How I Pulled Off The ULTIMATE Proposal And Made Her Engagement Ring!
You've seen the making of the ring, or maybe you haven't (you can watch that here :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-djVH4bvA ) We haven't gone into detail about the planning, the pre-making of the ring, the proposal trip, or any of our thoughts on the whole thing. Today is the day! We are talking all about the Woodbrew Ultimate proposal story! You can watch the video above as well, this blog post is just the written version.
After high-school, we started a woodworking business that makes high-end custom furniture, that has expanded to transforming retail space and now a YouTube channel where we hope to inspire you to start making things as well. This is just a little back story if you've never seen us before. Hi, we are Molly and Dylan!
So we’ve been together for 7 years, and recently I popped the question. I think I managed to pull off a pretty slick proposal.
Learning To Make The Ring
Learning how to make the ring was the most difficult part of this proposal. There is surprisingly little information out there about how to make an engagement ring. I ended up resorting to books for a large portion of my learning. Most of the books published on the topic are pretty old, and I was unsure of what I needed. I ended up ordering most of the available books on the topic, but really only two of them for easily consumable and useful to me.
The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight
The Complete Metalsmith is a very comprehensive book that I used in the early stages of planning to wrap my head around what I needed to get started. There is a tool list with explanations and more diagrams than you’ll want to see. I ended up reading the book cover to cover, but you really only need a handful of sections to have a good understanding of how to make a simple ring.
Diamond Setting: The Professional Approach by Robert R. Wooding
The Diamond Setting: The Professional Approach book was actually the first book I purchased and lived in plain sight for the majority of the time. I put a dust jacket of another book around this one and kept it on my bookshelf. I chose a book about the military, so I knew Molly wouldn’t ever pick it up. This is an older book but was invaluable during the setting process. All the videos I watched on stone setting were images in my head, but I was able to keep this book open on the workbench while I worked and I constantly referenced it.
YouTube
YouTube, as always, came in clutch for learning. Unfortunately, there were very little instructional videos, but there was still plenty of visual learning to be had. My favorite channel is Pablo Cimadevila. He makes incredible videos, and most importantly makes his jewelry by hand, which was incredibly useful to watch. He doesn’t talk in the videos, but the visuals were very helpful.
Another great channel is Bobby White. He also has videos with really high production value, but he talks in many of his videos.
Online Course
After watching literally every ring making video on YouTube, I came across a channel called Jewelry Training Solutions. The videos on this channel or really just overviews of an online course they sell.
I decided to enroll in their apprenticeship course for $40/month. I spent the next couple of months going through almost their entire catalog of content. If you are serious about making a ring, then save yourself the headache of literally viewing 90% of the online content about ring making, as I did, and just sign up here. This course was instrumental in my success. I have no affiliation with them, just thoroughly enjoyed it. If I had to criticize it, the video quality could be better as it’s filmed on not the best camera. https://www.jewellerytrainingsolutions.com.au/
Molly here. I'm going to pop in like this to give my side of this amazing story!
I was at Dylan's apartment every single day, and the fact that I had NO IDEA, makes me think I am completely unobservant, lol. Or, he is just really good at this. I don't even know when he had the time to learn all of these things on top of our work and social outings, etc. I remember him being so tired and telling him he has got to go to bed earlier, but little did I know!
Tools I Used
Only after consuming all of the learning content, did I purchase the tools. I wanted to be sure I had everything I needed. This proved to be a bad way of doing it. I could go on and on about the tools in this video, but I really just went by what I saw people use in videos and in the two books I read.
The tools really didn’t cost as much as I thought they might. I believe they end up being around $900-$1200, but I literally bought everything one would need to be a jeweler. I am considering making a step-by-step video of how to make the ring and in that, I could tell you an exact list of the only tools you need. I used 10% of what I bought. I may also create a separate video about the total cost of the ring and whether I saved money making one.
