Hawaii 

After booking our vacation and setting the plan in motion, I had one very important thing to do- ask Danielle’s father for permission.  That is no small task being that I would not only need his permission, but also need his help in making a ring.  After a quick 7 hour trip to Florida and back to ask for his permission in person, her father informed me that he would need more than the 3 days that I had to make an engagement ring with the specifications that I was looking for.  So together, we came up with the idea of making a ring that she can always have and wear with her birth stone (a Citrine).  This way I can properly propose with a ring, and I would have the time to make her the engagement ring that I wanted when we returned from vacation.  And she got 2 rings…..

An Unforgettable Day

It was important to me to create an unforgettable proposal experience for my wife to be. As there are very few true surprises in life, I wanted to create a moment that she & I could remember for the rest of our lives. We were on vacation in Hawaii in December of 2010. The Aloha State makes a perfect holiday destination with its wonderful people, stunning landscape and sunny days. Hawaii is also very special during New Years due to the migration of the whales that occur each year at this time.  Each year Humpback Whales migrate approximately 3,000 miles from the summer feeding grounds of Alaska to the clear warm waters of Hawaii to mate. An opportunity to be near these amazing mammals was surely not to be missed. We had planned on taking a group sunset cruise our fourth day of vacation.

We arrived on the Trilogy to find only one other couple was on the boat. We were told a group of 10 had been held up because of bus problems and we would only be delayed a few minutes. Soon after, we were told they would not be able to make it on time and it would just be the four of us. Imagine our excitement at the chance for a three hour semi private boat trip amongst the whales.  We set sail out of the marina into the open waters and within 15 minutes these amazing mammals were swimming on both sides of the boat.

The first mate brought out a selection of fresh native fruits  namely pineapples and lychee. They served my girlfriend first. Much to her surprise there was a closed ring box in the middle of the platter. She looked at the other couple convinced it was meant for them. I asked her to open the box, got down on one knee and proposed while the other couple had their cameras focused on our every move. My now wife quickly learned that the other couple were professional photographers hired to document this incredibly special moment and that there never was a group of 10 other guests who at the last minute couldn’t make it. We will never forget the memory of that day and without Leo Ingwer the day would have not been complete.