ASJ: How did you and Alexa meet?

Logan: Alexa and I met through a mutual group of friends. We spent our first 2-3 weeks talking to each other in a Spotify group chat room with our friends where we could play music for the group to listen to during work. So we initially connected over our love of music, talking about shows we had seen, sharing some of our favorite artists or songs with each other, and just having fun talking to each other while stuck at work. We met in person a couple weeks later on a nite out with friends and were pretty much inseparable from there on out.

ASJ: What is your favorite tradition as a couple?

Logan: We go to a lot of concerts together, but specifically Phish. We also have 2 dogs so most of our time is just spent with them.

ASJ: When did you know that you wanted to marry Alexa?

Logan: We had been together for about three years. I went home to Pittsburgh for Christmas and then joined her in Florida with her family. While still in Pittsburgh, my younger sister asked me if we were going to get married soon. I had been thinking about it a lot but had never spoken to anyone about it. Once I said it out loud I knew I should start setting everything in motion.

When I got to Florida, Alexa and I went to a Miami Dolphins game (Alexa’s cousin was a cheerleader at the time) with a bunch of her family. I wasn’t planning on talking to her mom, Robin, about marriage there, there but Alexa went with her Aunts to go talk with her cousin and I took my shot and told her that I wanted to ask Alexa to marry me. Alexa’s father passed away when she was about 17, so i thought it was extra important to ask her permission. I think the total surprise of asking such a question in our current surroundings took Robin aback for a second but she was thrilled that not only was i planning on proposing to Alexa, but that i had made a point to talk to her about it first.

ASJ: How did you choose an engagement ring for Alexa?

Logan: I knew nothing about diamonds or engagement rings, but I wanted to get something more unique and special than what I would find from a chain retailer. I found Abby Sparks Jewelry on Yelp which was just a few blocks from my house and had great reviews, so I drove over without realizing I needed an appointment. Abby still took the time to talk with me and we scheduled an appointment for a few days later for a proper meeting.

Alexa had sent her mom pictures of a ring she really liked and I passed them along to Abby. For our meeting, Abby was prepared with a bunch of diamonds of varying size and quality to look through, which was exactly what I needed. She explained the different criteria used for appraising diamonds and we talked through the ring design and Alexa’s preferences. It was exactly the type of experience I needed. I get turned off by heavy sales pushes and I really just wanted someone who would help me through the process, and that’s exactly what I got with Abby.

ASJ: Tell us about the proposal!

Logan: My goal was to propose to Alexa a week before her mom came to visit us in Denver so that we could celebrate together, but about two weeks before the big weekend I was reminded that we would be in Chicago for a wedding. At first I was a little panicked because I had to switch gears and plan something in Chicago, but then I realized that this would actually be great. Alexa was born and raised in Chicago, and that’s where we met and formed our relationship, so I made a dinner reservation at one of our favorite French restaurants in Chicago and planned to propose there.

The night of the proposal, Alexa wanted to stay in and I had to convince her to go out. She even told her co-worker “Logan is being really pushy about this dinner!” We made it to the restaurant and were sat in an intimate booth, which I was very happy about because my biggest fear was to get down on one knee and have the whole restaurant start clapping. After dinner was done, I told her how much she meant to me and pulled out the ring and proposed. No one around us knew what had happened (other than our waiter who I told ahead of time) so he brought champagne and we were able to sit there and enjoy the moment with just ourselves. Afterwards we walked around Chicago facetiming our friends and family and even stopped by one of Alexa’s best friends apartments to share the news. It was perfect. And then after the weekend Robin flew into Denver for a week so we all were able to celebrate together.

ASJ: What makes your wedding unique?

Logan: Alexa and I were married on a large plot of land in Boulder called The Kelly Urban Farm. It is a beautiful outdoor, rustic space with a large garden, treehouse, old wooden barn and shed structures, and lots of outdoor space. It is pretty much a blank space for us to create the environment we want, which was exciting for us to put together. Unfortunately it rained all day on our wedding day so nothing went as planned, but luckily we rented a huge tent that was more than enough space for everyone. We hired an 11 piece band called The Moses Jones Band and kept the alcohol flowing the entire time so even though the night didn’t go as we had planned, everyone had a great time.

Sparks-story-alexa-logan-rings
“I really needed some hand holding through the process and Abby made everything feel so personal. The whole process was very casual, yet professional, and i never felt pressure the pressure of the “sale”. It really was all about designing and making the perfect ring for Alexa.”​
Logan
Custom Engagement Ring

ASJ: What advice do you have for couples that are engagement ring shopping?

Logan:Work with Abby and her team 🙂 It really could not have been a smoother process for me so I would recommend it to anyone.

ASJ:Who do you want to give a shout out to for making your wedding day extra special? (Wedding Gown, Venue, Photographer, Florist, etc.)

Logan: Mary Kelly, who owns the Kelly Urban Farm and was our day of coordinator was amazing! She was so accommodating and a trooper through the cold and rain that happened all day, and really allowed us to be positive and enjoy our day. Also shout out to The Moses Jones Band for throwing it down and keeping everyone on the dance floor all night. I’d also like to thank our parents, Tom & Becky Wiles and Robin Milliman for being so supportive and allowing us to make our day so special. We couldn’t have done it without their help.

 

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We can work with you in-person at our studio or set up a video call to help you take the first step toward designing a ring. Design consultations are complementary and we will give you a quick call beforehand to make sure we can help you.