The Wedding

Chiola and Eric got married in the fall of 2018. “We did a destination elopement,” said Chiola. “The setting was absolutely stunning. Walking toward him was so surreal.” They were married in the Wistman’s Wood, a remote ancient forest left to grow wild, in Dartmoor National Park in the U.K. It was both their first time in the U.K.  “We went the day before and found the tree we wanted to get married under.” Chiola and Eric said their vows as they stood on antique carpets set upon the rocky ground beneath the tree.

“Pretty much all of it was special. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
It was the coolest thing we ever did,” said Eric.

The Ring

Chiola and Eric designed their ring eight months before the proposal. This majestic ring has a white gold cathedral setting with a graceful tapered band. The center stone is a classic 1 carat brilliant round moissanite surrounded by a cushion shaped diamond halo and two trapezoidal shape side stones. The ring profile has a timeless infinity symbol in rose gold.

When asked what Chiola still loves most about her ring, Chiola said, “Everything! We customized the design together and we went back and forth until we got it right. I just love the design, the [profile of ring], it just looks like an heirloom.”

“The thing I liked best about the process was that Chiola let me play a role in the design,” said Eric.

Originally, Chiola and Eric wanted to put two little cats in the ring profile to represent their cats. It was going to be too small to make out what they were, so they opted to add a touch of rose gold on the ring profile to add contrast against the white gold.

“We customized the design together and we went back and forth until we got it right.
I just love the design, the [profile of ring], it just looks like an heirloom.”

Finding Forever

When asked how they each knew they had found their forever person, Chiola said, “I think it’s because he accepted me and my flaws. He was the first person I was open with one hundred percent. He made me feel very accepted and loved. He was so understanding and he communicated so well.”

Chiola said when she first met Eric 17 years ago, she said to him “You are the most interesting guy I’ve ever met. He’s my weirdo. He’s always talking about stuff. That’s my favorite thing about him.”

“It was just instant,” said Eric. “We wanted to talk to each other when we met. We couldn’t talk fast enough. We couldn’t see each other enough. It was like, ‘you understand what’s in my head!’”

Eric’s favorite thing about Chiola is how she reels him in. “She keeps me grounded. I’m the dreamer. We balance each other out.”

Eric proposed on Chiola’s birthday. He told her a tall tale to keep her from suspecting he was about to propose.

“I told her I had a crazy adventure that day,” said Eric. “I really built it up. I told her this elaborate story and she believed it. It culminated with me telling her I had found something that day I wanted to show her. And it was the ring.”

“I told her this elaborate story . . . It culminated with me telling her
I had found something that day I wanted to show her. And it was the ring.”

Chiola and Eric’s Tips

Chiola’s tip for anyone planning a wedding is to make sure it means something to you. “The way we did it was so nontraditional. No matter if you go nontraditional like us or traditional, don’t try to please everybody else so the wedding is no longer about you.”

Eric’s tip as far as the proposal is to “make sure they aren’t expecting it. As far as the ring, work with someone like Jenny [of Diamonds Forever] that can read your mind. You tell her all these garbled things you like and she then says ‘you want this!’ and then makes it happen.”

❤️ Thank you so much to Chiola and Eric for letting us be part of your love story. What a gorgeous destination wedding!