ESQUELETO owner Lauren Wolf recently worked with Michael on his custom project. Throughout the process I heard the team singing his praises. They said he was a really nice person and fun to work with. I thought I'd reach out and see what he thought of the custom process and if he'd recommend it to others. Here's what he said:
Kayla: You worked with Lauren Wolf to create a custom ring for your partner, Chelsea. What was the ring for? What made you decide to do a custom ring?
Michael: I worked with Lauren to make Chelsea’s engagement ring. I had searched extensively, both at shops in New York and online and actually found a ring that I really liked, but when it arrived it was not as nice as I expected. It was small and unremarkable, but it did have a few elements that I liked very much. That’s when I realized that I had exhausted my off-the-shelf options. Lauren came highly recommended from a close friend, so I reached out to her.
K: Was Chelsea involved in the process at all? How did you know what she wanted?
M: Chelsea was not involved in the process at all. I know a lot of guys make a huge deal about the act of proposing and obsess over all the whens and wheres. But for me, it just needed to be a total surprise, which meant that Chelsea couldn’t have the slightest inkling. We’d never gone window shopping for engagement rings, so I had to go by pure gut instinct (and the help of the afore mentioned close friend). I also felt that being able to choose/create a ring she would love would be a solid testament to our love and how well we know each other.
K: Can you tell us a little bit about giving Chelsea the ring? How did she react?
M: Once I had the ring in my possession I kept it on hand for a couple of days. Luckily it was winter and relatively easy to conceal. Still, it felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket. When the right moment arose—we spent a great day off at the museum, and luckily Chelsea suggested we go to a pretty romantic spot for a drink. It was very important that she suggested it, because I didn’t want to tip my hand in any way to what I was planning.
We were, again, very lucky and got a window seat with a beautiful view of downtown Manhattan and the Hudson river. I didn’t want to make a huge thing of it and tell the waiter in advance or get on one knee. That sort of thing isn’t exactly our style. So I just waited for the right moment and snuck the ring onto her plate (there was no food on it yet, that would’ve been kinda gross). It worked! She was totally surprised and overwhelmed. I think we both were.
K: Now that you've had a custom ring made, would you recommend that route to other people who want to propose? Any advice for them?
M: I would definitely recommend the custom route. It just feels so much more personal. My advice to those willing to pursue it is: a) make sure you’re confident in knowing your partner’s style and b) make sure you have a very talented, patient, and intuitive designer like Lauren working with you.
