A Long's Proposal Story: Paige & Shawn

When the stars align! Read on to see how Shawn surprised Paige with a beautiful, new diamond ring at their alma mater. On behalf of the entire Long's team, congratulations and best of luck.

How did the two of you meet?

"At the end of summer 2017, Shawn reached out to see if I wanted to grab drinks sometime. We had our first date on the first Friday of September. It was a beautiful night, and, while I had sworn off dating for a bit, the stars really aligned. We laughed all night over martinis, tartare, and escargot at a quaint restaurant in the South End. I didn’t want the night to end. We really connected, it almost seemed too good to be true. Two weeks later, he had convinced me to come to Stamford, CT, where he lived at the time, for a magical weekend where he proved he listened, cared, and we really did fit together. The rest is history!"

How did he propose?

"November 7, 2020: Seventy degrees, beautiful sunshine, and what we would say is an incredible November day in New England. Shawn told me we had lunch plans. Somewhere nice, somewhere outdoors (pandemic Paige was not messing around). He told me to wear something special. After seven months of carefully considering the risk of going out, it seemed like the perfect day for an adventure. He was very strict on what time we were leaving, but I thought nothing of this. I think Saturdays are meant to sleep in. He thinks Saturdays are meant to get the day started. He was smart though and built in a buffer to account for me being late, because let's face it, I thrive off being late.  

We got on the Mass Pike and headed west. As we approached the old Mass Pike exit 8 he said we were early for lunch, and we were swinging by UMass. It truly was not a battle to fight – we both went to undergrad at UMass Amherst, and I was in my first semester of my online MBA program at the Isenberg School of Management. We always go on a weekend trip in the fall to UMass Amherst, but this time I was somewhat annoyed I did not have the right shoes on to walk around campus. Why would I dress up to walk around this huge campus!

We parked in front of Isenberg School of Management, and that is when my suspicion began to arise. As we got out of the car, he put on a blazer, which was the first clue this walk was far different than any other either of us had done before. I rambled on about food as he led me to the campus pond. As we walked over the bridge, I felt a way I never have before, and I knew this was a walk of a lifetime, a moment I would never forget. He took my sunglasses off, and I immediately got very emotional. He told me I needed to breathe and look him in the eyes.

He told me he’s not sure of a lot of things, but he was sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He got down on one knee, on the most beautiful November 7^th day there ever was, and he asked me if I wanted to marry him. How lucky one is to meet the love of their life, for the stars to align, and find that one person who drives you wild in the best ways while making you better each day. This moment was the most magical moment of our lives.

If you had told either of us as undergraduate students, that this moment would happen here and because of the path each of our lives took we would cross paths at the ideal moment, I would say you are crazy. If you are reading this, do not ever settle, your great love is out there too.

Little did I know, barely a mile away, our immediate families were gathered waiting for us to celebrate. We celebrated with our families in our favorite downtown restaurant, Pasta E Basta, where my fiancé rented out the entire restaurant so we could all be safe and filled with love on the best day of our lives."

Tell us about the engagement ring!

"When Shawn picked out the engagement ring, he was focused on a timeless ring with a special story. One of my favorite things about Shawn is while I never think he is listening, he always comes through in the most important moments. Over the course of our relationship, I had always mentioned that I valued timeless pieces of jewelry and their elegance. When the time came, Shawn picked the most perfect and timeless diamond in a perfect solitaire setting. To top it all off, Shawn even tied in my love for philanthropy and picked a Kalahari Dream Diamond for the company’s vision."