Eliza + Nic by Lauren Young

Real Fine Studio founder Eliza and her fiancé, Nic.

Few things feel more romantic than celebrating an engagement surrounded by the people who have shaped your story. For Real Fine Studio founder Eliza O’Connor and her fiancé Nic, that meant travelling home to Brisbane from their Los Angeles base, where they gathered family and friends at Le Royale for an evening that felt elegant, joyful and unmistakably their own.

Many readers will already be familiar with Eliza O’Connor ahead of our feature interview in Together Journal Issue 43, out in early July. We have featured Real Fine Studio’s jewels across our pages and digital platforms for some time, drawn to the brand’s modern heirlooms and distinctive point of view. As founder, Eliza has built one of the most exciting names in contemporary jewellery from her Los Angeles base. Yet for all her expertise in fine jewellery, she was completely surprised when Nic proposed during a romantic anniversary trip to Paris earlier this year.

As you might expect from one of the industry’s most discerning jewellery designers, Eliza spent months sourcing the perfect modern antique diamond for her engagement ring, eventually discovering a one-of-a-kind stone that felt uniquely hers. The setting was intentionally understated, allowing the beauty and character of the diamond to take centre stage.

To celebrate, the couple hosted their engagement party at Le Royale, a beautiful French-inspired bar that offered a subtle nod to the city where they became engaged. Filled with jazz, cocktails, beautiful florals and their favourite people, the evening captured everything we love about modern celebrations: thoughtful, stylish and centred on connection. Living in Los Angeles means opportunities to bring both families together are rare, making the occasion all the more meaningful.

Here, Eliza shares the story behind the proposal, the search for her dream engagement ring, highlights from the celebration, and what she is enjoying most as she looks ahead to married life with Nic.

Tell us about the proposal. Was it a complete surprise, or did you have a feeling it was coming?

Nic proposed in Paris in January on our three-year anniversary, on what I thought was just the start of a beautiful date night. Our first stop was supposed to be a drink at Cheval Blanc, but he surprised me by checking us in for the night. Even the welcome card in the room said “Happy Anniversary,” so I truly had no idea what was happening. A few moments later, I looked up, and he was on one knee. I remember thinking, “Oh my God, this is what it feels like.” It was just pure, overwhelming joy.
I knew a proposal was coming at some point, but I never imagined it would be on that trip. Nic, along with my team and our master craftsman, had led me to believe my ring was delayed in production, which felt very believable after the Christmas period we had just had, so I wasn’t expecting anything in France at all. It was intimate, thoughtful, and completely perfect.

As the founder of one of the world’s most exciting jewellery brands, we have to ask: how did you approach choosing or designing your own engagement ring?

Wow, that is a big wrap-up! As you can imagine, I’m incredibly particular when it comes to sourcing stones, so it took me eight months to find my diamond. I always knew I wanted to source my own stone, and I really wanted it to feel one-of-a-kind. I see diamonds every day, so it needed to feel different, special, and uniquely meant for me. I was really drawn to the character and romance of antique diamonds, and when I finally found it, it was just this gut feeling.
For the setting, I wanted to keep it very simple. The stone was always going to be the focus, so I designed something timeless and minimal around it, letting the diamond be the moment.

Your engagement celebration looked beautiful. What was the vision behind the evening, and what details and moments felt most meaningful to you?

Living on the other side of the world, we don’t often get to have our friends and family in one room, so celebrating in Australia felt really special. We hosted at Le Royale, a beautiful new French bar by the Anyday group in Brisbane, which felt like the perfect tie back to getting engaged in Paris.
The venue has such a sexy, intimate energy, with a jazz band, beautiful cocktails, and that late-night French bar feeling. We really wanted the night to feel fun and effortless, with great drinks, beautiful food, and our favourite people. It felt celebratory without being too formal, which was exactly what we wanted.

Looking back, what was the highlight of the night?

Life has been so fast-paced over the three years we’ve been together, so this was really the first moment our families had properly met and spent time together. Seeing everyone in one room celebrating with us was perfect!

Tell us about your looks?

From the beginning, I knew I wanted to wear an Australian designer. I’ve always had such admiration for Australian design and the incredible talent that comes from home, so wearing KYHA Studios felt very instinctive.

I wore a full look by KYHA Studios, which I absolutely loved. The silhouette, the lace, the way the skirt draped, it felt refined but effortless, and completely true to me. It was exactly what I had envisioned. The team was wonderful to work with, which made the experience feel all the more special.

Nic wore a full custom Chocolate double-breasted suit by P. Johnson, which he also loved. Finished with a personal embroidery on the inside collar. It sits inside the back collar and says “ I love Eliza”, a little playful addition.

What are you enjoying most about being engaged and planning a wedding?

The best thing about being engaged is how chosen you feel every day, and knowing you’ve chosen them back with the same certainty. I don’t think I expected to wake up and feel that every morning, but I do, and that has been the best part.
In terms of wedding planning, I’m completely overwhelmed, and every time I start, I end up closing my computer. That said, we’re hoping to get married sometime later next year, so it’s now or never with the planning I guess!

Beyond the wedding itself, what are you most excited about as you prepare for married life together?

I think I’m most excited for the next chapter of feeling settled and continuing to build our life together. We’ve already done so much in the past three years, and I’m really looking forward to being more intentional about the future, our home, and the kind of life we want to create together. It feels really special to have someone beside you for all of that.