Different From The Beginning
Yang was immediately drawn to Hattie because of her sincerity and zest for life. Those were some of the most important things he was looking for in a partner. On their first date (on Valentine’s Day weekend, no less) they quickly realized that their values were completely aligned and the realness of their interaction made them both recognize right away that this was different from the other dates they had previously been on. This was special from the beginning.
Trusting The Timing
They were both on the same page with marriage. It was a decision that developed organically in their first year of dating. They had talked about it before, but Hattie, who was preparing for her LCSW exam, didn’t think that Yang would propose until after she was licensed. However, Hattie left the decision up to Yang because she completely trusted that whatever timing Yang chose, it would be an intentional decision. She wasn’t wondering or waiting because she knows that when Yang wants to do something, he does it right. She liked the idea of there being a casual element to the whole thing, noting that sometimes when there’s too much pressure or curiosity, it ends up ruining the surprise.
The French Connection
Yang figured that the perfect time to propose would be on the French leg of their already-planned trip to Europe for one of his friend’s weddings. Being the planner that he is, the idea of combining the two events would make it both purposeful yet relaxed. Their Eurotrip began in Spain, for their friend’s wedding, then came France, where Yang proposed, and last was Italy, where they lavished their time as a newly engaged couple. Yang proposed in Gordes, a hilltop town near Marseilles in the south of France. This location felt unique since it wasn’t one of the big European cities and a bit more off the beaten track. France was also a meaningful country to them with their French ties by way of studies and meaningful connections made on past trips there, some of whom helped celebrate their new engagement together with them.
Hitting The Jackpot
Yang’s favorite quality about Hattie is her lightness of spirit, her big heart, joyous nature and her baseline happiness. They both love that they can be silly together and that they bring that part out in each other. Hattie loves that Yang is smart, witty, makes her laugh, a great conversationalist, and treats her friends and family with respect. She notes how committed and steadfast he is in whatever he chooses to keep in his life, whether that's work or friends. When he commits, he commits 110%. She adds that he’s the most hardworking person she’s ever known. She feels as if she’s hit the jackpot.
Supporting Innovation
They initially discovered Wove through a friend. After she described the custom ring experience Yang knew he had to check Wove out. A biotech entrepreneur himself, Yang loved that Wove is a startup. As someone who enjoys building and supporting innovative companies, Wove’s unique ring try-on process captured his attention. This was not before going into a physical ring store where there were aggressive salespeople trying to sell them a ring on the spot. Hattie loves that they were also able to add personalized details like their initials and the date inscribed in the inside of the ring.
The Try On Ring Process
Hattie knew she wanted an oval diamond with side stones and a hidden halo. The three stones represent the past, present and future. Yang was happy to get to see the try-on ring in person because of the investment he was about to make. He loves that he was able to hold the replica and even got two people's reactions to it. They both also loved the ring so he knew it was the one. Yang notes that the guidance from Kendall, the designer who worked on his ring was very helpful. He loved that she translated certain words he had in his mind like ‘modern’ into a ring concept and that she had ideas to offer that he didn’t consider. They went through a few quick design iterations until settling on the right one. He also liked that Kendall guided him on the right details to focus on.
The Proposal
The journey to the proposal spot didn’t exactly go to plan since Hattie, who didn’t know it was about to happen, had other ideas in mind that were going to derail Yang’s proposal. Once Yang was able to convince Hattie to stay the course and they actually made it to the proposal spot, a beautiful lookout, Hattie’s fear of heights kicked into full gear. Luckily, Yang was able to pop the question before she fled the scene! Hattie’s fear subsided and, still in shock, was finally able to take in what had happened. They plan on getting married next fall in a historic mansion with a wonderful garden space.
