"You know what would make a good birthday gift?"
Bond glanced over from the driver's seat as he and Amber drove east on Interstate 70 through Colorado.
"If you would marry me."
Amber smiled.
"Well yes, of course! When?"
"Today."
A few hours later, Amber and Bond were standing inside the Kit Carson County Courthouse in Burlington, Colorado. There wasn't a white dress, a wedding venue, or even wedding rings. Amber wore black leggings and her favorite yellow cowboy boots. Beside them stood B, their border collie, whose paw print became part of their marriage certificate. It wasn't the wedding they had imagined. Looking back, they wouldn't have changed a thing.
Amber and Bond first met through mutual friends in Knoxville after both had come out of serious relationships. Neither was looking for anything beyond friendship. Then the world slowed down in 2020, giving them something they hadn't expected: time. They packed their bags and hit the road, visiting 36 states between 2020 and 2022. Whether they were hiking through a national park, wandering a small town, or catching a flight, B was usually right there with them. They wanted to make the most of it all.
And that simple mindset became the foundation of their relationship.
Horses were another. Bond grew up around Tennessee Walking Horses, while Amber spent her childhood with Quarter Horses on her family's farm. Not long after they started dating, Bond helped a friend work cattle and came home with two unexpected additions: a border collie named B and a barn cat named Luna. B quickly claimed the passenger seat for future adventures, while Luna took charge of the barn back home.
In October 2022, Amber and Bond returned to Wyoming to help friends move cattle before winter. On the drive home through Colorado on Bond's birthday, he decided there was no reason to wait for an official engagement or a perfectly planned wedding. They called the courthouse, stopped for an ink pad so B could leave his paw print as their witness, and were married that afternoon.
"Thirty dollars and a few minutes later, we were married. Us, the security guard, and B."
Nearly every year since, they've made the trip back to Burlington. Amber wears the same yellow cowboy boots, they recreate their wedding photo outside the courthouse, and, if they're lucky, they get to catch up with Susan, the county clerk who helped make the day happen.
After calling family, Amber's next call was to Kimball's Jewelers. She already knew where she wanted to create their wedding rings. Through her career, she'd built a trusted relationship with the Kimball's team in Knoxville, first through appraisal work and later as a customer herself. By then, it felt less like choosing a jeweler and more like calling friends.
About a year before the wedding, Amber found an antique horseshoe ring on Etsy. The band had seen better days, but the turquoise, coral, and equestrian design immediately caught her eye. She loved it enough to carry it to the top of a 14,000-foot mountain in Wyoming, where she jokingly proposed to Bond. His response?
"She had altitude sickness."
After the wedding, that antique ring became the starting point for Bond's wedding band. Kimball's custom design team preserved what made the original special while rebuilding it into a ring strong enough for everyday wear. Today, Bond proudly refers to it as his "Ring of Power."
Amber's ring has a story of its own. While attending horse shows, she discovered an equestrian ring from Churchwell's Jewelers in North Carolina that she couldn't stop thinking about. She loved the design but imagined a few changes that would make it feel more like her. Kimball's worked with Amber to refine the ring while respecting the original craftsmanship, resulting in a piece that blends her vision with the equestrian style that first drew her in.
Today, Amber and Bond are still chasing adventure. A large map hangs in their home, filled with photos from every state they've explored together. Their goal is simple: visit all 50 states. Six remain, and they have a few rules:
- They have to go together.
- They have an adventure
- They have to spend the night
- And, whenever possible, bring B along for the ride.
Some stories begin with a sketch. Others begin with an heirloom or a favorite piece that deserves a new chapter. Whether you're redesigning a family treasure, creating a custom engagement ring, or designing custom wedding rings in Knoxville, the best pieces reflect the life behind them. Amber and Bond's rings do exactly that—and they'll carry those stories wherever the next adventure leads... even if it's back to the same spot they got married.
Amber, Bond, B... and Susan on their 2026 trip below.
Kimball's Jewelers—where life's moments shine a little brighter.
