I also broke all the rules; we got engaged and the we had our children with 17 months apart (not planned to be so soon again!). At the hospital, after having given birth to our second child, my husband and I talked about that now would maybe be a good tim to get married. And why not at his parents’ summer house? So he called his father and said – Hi dad, what about a wedding i July at the summer house? His father replied – Yes, why not? So two months after giving birth we got married (and baptised our baby). The ring was a second hand ring (which is said to bring bad luck. Ha! What nonsense!) that I chose. It has a very small diamond which is sunk down in the ring so nothing stands above the gold. I am not a diamond person and usually don’t wear jewellery at all except for some earrings. I didn’t want anything that I needed to take off to be able to change diapers, do sports, put on nylon stockings etc. The ring should only be there, without me thinking about it. And yes, we could have afforded more, but this is the ring I wanted. I think it cost around 400 dollars. I don’t compete with the ring as I don’t compete with the love. This was 14 years ago and we are still happy together (of course it has been a roller coaster, but that’s life).
Congratulations to your love and may you take good care of it! <3
Félicitations Garance….savourez, profitez et tout sera comme vous le souhaitez…
Felicitations Garance, votre histoire est très belle, je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur et que votre étincelle ne s’éteigne jamais!
J’aime aussi beaucoup la marque de bijoux, c’est beau ce quelle fait!
lebazhaar.com
C’est sublime, n’est-ce pas Garance?! et quand ça t’arrive… tu exploses et tu as envie de le garder pour toi et en même temps de le crier sur tous les toits… du monde entier! On a beau le raconter comme une saga et en plusieurs chapîtres: finalement il n’y a pas de mots pour décrire toutes ses sensations…Surtout si on pensait que cela n’arriverait jamais … Toutes les histoires de couples sont belles, uniques et intemporelles en fait… Elles pourraient toutes servir comme sujet de best seller ou de films nommés aux Oscars… Mais Garance ce qui m’émeut le plus c’est que tu le racontes, que tu le partages avec un naturel et une fraîcheur que j’envie!!! Garde toujours le scénario du début de votre histoire sous la main…. et de temps en temps relisez-le ensemble. Ce sera le remède à tous vos maux, le pilier de votre histoire, la charpente de votre demeure. Je vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur!
C’est beau ! Je crois que toutes les demandes sont imparfaites, je veux dire, la vraie vie est comme ça et c’est pour ça que c’est tellement émouvant. J’ai ri au moment du concert de trompette pour récupérer la bague, quelle personnalité ! J’essayais de visualiser, c’est drôle et touchant à la fois, et tout à coup la réalité se raproche de la comédie romantique américaine. :-)
moi comme “bague de fiançailles” j’ai demandé -et j’ai reçu- une Mimi-Oui de Dior… comment dire, probablement le plus petit solitaire au monde?!? je voulais une chose qui avait une signification pour nous, et je n’ai jamais regretté…
Soyez heureux, et soyez vous-mêmes, ce tout ce qui compte :-)
A common thread is everyone wants an individual ring and dress. I dont think anyone goes into a shop and says, hey,give me a boring typical ring. Or a dress everyone is wearing. I like how we all feel we are so different and rebellious!.
Garance,
Que ton bonheur est contagieux et agréable à lire…
Je te dédie une lame du Tarot. Pas celle du Soleil, bien qu’elle soit celle de l’amour parfait, parce que tu n’es pas bling-bling. Je choisis plutôt celle du Monde: être soi, en plénitude et sans se renier, épanouie et authentique. C’est ca le secret du Bonheur.
Et comme tout le monde, j’attends la ROBE avec impatience????????
You’re such a role model for me garance.
I’m so happy for you and Chris, and I can’t wait to see the ring!
I hope it’ sur gonna happen for me soon!
It’s my first comment on your blog but I follow you since the begining and I just want to thank you for all the things you share with us.
And I loved your book so much!!!!! xxx
Your series of engagement stories are perfect in their imperfections. I do hope life surprises me with love like this.
