For many couples, the marriage proposal is one of the most memorable, touching moments of the courtship.
While the wedding day itself tends to go by so fast you never even get a bite of your cake, the engagement is a private moment for just the two of you, and that adds something incredibly special to the experience.
Of course, how people choose to get engaged is changing more and more these days, ranging from the old ring-in-the-champagne shtick to full-blown flash mobs that take over entire city streets.
If you ask us, the flash mob idea is awesome for the right duo, but we’re partial to the idea of a more intimate moment: just a nice view, a few heartfelt words, and, of course, the perfect ring!
One soon-to-be-spouse certainly captured our fancy this week when he nailed the ring choice, then took it one step further with a stunning handmade ring box that will serve as a beautiful memento of the day.
Check out the gallery below to see his project come together!

Made of raw wood from a tree that had to be cut down, this is a rustic, thoughtful way to celebrate an outdoorsy couple who first got engaged after skydiving together.

In order to make the box, this creative groom sliced up the dead wood he gathered for the project, and passed most of it off to be used as wedding decor.
He hung onto one small section that looked promising, and separated it into two round cross-sections.
The larger piece would be hollowed, while the smaller piece would serve as a lid.

Working carefully, he drilled into the larger segment of his raw wood.
He left the live edge — the section with the bark — untouched, drilling into the core of the wood.
He left a circle about a little more than an inch-and-a-half across and a bit less than an inch deep, the perfect size for a pair of rings!

Then, he set about tackling his idea for the lid.
Instead of drilling into this piece of the box, he traced out a message to be set into the surface with a wood-burning tool.
The words he chose to inscribe? The sweet and simple “Mr. & Mrs.”

With his adorable message in place, the box was almost done.
For the last step, he just needed to hinge the two pieces together to close the box.
Using a pivoting mechanism, the lid can slide out from the box easily to reveal the rings.

According to the groom, they’ll plan to have their ring bearer carry this box during the ceremony.
He also notes, “The tree box is thematic with our ceremony location and setting.”

With the box closed, it almost looks like any other piece of scrap firewood, except for the telltale “Mr. & Mrs.”
This way, he can tuck the rings safely away for their little ring bearer.
And we can only imagine that the big reveal of the rings at the wedding will be truly exceptional!
If you love this adorable ring box, make sure to SHARE for newlyweds past, present, and future!