Fall Engagement Inspiration - 2025 Update
If you missed our 2024 post all about fall engagement ideas, we highly recommend checking it out. The recommendations still stand if you’re looking to enjoy a quiet getaway, but the itineraries have been so popular that we decided to run a updated post with new suggestions that take advantage of more local offerings…
For the sports fan:
For us (ahem: Tim) at Alx&Co., Fall means the start of hockey season! Yeah, we know, most people are into football but our hearts remain with the downtown favorite over driving all the way out to FedEx Field. Since the arena is right downtown, you can start your night with a fabulous meal at one of DC’s fantastic offerings. Tim and I had one of our first dates at a Caps game and let me tell you now: I don’t care about hockey, but I still had a great time. We went to Zaytinya first, then walked down to the game, and then finished the night at a local dive bar in Old Town. Personally, I think that proposing on the way to the game - maybe the old, “wait, I need to tie my shoe” line - would be perfect, because then you can scream your joy for the next few hours along with thousands of other Caps fans. If you’re aiming for a low-key proposal that feels like a slightly-more-special night out, this is the plan for you.
Celestial-inspired and uniquely appointed, the Lara Ring is an asymmetrical cluster-style design anchored by a salt-and-pepper round brilliant-cut diamond. The ring displays a starry night-inspired halo which wraps into the gallery for endless interest at all angles.
18k yellow gold, set with a .80ct round brilliant cut salt & pepper diamond and .116ctw lab created F+ VS diamonds
Size 6.25, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it
The Lara is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
A signature Alx&Co. design, the gallery displays an open, arched design with a signature “collar” element around the diamond to add a little more drama to the solitaire design. It pairs beautifully with a contoured band or you can custom design a version with a raised gallery to allow a flush band.
18k rose gold, set with a 1.12ct brilliant diamond, certified G VS1
Size 6, can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase.
This ring will not allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but can be customized to do so.
The Nora is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
The ring for the person who loves a low-key, kick-back aesthetic - with an elevated touch. The Siena is set with a completely unique cabochon-cut oval salt & pepper diamond (try finding that at another jeweler) in a full-bezel design. We couldn’t help but make things interesting with this beautiful gemstone, so we offset the diamond on the band and gave it a sweet tilt - an ode to the diamond’s unique characteristics.
18k yellow gold, set with a 1.04ct oval cabachon-cut natural salt & pepper diamond
Size 6, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it
The Siena is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
For the history nerd:
To be clear: I am a history nerd, so I can used this term without prejudice. If your partner appreciates fresh air with a dose of historical significance, consider doing your proposal at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Honestly, every time I visit this beautiful place, I wonder to myself why I don’t come here more often. October and November are beautiful months to visit the Estate, with its rolling acerage, old-growth trees, and strollable pathways. You could pack a picnic on a warmer day and between touring the main house (note: much of the main house is under construction, but a few rooms are open for touring) and the farm, stop along the way for a picnic lunch, and propose in the fall-colored sunshine. Or, schedule an in-depth tour of the property and see if you can coordinate something fun with your tour guide. The in-depth tours give you access to spaces that aren’t generally open to the public, so you could do a more private proposal.
An elegant, modern design that feels completely grounded in classical influences, The Hunter ring is shown set with a 1.21ct cushion cut GIA certified natural diamond in a four-prong setting. The design features a distinctive cuff element on the shoulders for a touch of texture and the band otherwise displays a rounded profile and a low-set design.
18k yellow gold, set with a 1.21ct cushion cut natural diamond.
Size 6, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase.
This ring will not allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but can be customized to do so.
The Hunter is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Drawing inspiration from the high-Georgian era of jewelry design, The Tess is an artful exercise in balancing period references with modern taste. We set the lab-created modern European cut diamond in an eight-prong tulip-style head and added a milgrained, tapered diamond band with small cuff details for a touch of texture. The ring meets a modern client with beautifully referential design.
Platinum, set with a GIA certified 2.84ct modern European cut lab created diamond and .032ctw F+ VS lab created diamonds
Size 5.75, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it.
The Tess Ring is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Our Mary Ring is an antique-vibes beauty with classic lines and hand-engraved details that elevate her to a cut above your average ring. Set with a 2.15ct cushion-cut Ceylon-blue natural sapphire with beautiful depth of color, the Mary Ring is accented by two cadillac-cut lab-created diamonds to add an Art Deco detail to the design. The ring is hand-engraved (in house) with an antique-inspired wheat pattern that looks effortlessly unique.
Platinum, set with a 2.15ct cushion-cut natural sapphire + lab-created cadillac-cut diamonds
Size 6, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will not allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but it can be custom designed to do this.
The Mary Ring is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
For the social couple:
The obvious option for the couple who likes to involve friends and family in milestone events is to do a surprise engagement at a restaurant or bar and have your loved ones there to witness. We love this! But, what if you took it up a knotch by doing it on a river cruise? The Potomac River offers beautiful views of the DC area from Old Town all the way up the waterfront, and what better way to enjoy the crisp fall air and romantic-evening vibes then by enjoying a river cruise with your friends and family to celebrate your engagement. You could take this one of two ways: book one of the public cruises and get your friends and family to reserve tickets on the same boat, but keep their attendance as a surprise (this will take some coordination so that your partner doesn’t see them arrive to the boat - maybe blindfold them so that the cruise is a surprise, too??) Then, propose as soon as the boat takes off so that your loved ones can make their presence known (there are so many fun ways you could do this… disguises and elaborate reveals are coming to mind…) and you can collectively enjoy the celebratory river vibes. Or, if you’re really feeling fancy, rent a private cruise for the night and throw a surprise engagement party on the boat. You could make it seem like you are going to have a romantic, private, lux river cruise to celebrate your engagement… and then have your loved ones there waiting to party together. Of course, this idea takes the most coordination, but it would be an unforgettable night for everyone involved - which is what this is all about, right?
The Caroline is what you get when you take a modern, three-stone layout and pair it with the lightest touch of antique inspiration. Featuring an oval brilliant-cut 1.40ct lab-created diamond accented by a pair of matched lab-created trapezoid-cut diamonds, The Caroline is a statement of refined elegance that seamlessly blends the softness of the center diamond with the structure of the trapezoids. The band displays a ridged design that allows the ring to stand just a little apart from the typical three-stone ring, adding a touch of antique influence to the classic design.
platinum, set with a certified 1.40ct E VVS2 oval lab-created diamond
Size 5.75, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will not allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but it can be customized to do so.
The Caroline is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Featuring a lacy, celestial vibe, The Sophia is a romantic design that takes a new spin on a classic halo format. Set with a round 1.03ct natural champagne-colored diamond with the faintest hint of pink, The Sophia displays a beautiful double-halo diamond design with a ballerina-style gallery that evokes antique form without feeling dated.
18k yellow gold, set with a 1.03ct round natural diamond + .257ctw natural F+ VS diamonds
Size 5.75, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will not allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but it can be custom designed to do this.
The Sophia is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Designed to show a different approach to the diamond halo ring, The Louisa is an updated classic that will remain effortlessly timeless for years to come. The Louisa is set with a 1.31ct round lab created diamond and accented by a delicate halo of multi-layered melee diamonds around the gallery. The ring features a rounded shank for comfort and a six-prong head to keep the center diamond beautifully accented and secure.
18k yellow gold, set with a 1.31ct lab-created certified F VS1 round brilliant cut diamond
Size 5.75, this ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase
This ring will allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but can be customized to do so.
The Louisa is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
