There’s a particular kind of Portland love story that starts exactly like this:
A swipe right.
A few weeks of chatting.
A low-stakes coffee plan on a Sunday morning.
Jenny and Elissa met on the dating app HER and talked for three weeks before deciding to meet in person. Neither of them was looking for anything serious. Just coffee. Just seeing how it felt.
They chose Keeper Coffee in Southeast Portland. And then—three hours passed in a blink.
They both had that quiet, unmistakable realization that something was clicking into place. Before they even left, they made plans to go to a Thorns game the next weekend.
By Tuesday, that already felt too far away—so they met again for tacos and a movie. Some love stories sprint. Some take their time. This one found a steady pace almost immediately.
A hike, a lighthouse, and a very hot afternoon. Two years of dating passed, and they were in Hawaii for a vacation.
Elissa suggested a hike to Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse on Oʻahu. It was the kind of afternoon where the sun doesn’t let up — two hours of heat, bright sky, and steady climbing.
At the top, the ocean opened up.
Jenny was taking it all in when Elissa pulled out a small box.
No elaborate setup. No audience. Just the view and the moment they’d built together. Jenny was surprised – and said yes!
When it came to their wedding rings, Jenny and Elissa knew exactly what they didn’t want: something standard. Something that could belong to anyone. They wanted rings that felt fully theirs.
Working with our team (with big shout outs for Kelly), they designed each piece from the ground up. Stones, metals, finishes — every decision was theirs to make.
“We truly felt like a part of the creative process.”
But what mattered just as much as the design was the experience.
As a queer couple, they were intentional about where they chose to go. They wanted to work with a woman-owned business, and with people who would meet them with respect and care — not as an exception, not as a category, just as themselves.
“We felt welcome and safe with everyone we worked with.”
Now, when they look down at their hands, they don’t just see rings. They see something no one else has.
A shared object that holds a very specific promise:
To walk beside each other with love, courage, and gratitude.
To honor the life they’re building—and the love that got them there.
Ask them what they’re most excited about, and the answer isn’t a big, sweeping plan. It’s the rhythm they already have.
Going to Thorns games.
The ballet.
Evenings by the fire.
And yes—travel. As much as they can. Preferably somewhere they can snorkel and swim with turtles.
But mostly, it’s the everyday life they get to share. Jenny and Elissa—thanks for letting us be part of it.
