You know you have found “the one” when his first words back from your dream vacation are “you have to get a piece from Dune Jewelry to remember this extra special trip!”

10 years ago, I met the man of my dreams. I knew I wanted to marry him within the first year and he felt the same. We are soulmates and a true match made in heaven. The problem was: he is a perfectionist! He was never willing to settle for a smaller ring or a mediocre engagement proposal. I could have cared less because what was important to me was marrying my best friend, but it wasn’t his vision and I always respected that. Finally, after the longest wait of my life, he asked me to marry him! Here is the story….

It had been over 3 years since we had seen my now fiancé’s brother. He moved across the country to pursue his career in San Diego, CA. Finally, we decided to book a vacation to go and visit. We had a huge road trip planned out taking his brother with us, starting in San Diego, stopping by Napa Valley, and ending in the Northern Coast of California. The first couple of days we spent in San Diego were a dream! What a beautiful city and his brother was our own personal tour guide which was so special. The last stop we made was on Coronado Beach. We watched the sunset there and walked around the beach and stunning hotel – it was a night to remember!

Next: we headed to Napa Valley. We had been there only once for a day and always thought it was a magical, romantic place. We promised ourselves we would go back and spend extra time in the future and we finally did! We got to our first stop, this beautiful winery that looked like a castle surrounded by gardens. This is where my now fiancé, Dan, got down on one knee and asked me to take his last name. He opened the ring box and there sat my dream ring that he completely designed himself with a custom jeweler. It still feels like a dream. We spent the rest of the time in Napa at our stunning boutique hotel and checked out more romantic wineries. It was perfect!

Next stop: the Northern Coast of California! Dan had booked an exclusive Airbnb for us overlooking the ocean. We spend a lot of time just hanging out and taking in the views from our Airbnb, but we also ventured out to a couple of hot spots including the infamous Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. We saw so many whales spouting up, seals, and more. It was truly remarkable! After a couple of days here, we headed back home, taking all the memories with us.

Dune Jewelry has always been my go-to spot for being able to wear my memories. I have been really wanting a new layering necklace to wear and I knew this would be the perfect excuse to treat myself. The first necklace I chose, Veronica Necklace, has sand from Glass Beach, Fort Bragg. The second necklace I chose to complete my layering look is the Delicate Dune Bar Necklace, with sand from Coronado Beach, CA. As for my visit to Napa, I now have a stunning ring on my hand to remember that in-between stop! This trip was truly one I will cherish forever and I couldn’t imagine a better what to cherish it than wearing these necklaces daily.

-Jami S. @jamisantor

Shop Jami’s Look