For now I will list the top level tools I used: (affiliate links)
Rolling Mill: https://amzn.to/3j8QiIz
Small Files: https://amzn.to/3hwdd0g
Pliers: https://amzn.to/2YsElWe
Mandrel: https://amzn.to/3jcQuH0
Pickling Pot: https://amzn.to/3lhbldN
Pickling Solution: https://amzn.to/3lhbldN
Solder: https://amzn.to/2YuGdOk
Mini Torch: https://amzn.to/32ezWqU
Large Torch: https://amzn.to/2Ezekh6
Crucible: https://amzn.to/2Ettbtd
Flux: https://amzn.to/31q4tD4
Flux Dispenser: https://amzn.to/2EtmnMc
Stone setting burs: https://amzn.to/3gpix45
Polishing wheels: https://contenti.com/swifty-abrasives-assortment
Emory Paper: https://contenti.com/german-emery-sanding-sticks
Saw Frame: https://amzn.to/34t7bJZ
Polishing Cloth: https://amzn.to/34vbTHk
Half-round file: https://amzn.to/2CUKrHv
Barrette File: https://amzn.to/34sHb1j
3-square file: https://amzn.to/32mvvKJ
File Cleaner: https://amzn.to/3j6vl11
Burnisher: https://amzn.to/2EddIxS
Bezel Roller: https://amzn.to/3aPFLiH
Bezel Pusher: https://amzn.to/3aPFLiH
Bevel Block: https://www.riogrande.com/product/bezel-forming-block-with-punch-round/112103
Prong Pusher: https://amzn.to/3aPFLiH
Scriber: https://amzn.to/2El5Kmc
Divider: https://amzn.to/2QkxGcj
Steel Square: https://amzn.to/3aSXV2V
Brass Sliding Guage: https://amzn.to/2QlXODO
Center Punch: https://amzn.to/2QmxGsk
Bur Lube: https://amzn.to/2Qks0Pp
Cross Locking Tweezer: https://amzn.to/3hqI3Hl
AA Tweezer: https://amzn.to/3hpzZ9L
Raw Hide Mallet: https://amzn.to/3j9vDnF
Brass Mallet: https://amzn.to/2QisTrV
Metal Snips: https://amzn.to/31tHA1P
Third-Hand Tweezer: https://amzn.to/2Qkr7GF
Ceramic Soldering Board: https://amzn.to/3hrbhWL
Multi Magnifier: https://amzn.to/3gp4Py0
Ring Clamp: https://amzn.to/34sIBc9
Chasing Hammer: https://amzn.to/34scVnl
Bench Pin: https://amzn.to/34uiu4s
Anvil Block: https://amzn.to/3gkhCBS
Soldering Pick: https://amzn.to/31ppePq
Oh, here is a fun side story of purchasing the diamond. I placed the order for a diamond through a dealer out of NYC right as the pandemic was beginning. Whenever they ship diamonds, they usually have the diamond appraised and insured. The dealer sent the Diamond to the private shipping company and then all of NYC was shut down. I helplessly waited 4 weeks for the diamond to show up. I had less than a week before we were leaving on the trip and I had to abandon the diamond. It was actually a good thing because I ended up stumbling across a much better diamond. I found a Jeweler in Chicago that also sold loose diamonds, but not just any loose diamonds, she specializes in antique hand-cut diamonds. I was able to have a stone from the 1920s overnighted and that saved the day. Check out her shop here! https://ivyandrose.com/ And her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivyandrosevintage/
Keeping It All A Secret
Keeping the whole proposal a secret was one of the toughest parts. I desperately wanted Molly to be surprised. I defiantly took this to extremes, but honestly, it was all necessary and it wouldn’t have been the same if she had any suspicions so this was necessary.
I never really had suspicions, butI did think a few things were weird. At no point did I think he was making an engagement ring!
My Cover
Ok so don’t judge me here. I know this doesn’t sound good, which I only realized while writing this video’s talking points…
The main way I was able to keep this a secret was by creating a narrative months in advance. I swear I’m not a psychopath… I created this narrative that it was a bad idea to get engaged before we had our finances sorted for a home. I wanted to be sure we would get pre approved for a home and that our savings was built up before getting engaged. I basically created a story that led to us getting engaged 1 year later.
Every time I would bring up marriage or why we should just go ahead and get engaged, he would push it to the side and never really want to talk about it. This made me so mad, but haha, jokes on me becauseit was all for a reason.
The Pandemic
The current pandemic was initially a major obstacle, but I was able to spin it in a way that actually helped me out. I needed a way to make the ring in secrecy and my original plan was to setup and take down the tools overnight when Molly wasn’t in the shop. This would have been a nightmare honestly. I ended up suggesting Molly take a couple weeks off as everything began to shut down. I didn’t have to work very hard to get her to commit to that. I ended up ordering everything immediately when this plan worked. This allowed me to work in the shop without her being there.
We took a trip a few hours away to go camping right when the pandemic was first getting talked about. Mainly when toilet paper completely sold out. When we got home, and after talking it over, I decided to stay home and keep my family safe. Dylan just made it seem like staying away was my idea. Good thing I did because hearing how many tools were out in the shop, I would have had to see something!
