From her exquisite diamond Ring Wraps, to marrying her Prince Charming at the ultra exclusive Biltmore Mansion. I sat down with my good friend and the Owner and Founder of Ring Wraps to discuss all things Emily Heath.
CO: Emily welcome to Chance’s Corner and thank you for sitting down with me and the readers of Maroon Weekly! It has been quite the year for you as a newly married woman and business owner. Can you tell me about the journey that has brought you to this point and the story behind starting Ring Wraps?
EH: Thank you for having me Chance! I am thrilled to see that Maroon Weekly is doing so well! I first thought of the idea behind Ring Wraps when I went to my oldest brother’s ring day at A&M in 2006. I knew I would one day be an Aggie, and thought “one day, when I get my Aggie ring, I am going to make custom fitted diamond bands to go around each side…just to add a little sparkle!” Fast forward to 2011 when I received my beloved ring, I went straight to my jeweler Scott Polk ’84, who is a five year Aggie football letterman, to have my creation made. I tried to conceal the idea from Scott by not telling him why I wanted two curved diamond bands, but I eventually caved and told him what it was for. I thought if he knew what I was doing, he would make the same thing for his daughters and nieces, all who are Aggies, and then I wouldn’t be the only person with this dazzling addition (Selfish! I know!) Scott promised me he wouldn’t make the “Ring Wraps” for anyone else unless he had my permission, but he urged me to think about turning the idea into a business for all Aggies to enjoy. At the time, I was a junior at Texas A&M and owned/operated my own custom-made clothing company, where I created handsewn game day dresses & shirts, all adorned with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. Needless to say, I was already extremely busy, but a certain gut feeling overtook and I knew “Ring Wraps” was my new path. I got straight to work by hiring several types of attorneys and submitting the patents for Ring Wraps, which were later approved. It’s history from there.
CO: Since launching the Ring Wraps brand did you ever think it would have this big of an impact on current and former Aggies as it does now?
EH: I am truly humbled by the success of Ring Wraps. As I said earlier, my original intention was just to add a unique flair to my personal Aggie Ring. I am incredibly grateful that now so many others are able to enjoy Ring Wraps as well. It was a simple idea and I am so grateful that this is what I get to do every day. Not many careers allow you to deal with mostly Aggies all day.
CO: What is one Aggie Tradition that really stuck with you during your time at Texas A&M?
EH: I love that Aggies do not boo opposing teams. Whenever I go to sporting events and there is booing, it makes me cringe. Aggies hold each other to high standards and it is expected that we show respect and sportsmanship to opposing teams. Additionally, I love how big of a deal Aggie Ring Day has become. To many, it is a bigger deal than graduation. The Aggie Ring tradition is so sacred and important, and it connects current and former students alike. No matter where you are in the world, you can spot that beautiful iconic gold ring.
CO: Where did you meet Ryne and when did you know that he was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?
EH: I met Ryne back in 2011 at an AMC date party at the Kemah Boardwalk. Ironically, I was on a blind date with someone else. Ryne was the president of this Christian Men’s fraternity. He had his own date at the party, but I still got the chance to talk to him for a little bit and my date and I rode home with him and his date back to College Station. I was captivated by Ryne’s ability to lead that group of men and his infectious personality. I called my mom after the party and told her I met the man of my dreams, but there was only one (big) issue; he had a serious girlfriend. At the time, I thought God put Ryne in my life so that I would wait for someone as God-fearing and charismatic as him, and I never imagined that one day Ryne would be my husband. After the party, I always thought about Ryne, but obviously stayed away out of respect for his relationship. A few months later, I saw him and his family at the Mavs’ playoff game. We began talking and hanging out some, but then he graduated and moved away to California for work. In 2014, I was at another Mavs game and texted him to see if he family’s seats were still behind my family’s seats. The small talk that ensued turned into something more serious, and before we knew it we were flying back and forth between Texas & California to see each other. A year later we got engaged, and a year after that we got married!
CO: You had quite the storybook wedding this past fall. Can you tell me more about the special day and what your favorite part of it was?
EH: We had our wedding on the front lawn of The Biltmore Estate, which is an incredibly historic and beautiful Châteauesque-style mansion, tucked in the Blue Ridge mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. My mom is an interior designer, so I have always appreciated the architecture and design of the Biltmore Estate, which mirrors my mother’s style. My mom wasn’t into the idea of a destination wedding, but I knew she would cave if I told her we wanted it at the Biltmore. We hired an event planning team out of Charleston, South Carolina, and they were an absolute dream to work with. Out of respect to the Biltmore Estate, I wanted the vibe of the wedding to be ornate, baroque and moody, saturated in black and gold, with luscious florals all around. My favorite part of the day was walking down the aisle with my dad after our carriage ride, and seeing my handsome groom at the end of the aisle, and the people we love in-between. It was surreal standing in front of our pastor, Blake Chilton, holding the hands of my soon to be husband. Blake’s words were so beautiful, yet so raw. It felt like we were having a conversation. Because we had a “first look,” we were able to actually take Blake’s words in, rather than be emotional messes. It was the most beautiful day of my life!
CO: What is next for Ring Wraps and do you have future plans to expand the brand in 2017?
EH: Our plan for 2017 is to indeed expand the brand. We have made Ring Wraps for over 60 schools, with our flagship school being Texas A&M. Our 2017 expansion plan includes a similar presence in a few of our other top selling schools.
CO: Where can people purchase or find out more about Ring Wraps?
EH: You can find out more about Ring Wraps at www.ringwraps.com or by calling us at 855-485-RWRW. You can also check us out at www.facebook.com/ringwraps
