the real story of our engagement

This post is sponsored by Helzberg Diamonds. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

Here’s the thing about me and Sean… we are anything but traditional. We value our space, our privacy (ha, says the blogger), and our inside jokes. Even before we met, both of us had aspirations of leaving it all behind and embracing #vanlife or #boatlife. We are happiest while totally off the grid, surrounded by mountains and the smell of trees. If either of us felt a need for any sort of traditional lifestyle, the relationship simply would not work. Happily though, we’ve found each other and share so many key priorities! This was evident in our engagement story, especially. Today we partnered with Helzberg Diamonds to share how they are changing the rules of engagement in a decidedly non-traditional and fun way.

The real story of our engagement and non-traditional relationship, plus learn more about The “Will You?” Ring from @helzberg on Jojotastic.com #helzberg #ad

After sharing the video of our engagement, many of you have asked about the ring. Well, here’s the thing… Sean is painfully aware of just how picky I am and was terrified (his words, not mine!) of investing in the wrong ring. And how could he not be? My job is to literally talk about style. The other thing about me is that I am incredibly impatient. For example, when I buy a new pair of shoes, I typically wear them out of the store because I’m just too excited. So after Sean proposed, I wanted a ring ASAP… but what kind of ring? And what was our budget? I actually had no idea what type of ring I wanted or even if I wanted a traditional diamond, gold, rose gold, pavé… you get my drift. Basically, we needed time to make the decision for this expensive, once-in-a-lifetime purchase.

Helzberg Diamonds on Jojotastic.com

So enter Helzberg Diamonds and the new “Will You?” ring, aka the ring that comes before the official engagement ring. Not only does this ring help to alleviate the stress of the asker, but it satisfies the craving of the askee to have something immediately placed upon their finger (hi, me). More than anything, though, the “Will You?” Ring allows today’s couples the time and ease of shopping for a ring together without all of the added stress. I really love this idea because it means Sean and I could take our time, go camping, and pick a ring at our leisure.

The real story of our engagement and non-traditional relationship, plus learn more about The “Will You?” Ring from @helzberg on Jojotastic.com #helzberg #ad Helzberg Diamonds on Jojotastic.com #helzberg #ad

The “Will You?” Ring has a few other features that deserve mentioning, too: The band is inscribed with “This is a ring, not the ring,” which I find to be really cheeky and cute. Also, at $50 the ring won’t eat into the ‘real’ ring budget — and it comes with a custom code for a discount of up to $400 off a future Helzberg engagement ring purchase. With so many benefits, I’d be surprised if more couples don’t start off their engagements this way!

Ring from @helzberg on Jojotastic.com #helzberg #ad

It took Sean and me about 3 or 4 months to actually select a ring. During that time we went on many trips together and it was just so much fun to bask in the warm glow of our recent engagement. Like the rest of our relationship, we’re going to take things slowly as we plan our wedding, so be sure to stay tuned as I talk about that more and more here on the blog (and get an early peek by checking out my Wedding Pinterest board!).

Photography & styling by Jojotastic.

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

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Please note that I use affiliate links at times here, as well as on my social media accounts. This means that if you click on a link to a product and purchase that product, I may receive a commission based on your purchase. I only feature products that truly inspire me. Any products that have been gifted to Jojotastic for review are noted at the bottom of the post. Sponsored posts are noted as such. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

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