PW Reader Ring: Cat & Joe!

Cat’s ring!

The couple: Cat McQuail and Joe Hauschildt from Philadelphia.

The ring: My ring is a pear-shaped solitaire diamond set in white-gold prongs on a yellow-gold band. My fiancé picked it out on his own, but called one of my good friends right before he bought it to confirm he was making the right choice.

While we had talked about rings in the past, we had never been shopping together and my Pinterest “Put a Ring On It” pinboard was private, so there’s no way he could have seen my ring pins—but luckily for me, his selection mirrored the rings I pinned on my secret board! As a recent law school grad, he likes to do his due diligence, so he did a lot of research and then purchased the ring online.

The proposal: Even after eight years of dating, this proposal caught me totally off guard. Joe and I met the first day of our freshman year at Saint Joseph’s University, outside our shared dorm of Overbrook Hall. Eight years later, he popped the question in the place where it all started … on the steps of our freshmen-year dorm.

I had no idea it was coming, as we occasionally drive by our old alma mater from time to time anyway to reminisce. I was so flustered. I can’t even remember what he said to me as he got down on one knee, but afterwards he told me I just kept saying, “Is this a joke?” and “Shut up,” repeatedly. Since it was the evening, no one was around except one poor freshmen student on her way to class, and when she saw us, she had no idea what to do. She stopped to watch for a minute, and then must have realized she might be intruding on a private moment as she scurried off after a couple “Oh my gods!”

Afterwards, we enjoyed an amazing meal at The Goat’s Beard in Manayunk. The whole night was so romantic, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to say Yes to the man I love.

The band: I definitely don’t know what to do when it comes to wedding bands! I always wanted a simple gold band, but with a solitary stone I think it might be too bland? I’d love some thoughts.

Wanna submit your ring? Here’s how: Show Us Your Bling! 

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