Dylan and his friends had "morning coffee walks" and I was never invited. Of course, I get defensive and I go on walks by myself or ask Dylan to go on walks with me before he made plans with his friends. These walks were for them to talk about everything because of this next section.
No Texting Policy
I had a strict no texting policy with the select few people who knew about this plan. No texting messages and absolutely no photos were to be taken of anything related to the ring. This is a recipe for disaster. I knew someone would slip up or I would get a text at a bad time and have to hide it making Molly suspicious. Also, no photos because all my devices are synced with iCloud. If a photo was taken, it could end up everywhere even if I deleted it. I couldn’t take that chance.
Changing Passwords
Molly and I use 1password to securely save our passwords, but this posed a threat. Every Christmas, one of us ends up seeing an email or order on Amazon and it gives away the gift. I ended up changing all my personal account passwords and not switching them in 1password. This way if Molly tried to login I would get a notification and if she asked me for the login, I would have time to either prepare an excuse or wipe the service clean of ring related things. She rarely needs access to my accounts, so this wasn’t an issue.
Disconnecting Connected Devices
Speaking of iCloud, most of our devices are connected in some way. The editing computer is a carbon copy of my laptop which posed a major threat. I could not save files to my computer without first either disconnecting the computer or by concealing the file with a folder. I actually put stuff in the root folder of the adobe applications folder at one point.
Avoiding Ads with VPN
The one area where you could get caught so quickly is by having ads show up. This is something most people wouldn’t even think about. If you go searching for rings to buy, then every website, social media platform, and email is going to blast you with rings to buy. If every time you open Instagram a ring shows up in an Ad you will eventually have one pop up in front of your girlfriend. Again, so many of our accounts for work are linked so this would have been a disaster. This is why I had to use a VPN, Surfshark. I used the Surfshark VPN service to avoid my IP getting tracked and personalized ring ads showing up everywhere.
If you don’t know what a VPN is, let me explain. A VPN acts as a middle man between your device and the internet. It provides a way for you to securely browse the internet, make purchases online, view your mobile banking apps, and more without the fear of your information being stolen. Whenever you search online, your data is constantly being exchanged back and forth. Surfshark ensures that your data is encrypted so no unwanted eyes can see it.
Not only is Surfshark a secure way to browse, it also always you to browse from anywhere in the world, effectively giving you access to blocked content. Did you know that platforms like Netflix release some shows only in specific countries? One of my favorite shows of all time, Prison Break, isn’t available on in the US on Netflix. But If I open Surfshark, Search for the UK , wait for it to connect, and now go back to Netflix, you’ll see Prison Break is available to watch.
Now if you were thinking wow this must be expensive! Well, you’d be wrong. Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/WOODBREW and enter promo code WOODBREW for 85% discount and 3 extra months for free! That’s only $1.77/month or 1/3 of the cost of your morning coffee. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee so you literally have nothing to lose trying it out. Use our code WOODBREW at checkout and start browsing securely today.
How I Proposed
Picking the Location
I struggled big time with picking a location to propose. With the pandemic going on, my options felt very limited. I guess I should further explain why I felt it had to be done now. I wanted to propose now, because the ground work had been laid for the proposal pre the pandemic and I didn’t want to postpone. I knew the longer I waited the harder to conceal it it would be.
I originally picked the Gatlinburg area because it was drivable and currently had no travel restrictions. I sleep on that a few days and I am glad I did. My buddy Will said to me “Yea, that plan doesn’t really fit the expectations of a Dylan proposal”. I couldn’t agree more and I was glad someone else said that to me. I was just wanting it to happen at that point and letting my prior dreams go aside. I went back to the original plan, that had been brewing ever since we climbed Mt. Elbert together. I wanted to propose at the top of a 14er (14,000ft Mountain).
The Cover Story
I needed a good cover story to get you to travel and that was made easy by the fact that it was our 7 year dating anniversary. I used that as a cover up for all of the planning. I knew I couldn’t surprise you with the trip because that might tip you off, but I knew I still needed a surprise since that is typical Dylan fashion. I decided to ask her to go to Colorado for our 7 year anniversary because the flights were incredibly cheap right now. She was actually a little hesitate, but after a little bit she said yes.
