Anna GionetWorking at Shane Co. means youβre surrounded by the prettiest rings and the most wonderful couples, so itβs no surprise that our employees are just as excited about their engagements as our customers are. David and Lea were happy to share their story with us and we were more than thrilled to share it!
Meet our couple
Leamon is a native Georgian and lived in Savannah until he enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating high school. Postβmilitary, he obtained his degree in Respiratory Therapy at Armstrong State College, and then worked for St. Josephβs Hospital for 22 years before moving to Tampa, Florida with a previous partner. After that relationship ended, he met David and was eventually courted by the Kennestone Hospital. They moved to Georgia together and currently live with their three dogs and two cats.
David was born and raised in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Growing up in the Pocono Mountains led to an outdoorsy childhood, filled with biking, skiing, canoeing and more. He attended college at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Throughout college, David worked as a bartender/waiter and volunteered with the Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue β thatβs how he ended up adopting the three dogs he and Leamon live with today. Nowadays, he loves rollercoasters, hiking, and adventuring with his fiancΓ©, both in and outside of Kennesaw.
How did you two meet?
David: Lea and I met while we were both living in the Tampa Bay area. We met online and spoke over the phone a few times before meeting on May 29, 2016. We set up a date at Buffalo Wild Wings since it was right next to my job and I was working long hours in sales over the Memorial Day weekend. I almost cancelled from being so exhausted from a tiring day, but I didnβt want to miss out on the chance to meet this great guy.
After meeting, we began talking as if we had known each other forever. We were there for over two hours when the waitress told us that the kitchen was closing soon. We were so into each other that we forgot to eat! Our adventure had begun. Over the next few months, we got to know each other better, sharing our love of rollercoasters, shopping and our mutual joy of cooking.
What is your favorite thing about him?
Lea: I would have to say that my favorite thing about Dave is his dry, smart wit and quirky ways. And that I donβt have to have a calculator out when he is around, as he is like a human calculator!
What are you looking forward to most about married life?
Lea: Iβm looking forward to nourishing our marriage and standing beside one another. I know we wonβt always agree, but we respect each other and still love each other and have that spark like we first did on May 29, 2016. And that when the time comes that we no longer occupy this earth, we meet again so that we can do this all over!
Were you surprised when he popped the question?
David: Lea proposed while we were out to dinner on the second anniversary of our first date. As you probably noticed by the picture we originally submitted, I was totally surprised and of course said, βYes!β
How did you plan the proposal?
Lea: I knew I wanted to make Dave my everlasting partner many months prior to the engagement. I knew that the person who sat beside me in the emergency room and rubbed my back while I was writhing in pain from a kidney stone was the man who was seeing me at my worst, who was genuinely concerned, and who would be there for anything else. He was overwhelmed when I got down on one knee, put my hand into my pocket, took his hand and asked him to marry me.
Meanwhile, I was so nervous the entire evening leading up to then that I went several times to the bathroom because I was either checking on the ring to make sure all the diamonds were there or hoping I would stop being nauseated (nervous jitters) and not look like a scared deer in headlights all evening. I made reservations a week before at the Sun Dial Restaurant at the Westin Downtown Atlanta. They asked if it was for an occasion and I told them the entire setup for the night, including what we wanted to eat. They put us with the BEST and loveliest waitress who had been there for a generation. She made sure that we were taken care of and asked to use my phone to take pictures.
What did you like most about your wedding?
David: The original plan was to get married at the courthouse and save our money for our honeymoon in New York City. Lea’s cousin is an ordained minister, though, and she offered to marry us. Our families saw her offer on Facebook and insisted that if there was going to be a wedding, they wanted to be present for it. So, with only a couple months before our planned date of October 25, 2018, we began planning a wedding. There were no venues available that we liked, so we decided that we would hold the ceremony in our front yard, as it is beautifully landscaped.
Our special day came, our families and friends gathered and we started the next chapter of our adventure as a married couple and I took Lea’s last name as my own. Nearly eight months later, I find myself more in love with Lea than I ever could have thought was possible. He truly is my soulmate and the love of my life.
Lea: What we looked forward to most about our wedding was that it would be small with a fun party. We knew that only those that meant something to us would attend and that we would just be βusβ and not be overβdramatic and exhausted from all the work getting up to that day.
How did you tell your friends and family that you were engaged?
Lea: I told my mother ahead of time this was going to happen. I called Dave’s sister and told her that I was going to propose and I told our neighbors who are good, close friends of ours. Then, at 9:25pm, the rest of social media found out!
How did you pick out your rings?
David: When we first bought our wedding rings from Shane Co., we were on a tight budget, but Lea saw a ring that he loved. It had blue sapphires in it with a Celtic design, which represented his Scottish heritage. It wasn’t in our price range, but I saw how much he wanted it, so I got a plain comfort band and added more money to get him what he really wanted. Of course, now that I work for Shane Co., weβve both upgraded our rings. Lea took a family diamond and had it set into a ring setting while I wore the sapphire ring for a while until I upgraded to my current diamond band.
What does love mean to you?
Lea: Love to me is faithfulness, friendship and loyalty to the person one chooses as his partner and spouse. Love is not material wealth but wealth of helping one another and making sure our needs are being met.
When did you start working at Shane Co.?
David: Lea and I were already engaged when we came to Shane Co. to shop for our wedding rings. It was late September of 2018 and we were out running errands when we drove past the Shane Co. store. Lea noticed the sign and we both started quoting the commercials and decided to go in. We were given the full Shane Co. firstβclass service. Our salesperson, Aaron, was extremely helpful and made the whole experience easy and comfortable. I had noticed a sign in the lobby saying that they were hiring when we first came in, and after we finished paying for our rings, I asked Kelly Ray what experience I would need to work here. He explained that he had worked there for over 20 years and that the company would teach me all I needed to know about jewelry.
I was so impressed with how professional the staff was, the fact that we were not pressured the way one is at other jewelry stores, and our overall experience, I told Lea this was a place I would feel proud and confident to work for. When Lea and I got home, I immediately went online and filled out an application. A couple days later, I came back to pick up our rings and spoke briefly with Neomi LoveβWest about how happy Lea and I were with our rings and my desire to work there. I spoke with the recruiter, interviewed and was working here two weeks later. My first day was October 15th.
Rachel Nipp
Anna Gionet