I’ve always loved your stories, Garance! This is one is the best conclusion to the series, made me tear up a bit. Thank you for sharing this with us. Wishing you and Chris a wonderful life together! Congratulations xx
I love this entire story, Garance. Keep ’em comin’!
Reading these words makes me reconsider getting married, even though I’m not sure if it’s current society or just me… But I cannot (yet) see myself as “someone’s”. I don’t know whetther it is about the incapacity to take responsibility for such a step, or it’s that I’m not “made” for marriage…
Anyway, wish you the best of luck. Just finished reading your book and I admire you even more. You deserve the best.
-maria
http://thestoryletters.com/
Glad you got to experience this! See, Americans are as romantic as the French, just in a different way. Like the French are as hygienic as Americans just in a different way, ha. (In France younever catch a doctor outside a hospital in his scrubs for example and pools have strict rules about men in long bathing shorts which may have been worn in the public bus, yuck). another thing that is a bit sentimental and romantic about Americans (or showing off if you want to be judgmental) is the holiday card tradition. The French don’t sendholiday cards as a rule it seems to me and that’s too bad. Anyway, so special to have the engagement ring that is really you
Juste au moment ou lisais le passage sur le changement ou pas des hsitoires filles/garçons et ton let’ it go, ma fille de 3ans se pointe avec une poupée Elsa qui chante let’it go, donc non rien n’a changé…
Comment dire j’ai laissée un com’ avant de tous lire, concernant les poupées tous ça, puis là je viens de terminer l’article, et j’ai la larmes à l’oeil! dans quelques jours ça fera 6ans que mon mari avait demandé ma main, je t’écris en le regardant tendrement au meme temps, je me souviens encore qu’il était tellement stressée, il bafouillait, je bafouillait aussi, mais c’était émouvant.
Merci Garance de partager avec nous ton histoire, et je te souhaite beaucoup de bonheur<3
from my own experience i can say, that engagement shouldn’t be planed, it should be spontaneous and heartwarming. my man asked me when we were skinny dipping at night, we were both dirty from sand and lying on our clothes instead of towels. there was nobody kneeling, the ring doesn’t have dimond and it’s as simple as a ring can be
i can only add that i was so surprised my belly started to ache from stress and i had to find a bathroom, but the closest was two kilometers far from the beach. we were both dying from laughter all the way to our camp because i wasn’t sure if i could make it in time
oh lala j’ai envie de pleurer!! félicitations encore!!!
What a beautiful story and it was so beautifully written! Congratulations Garance! Loved the last line “you’ll let life surprise you” just what I needed to lift my day(after a somewhat lousy start) and I so hope that life continues to surprise you like this and that you continue to inspire us like this!
Quel écrit magnifique! Veux de bonheur, félicité, je vous aime, Chris e Garance!!!!
Ici Bari, Mariateresa!
Tellement merveilleux, beau et tout ça quoi, c’est communicatif ! Félicitations
Je passe de temps en temps par là (comment épistolairement) mais vu la taille de l’évènement je me suis dit qu’une unième ‘félicitions’ et ‘je te souhaite plein de bonne chose pour la suite’ étaient de rigueur !!! Tu as l’air épanouie du moins c’est ce qu’on ressent lorsque l’on te lit :-)
Ps: tes cheveux qui poussent c’est ravissant, coupe pas !!!
C’est vrai ça change rien et ça change tout… Il devient ta famille, pas besoin d’enfant pour ça. ça commence à deux…
Such a beautiful story! So happy for your happiness! Congrats to both of you=)
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa what a lovely story, it brought tears to my eyes. I´m so happy for you. Must admit I would love to see your beautiful ring. xoxo
Oh Happy Day!
Félicitations! :)
émouvant…. :)
I literally just wrote a post on my blog entitled Why Don’t I Get Married? And like you, Garance, I’m waiting for it to happen naturally. WHich I’m sure it will. We refuse to get caught up in the hoopla. Such beautiful writing as always! I wish you all the best on your new journey! Alicia x