Clear Cut Couples: Irene and Alex
Irene and Alex first met in college. Alex was introduced to her through one of his roommates. He remembers after first meeting her, he asked who on earth she was and why his roommate had never thought to introduce them before. Alex says she had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, but what really caught his attention was her smile. It was beautiful, bright and infectious - she was always smiling. Alex says her happiness and beaming nature resonates with everyone in a room and draws everyone’s attention, especially his. After that initial intro was what Irene and Alex jokingly call “the longest courting game ever!” It took five years after they had met for them to finally connect. They had both graduated and were living in two completely different states, Irene settled in NYC, and Alex in Florida. Irene was back home in South Florida visiting her family for Thanksgiving, and Alex was living on the complete opposite coast, St. Petersburg. Once they got back in contact, they decided to meet up. Alex came up with the idea that they should meet in a neutral location. They spontaneously chose a city and just like that, met up halfway in the middle of Florida for their first date! They arrived in the evening on a Saturday night in November. It may have been dark out, but Alex will never forget seeing the whites of her eyes and smile as she giggled her way out of her car. Alex says it was the best night of his life… and the rest is history!
They have been together for three and a half years and have lived in NYC together for three and Florida for the rest. They bounced around between four different apartments from the Upper East Side to the Lower East side and now, all the way down to St. Pete, all while being tied at the hip. Alex says he has shared the most memories with Irene, “She’s the best partner in crime you could ask for. Down for anything and everything at a moments notice!”
Alex proposed recently in Marrakech, Morocco. Irene had always wanted to go there and he happened to be going for work. After his business trip ended, Irene flew over and they met in the Casablanca airport, then made their way to Marrakech. The next day, Alex made Irene wake up bright and early so they could go see the famous gardens in Marrakech. Alex hates lines, so he blamed the early start on wanting to avoid a queue at all costs. Thankfully, she understood with 0 suspicions. They arrived at Le Jardin Majorelle before any tourists ruined the landscape. Obviously, Alex had never been there before. He said, “I was just looking for a spot to get rid of the diamonds burning a hole in my pocket.” 😂 Five minutes later, they found what Alex thought would be the most beautiful area in the garden. He got down on one knee, wrapped a piece of string around her finger, then asked her to marry him. When she asked if he was kidding he said no and took out the real thing.
She was beyond surprised! Mainly because she never thought Alex would have the ring in his bag the whole time he was on a work trip. It took leaving the garden and walking back to their hotel before it finally all sunk in.
Irene is obsessed with her ring. It’s a stunning toi et moi ring, with an heirloom old European cut diamond and a modern pear shape on a super skinny band. She’s stylish and loves everything to be unique and special, so this ring certainly fits the bill. Alex says, “When you catch her just fluttering her fingers and smiling that infamous smile, you know you did a good job. The ring is the second best decision I have ever made!”
They haven’t gotten to the wedding plans quite yet, but they know what they want to do. It will probably be late 2020 or early 2021. They’re thinking the Amalfi Coast or Santorini! Congrats Irene and Alex -- we cannot wait to hear about the wedding!