
Real Wedding Stories
We have had the pleasure of working with so many special brides and grooms at Gittelson Jewelers and they all have their own story to tell. Ty and Ellen’s love story and their experience with us is as unique as any bride we’ve worked with so far. We actually met Ellen after she had been proposed to – her engagement ring was too big. After sizing it down to get her a great fit, she came to the realization that the setting her gorgeous oval diamond was set in was, for lack of better words, not quite what she had envisioned.
Now, let’s cut Ty some slack… the engagement ring was very close to her vision. It was just missing a few key details, so we got to work on custom-designing the engagement ring of Ellen’s dreams for her 1.50-carat oval diamond. The theme of Ty and Ellen’s story focuses on vintage details; a romantic and nature-inspired venue and (of course) their endless love for each other.

A Custom Designed Engagement Ring
The defining factors of her new engagement ring design were bright diamonds – Everywhere! Diamonds up all 4 prongs, under the basket holding her center diamond and along the sides were all prerequisites for her custom design. The finished piece is absolutely spectacular, the thin shank showing off Ellen’s elongated center oval diamond to make it appear even larger than before (is that possible?!) It is PERFECT.
All was not lost on her original engagement ring, however.

Ellen wanted to do something that symbolized the importance of the original engagement ring by incorporating it into her wedding set. So we went to work on modifying the ‘once engagement ring’ into a simple-shared prong diamond wedding band that she can wear alone or with her engagement ring. You can see it pictured behind her engagement ring, a nice compliment to complete her wedding set. Ty’s wedding band has a special meaning too. It was handed down from his mom and the beat-up yellow gold wedding band cleaned up beautifully with a coat of polish. We also sized it down to a finger size that was a better fit for him. The yellow gold really shines and gives both rings a warm feeling when couples decide to match the gold color in their rings to each other’s.
It gives the pair a cohesive feeling and ties that symbolism back in.

It’s all in the details…
The small details are what make a couple’s wedding day feel extra-special. Ty and Ellen were married in Omaha, Nebraska – not their current home of Minnesota, but the place where they attended college (Creighton University) and Ellen’s hometown. They were married in a Catholic church. Instead of exchanging vows during their ceremony, they exchanged handwritten notes and participated in a ‘first look’ as their special moment, just prior to the ceremony. Ellen says those were some of her favorite photos, captured beautifully by Raelyn Ramey.
Such a striking couple!

After the wedding
After the big day, we were pleasantly surprised to hear from Ellen again. She wanted to repurpose her grandmother’s ring into something functional and stylish that she could wear every day. We decided on ‘rolling out’ the gold her grandmother’s ring was constructed of and burnish-set the small stones onto the surface. The wedding band definitely has a vintage touch, something special to keep her grandmother with her every day. We could not be happier for the newlyweds and wish you all the best!
As your jewelers, we are always here for you. We can not wait to hear all about these next chapters in your lives!

Thinking about custom designing an engagement ring? We can help you – from the construction of the band, through the setting and the stones. Come in with an idea and we’ll help you bring it to life.
Vendor Credits
Photography & Videography: Raelyn Ramey
Makeup Artist: Lauren Woita
Men’s Attire: The Black Tux
Women’s Attire: Ready or Knot
Floral Design: Blooms & Bouquets
The Rings! Yours truly…