NMJ Lovers | Tāne and Amy

For acclaimed New Zealand born photographer, Tāne Coffin, love is a guide to all he does, something that he can dedicate his time and care into. His love story with his fiancé Amy is a beautiful representation of how effortless it is to simply love and to be loved. 

After proposing to Amy with a bespoke NMJ design, Tāne worked with our Bespoke Designer, Eliana, on choosing a wedding band that perfectly represented his personal aesthetic and commitment to Amy.

Here he speaks about his experience with Natalie Marie Jewellery, his love story and how he hopes to celebrate his special day.

 

Tāne, congratulations on getting engaged to your beautiful partner Amy. The bespoke NMJ engagement ring you created for Amy is beautiful - can you tell us a little bit about how you landed on this design?

Luckily, we had a large collection of saved images from the Natalie Marie Jewellery Instagram page - and by we, I mean Amy. There was no question where the ring was coming from, Amy had fallen in love with the signature designs NMJ is known for. I had very little to do with the design as I wanted Amy to have her dream ring. We have very similar tastes and not that it matters, but as a bonus, I also love the ring she picked.

 

How did you propose to Amy?

Over coffee overlooking a sunrise at Middle Head. I thought it was a secret but after having no pushback on a 5 am wake up on a Saturday I realised she was onto me! I had zero nerves before asking Amy and to me, this is such a strong sign that it was meant to be. It will be hard to beat such an incredible day.

 

Choosing a wedding band is such a symbolic experience. Can you tell us about the piece you have chosen for yourself and whether there are any particular sentiments behind the design of the wedding ring?

For years I had envisioned a very simple yellow gold signet ring with greenstone as the setting. The greenstone was there as this was a nod back to New Zealand where I am from, and I was always drawn to the stone from its variations in marbling to its strong solid greens.

[Bespoke Designer at Natalie Marie Jewellery ]  Eliana and I sat down to discuss the wedding ring and it was then that my preconceived ideas were lost on the beauty of a vintage ring that was amongst 10 or so, hand-picked by Eliana. To be honest, my eye instantly went to it. Being shown something that I would never pick out myself is the beauty of the process. Customising it with smokey quartz was simply an aesthetic choice and I love the combination against the gold.

What are your thoughts around ceremonial traditions and will you be adopting any for your own celebration?

I would be happy with an unconventional wedding and would prefer to treat it more as a celebration of our love, surrounded by friends and family. The best nights out I have had are at weddings and it's just simply the feeling of being at a party surrounded by love. We're hoping to create a space where that feeling is plentiful.

 

At NMJ, we believe jewellery is a form of storytelling, self-expression and individualism. What does jewellery mean to you?

All my previous jewellery has been purchased based on an aesthetic choice. What I love about this piece is that it stands for more than just being beautiful and will become a symbol of my commitment to Amy. Having this ring on me for the rest of my life, I’m sure it will end up filled with stories - and the best part is that they will all be contained in a beautiful little package.

 

What do you know about love?

Saying I know anything about love feels slightly off to me, it is an ineffable feeling and most descriptions I have heard feel cheesy or fall short. I do know how easy it was to love and be loved by Amy and this was one of the biggest motivators for me to propose. I also know love plays a big part in what I sink my time and care into, so I guess then I use love as a guide to all I do.

 

Want to create your very own bespoke piece to tell your love story? Learn more about our bespoke process here. 

PC: @tanecoffin