The Bookings
I booked a decent Air Bnb, one that was a little nicer than usual for the last couple of days. I told her that I booked a surprise Airbnb for the first couple of days and not to look because that was her present. It was actually a good present, but more so it made her only think about that. It was her dream A-Frame cabin way up in the mountains. This doubled as a place to acclimatize for the hike up Quandary Peak.
Listen that A-frame was a dream! And no, I did not even look it up to snoop. I promise! I love surprises and the way he told me all this, he seemed excited so I wanted be excited too when I saw it for the first time in person.
Here's where we stayed because it was pretty awesome. https://bit.ly/2EcI7wd (affiliate link)
Flying to Colorado was the most terrifying thing. I had the ring in a box, in a bag, within a bag, and a note strapped to it saying “engagement ring please be discreet”. I was so scared TSA would search my bag and pull the ring out in front of Molly. All went well though and there was no bag searching, although I did get pulled to the side and swabbed for explosive residue….
Dylan was acting a little weird through the airports I remember. Usually we go find our gate and drop off our things. If one of us needed to go to the bathroom or get a drink, one of us will just stay with all of our stuff. We got to our first gate and Dylan said I'm going to walk around and took his backpack with him. I just thought that was so odd, but never questioned him about it.
The Hike & What I Said
We settled on climbing Quandary peak, which is a 14,265ft peak in the Tenmile range near Breckenridge CO. My plan of climbing a 14er was a bit more challenging because it was May and all the 14ers were still covered in snow and temps were in the single digits. We were fully kitted up with mountaineering boots and crampons. I chose this mountain because we didn’t need any technical gear though. We climbed the East ridge with a distance of 7 miles and 4k feet of elevation gain. I was concerned that we may not make it to the top, but also knew that basically anywhere on the mountain would be a spectacular place to propose.
We left our cabin around 1 am and were hiking by 3 am. I remember it was absolutely freezing. I also didn’t sleep at all the night before. I hadn’t planned the proposal part really at all. I wanted to wait until a moment presented its self. I am not a good social interaction person, and I don’t do well with planned social settings. I knew If I created this idea of how the proposal would look, then it would likely be cheesy or too complicated. I decided to just straight wing it. It was pretty apparent early into the hike that we wouldn’t make the summit by sunrise, which was the rough timing of when I wanted the proposal to happen. I didn’t let this stress me as at this point literally everywhere I looked would have been an awesome place.
I ended up zoning out and we both walked in silence for quite awhile. At some point we topped a hill and left the tree line. Before I knew it, the dawn arrived and the sky was incredible. I remember pulling my camera out to take a photo of her and then a few video clips of her walking up the hill. She looked up and smiled at me and my brain instantly went this is it. It was truly that quick. I had planned every last detail up until this point, but this moment was raw and I was filled with emotion.
I set my stuff down and told her I was setting the camera up for a picture. I pulled the ring box out of my pack and quickly put it in my jacket pocket, then set the camera up. She seemed oblivious as to what was happening and I honestly was running on adrenaline with still no real plan. I clicked record instead of a photo and acted like we took a photo. Molly gave me a note years ago that said, “Open when you are thinking about our future”. I had packed that note in my bag and now standing on the side of Quandary peak I opened it in front of her. I said something like “Do you remember this note? I brought it up here for us to open on our 7 year anniversary”. The note had us going to college, lol, but more importantly, was signed “Molly Strachan?”. I then pulled the ring box out and said “I want to be adventure buddies for life”, that part I had thought about earlier. I then got down on one knee, the LEFT knee, in case any of you guys didn’t know that and asked her to marry me.
Oh goodness was this just out of a movie or what?! Mountains in general are so beautiful at any given time. Right when we stopped right over that hill, I thought ok good, I can take a break and grab some water, maybe take some pictures. I took a few Instagram stories and Dylan is actually in the background of one pulling out the ring from his pack and I never even realized!
When he pulled out the note, I didn't know what was happening, lol. I don't remember what was in that note at all! I wasn't sure if this was a proposal and just thought, "Is this happening? Is this happening? Is this happening?". I think Dylan can agree that part was a little awkward hahah. Then he got down on one knee and I said, "No you're not!" I couldn't believe it! Also, my hands swell in altitude so for a brief second I thought my finger wasn't going to fit, but thankfully it did! It was just a little snug.
We later summited Quandary Peak and FaceTimed everyone we knew on the way down. WE'RE ENGAGED!
The video up at the top as sooo much more detail than this blog post, so I encourage you to watch that video as well! Thank you so much for reading about our proposal story and following us along this journey and into a new chapter into our lives.
Catch up on all of our other projects here!