Clear Cut Couples: Reilly and Austin
Reilly and Austin met in their junior year of high school in their hometown in Colorado. Their school had about 2000 kids who went there, so it made sense that they had never met each other. In the fall semester of junior year, they had almost every single class together!
Their first date was when Austin came over to her house to hang out one weekend in January 2015. She had accidentally friend-zoned him at her Christmas party, so she took the initiative to ask him to come to hang out. She said, “It's so funny looking back at how nervous I was to ask him over, but now I am so glad that I did.”
They have shared countless memories together over the years. It's so crazy to look back on it, but by pure luck or chance, they were on the same school trip to Europe. Going to London, Paris, and Amsterdam as a new boyfriend and girlfriend team was a dream come true. Austin asked Reilly to go to Prom with him at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and she wanted to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Their AP Art History teacher jokingly called out, "They're getting married!" Suddenly, a bunch of the tourists surrounding them on the viewing deck of the Eiffel Tower started cheering. Now, 7 years later they’re engaged and getting married!
Some of the other big highlights of their relationship definitely include getting to see each other during the four years that they were long distance from 2016-2020 during college. Austin went to UCLA, and Reilly went to CU Boulder. They had so many special trips where she got to go see him in LA and when he would come to Boulder too.
They started looking for jobs and in the Fall of 2020, Austin was offered a position at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard in Boston! After talking it over, they decided they were ready for their next adventure together on the East Coast. They traveled out to Boston in December 2020, found an apartment in Back Bay, and signed their first lease together! Then on New Year's Day 2021, they moved into their little apartment that they still live in and love.
Austin got The Clear Cut ring on December 15, 2022. They spent the whole day together, decorating the apartment for Christmas, talking about their families Christmas traditions, and baking holiday treats. Austin surprised her with a gingerbread house that looked just like the brownstone apartment that they live in, and they started building it.
Reilly got way too focused on the gingerbread house, and before she realized it, it was midnight when she put on the lasting finishing touches of icing on the gingerbread. When she turned around, Austin was down on one knee, holding The Clear Cut ring box in his hand. It was such a special, magical moment. He gave her the most beautiful speech about their love and how happy he was to be together. Then he opened the box and asked her to marry him. She was absolutely blown away by the ring, and said yes!
The proposal was a complete surprise to Reilly. She had no idea that he had even ordered the ring. She had been sending him videos from The Clear Cut's Instagram for months, knowing that was exactly where she wanted the Toi et Moi ring from. He secretly worked with the Clear Cut to create the ring of her dreams!
Reilly said, “I have been in love with Toi et Moi rings ever since I had first seen one all the way back in 2015. I love the meaning behind it; that it represents two different people becoming one. I was completely blown away by the beauty of my ring from the moment he opened the box to propose to me.” She was so surprised and shocked, especially because Austin took the time and literally found the ring on her Pinterest!
Her Toi et Moi features a pear cut and princess cut diamond in a platinum setting with a gold band, and she couldn't be more obsessed. “The Clear Cut absolutely outdid any expectations I had for my dream ring.”
They are getting married at a historic mansion, the Highlands Ranch Mansion, in their hometown in Colorado in May 2023. It's overlooking the mountains, and the historic grounds are beautifully manicured and full of flowers. They are so excited to be celebrating with families and friends. Congrats you two! We are SO happy for you!
Photos by: @clancey