DORÉ

How does love start? How does it stay? And what little gestures can change it all?

When we started thinking about presents and jewelry with Chopard, the acclaimed jewelry brand we’ve loved for years (remember when Garance went to Cannes and got to wear their fabulous diamonds?) the first thing we got excited about was to talk about presents that are symbolic, meaningful, and stay with you forever.

So here’s what we did: Asked three of our favorite couples to come to the studio, have a coffee, and a chat with us about love, while Erik was taking their photo and while Lester, the body guard of all these delightful pieces, looked over the scene with an attentive eye.

So, from new loves to newlyweds and newly parents, we delve a little deeper into first kisses and the best gifts that followed. Here we go!

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

Kaelin: We met because Kathy was originally friends with my sister so I sort of preyed on her I guess [laughs]. On our first date we went to go see that movie There Will Be Blood. That was 9 years ago…now we’re married! We were never really engaged though. We did things in a really unconventional order. We had a baby, and then decided to just make it official. We just went down to city hall and did it.

Where was your first kiss?

Kaelin: First kiss was funny, because Kathy didn’t remember it. It was in Happy Ending, the bar, in the basement like drunkenly making out.

Is that true?

Kathy: I guess so… [laughs].

What is the best present he/she has given you?

Kathy: He’s gotten me so many good presents over the years. The first one I really loved was when we first started dating, it was my birthday and he came to where I was working and baked me a cupcake and put aliens on it, tied it up, it was very cute and homemade. Every year is really good. This year he got me a Céline bag which was really sweet and out of left field. I didn’t see that one coming.

Kaelin: Sage [their child] was a pretty good gift [laughs]. You’ve thrown me some great parties on my birthday when I didn’t want to plan them myself, you’ve put together some amazing parties with my friends and family. No one else would do that for me.

She also made me this key chain so I wouldn’t lose my keys and so we could tell our keys apart but I thought it was a really cute little gesture and I think of her every time I see it in my pocket.

How did you meet?

Y&D: It’s complicated!
D: We were at a soccer tournament. She saw me first.
Y: I did, I was stalking him.
Y: Then we saw each other again at a bar and I went up to him.
D: She mentioned the soccer tournament because she recognized me from there. We became friends.
Y: 6 months later we started dating.
D: The first date we had was this super epic day. We went to see a show in Chelsea, then an art show, then walked to the Whitney, and then to the Met.
Y: Then we grabbed dinner in the West Village – it was like… an 11 hour date, all over the city. It was amazing. We became a couple pretty quickly after that.

And you got married this summer?

D: Yes, August, newly-weds! We actually got engaged a year ago last week at Hunter Mountain. We went to back last weekend for her birthday and went out to dinner at the same restaurant where I proposed. This guy sitting behind us was proposing to his girlfriend!

Where was your first kiss?

D: The first kiss was that first date night at a dive bar in our neighborhood. We were talking about football – I’m a Ravens fan because I’m from Baltimore and she’s a Steelers fan. She was talking smack about the Ravens…
Y: And I don’t even remember how it happened from there
D: All of a sudden we kissed, and we laughed about it because we were just arguing about Ray Lewis!

What is the best present that he or she has ever given you?

Y: Well on my birthday last year, it was an engagement ring.
D: So many wonderful presents.
Y: So many books.
D: For our wedding gift, she gave me this huge photo of a dog. So beautiful.