For decades, renowned jewelry designer Neil Lane has helped brides feel their most beautiful by crafting dream engagement rings and wedding-day jewelry. But now, the bridal authority is lending his expertise beyond the bling through a partnership with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Fairmont Weddings, by Neil Lane combines Neil’s extensive experience and exquisite taste with Fairmont’s substantial offerings and iconic venues—including downtown’s Fairmont Dallas. The package includes a wedding design inspired by one of Lane’s six signature styles, Fairmont-curated favors for the wedding party, and access to Fairmont’s Platinum Honeymoon Program. The first 10 couples to book will even get a one-on-one virtual consultation with Neil himself! We chatted with Neil to get the scoop on the partnership, engagement ring trends, and his advice for planning a proposal.

What you are most excited about with this partnership?

Making people happy. Making their dreams come true. I’ve been doing that with rings. I meet people at their happiest. And the wedding, it’s another happiest event in their life. It’s memorable. And being a part of that, it’s been important to me my whole life.

Being that your name is synonymous with quality, what made Fairmont Hotels and Resorts the right fit for this partnership?

I had other hotels approach me and it just didn’t seem right. But the Fairmont, they seem to have my same aesthetic, the same character. If you came to me and wanted a ring, I’d be talking to your fiancé about you, what you’re like, what your desires are, and I will try to make the ring that you want, not the ring that I want to give you. And I think with the Fairmont, it’s the same goal—to make your wedding of your dreams, not the wedding that they want to sell to you. That really was what sealed the deal.

What inspired the six wedding themes offered in the package and that were highlighted in your book, Style Your Wedding with Neil Lane?

“Romantic” came about when cushion cut rings were—and they are still—very popular. An emerald cut is modern, and I can understand your style is sleek. Pear shapes are very feminine. Will the flowers be different in a rustic wedding? Might be—might be more daisies than roses. Whereas for a romantic wedding, will there be tons of roses? Obviously, yes. Neither one is less or more, it’s just what you want.

If you were planning your own wedding today, which of the themes would you choose?

I would take the most lavish, romantic wedding ever! I am totally inspired by royal weddings—the pomp, and the glam, and the jewels, and the tiaras. Yeah, I would have the biggest wedding ever.

What’s your favorite part of a wedding?

I think the part I like the best is still walking down the aisle. That part is still the most amazing. That’s when the tears come. You just get weepy, the music plays, and you look behind you when they’re coming down the aisle, and you just start to cry, you know? It just elicits a lot of emotions.

What are some engagement ring tends you’ve been seeing recently?

In COVID, I saw a lot of romantic types of rings. I made a lot with lots of details, harking back to the Art Deco period, the 19th century Art Nouveau. Something nostalgic in the design but always keeping it contemporary. Something from the past or present to go to the future. And I saw a huge amount of versatility in shapes: marquise shapes, cushions, pears, old European cuts. It wasn’t just platinum; it was also gold. I saw people really reaching out and getting what they really wanted. People are not going to settle, they’re going to get what they really want, and that’s important. They’re using colored stones for the central stones. I think the gamut is very, very expansive right now with what you can do in a ring.

You’ve worked with countless clients over the years who are getting ready to propose. What advice do you give them for creating a lasting and unforgettable engagement?

Don’t do it in front of your parents! If you’re at Christmas with your family, do not do it in front of grandma. Take [your fiancée] out of the room, whether it’s to the bedroom or outside, and propose to her there. That is one of my biggest, because they’re all going to have comments and they’re going to ruin it. Come back into the room engaged. You need to get proposed on your own and intimately, then celebrate with the family. But on the other hand, creatively, I think you should take some time to think about a creative way that makes it significant, something that’s really romantic. I don’t like goofy proposals. Some people think that it should be goofy and funny. Maybe, if that’s the couple, but I find that really romantic proposals have the most meaning and the lasting memories.