Our Story
Damian has lived in Elgin all his life and started Ulrich Manufacturing in 2012, his senior year of HS. He also farms and ranches with his dad and brother. Rachel grew up in Drake and moved to Bismarck to attend Bismarck State College after she graduated HS. There she studied graphic design and further studied web design. Rachel knew of Damian in HS FFA, but never officially met Damian until a party in Bismarck in 2015. Immediately after meeting, he suggested she should make a website for his welding shop. She, however, worked full-time at Vintage Guitar magazine (VG) and continued to for five and a half years.
Over those years, the two music lovers frequently kept in contact by sharing new songs they come across. Damian shared with her the bands Shaman’s Harvest and Volbeat. Side note: no surprise the couple has chosen to attend concerts for their honeymoon—The Cadillac Three, Jelly Roll, and maybe one more band or a festival.
He contacted her pertnear every time he had a business delivery around her hometown of Drake. Shout out to Tyler Karlsbraaten in Harvey for getting Damian and Rachel talking again at the turn of the decade (2020).
The moment Rachel knew she had to pursue this Damian was when she met up with him in the Bismarck Runnings parking lot. She delivered to him some beef jerky she fundraise for her friend, Destiny. He stepped out of the Ford in all his glory—cow shit on his boots, hydraulic oil stained work pants, rough manly hands, scruffy beard and polite as can be… “I gotta marry this man some day,” she thought. Which today reminds her of the song "Dirty Looks" by Lainey Wilson.
So Rachel pursued that offer he gave five years earlier. She took a leap of faith; resigned from VG to design that website for him (and this very page you’re on). She spent hours riding shotgun in the semi prying words and product specs from Damian. Taking photos of livestock panels, loading chutes, and alleys along the way. Oh ya; good times. Covid had just started, the world in lockdown and there Damian and Rachel were rolling an 18-wheeler down the road…falling in love. 🤍
The Proposal
On July 23, 2021, his parents and siblings and their spouses were gathered for his mom’s birthday. Everyone went outside to take family photos, right after Rachel turn around to see Damian down on one knee. Completely surprised Rachel, but utterly shocked his younger brother Brett. You’ll have to watch that video below and listen for the crowd cheers. 😱❤️🔥
The Ring
Many people wonder why the black diamond… Simply: it’s Damian’s favorite color and Rachel's second favorite next to purple. The designer Alexis Russell states: “All ethically sourced and left in their natural state, salt and pepper diamonds contain inclusions of graphite, nitrogen, and carbon which makes each stone completely one-of-a-kind! Despite common misconceptions, inclusions do not take away from the integrity or value of the diamond, nor do they pose any risk to the stone itself. These are simply part of each stone’s unique characteristics!”
