Both Ken Steinkamp, 75, and Sandy Sikorski, 70, are thrilled to tie the knot at Ocean House in Rhode Island and travel to Europe after.
She found a pearl inside of a clam. Now, it’s her engagement ring.
Ken Steinkamp proposed to his partner, Sandy Sikorski, with a pearl they found in their clam dinner in Rhode Island years before.
Humankind, USA Today
Rhode Island lovebirds who found a pearl inside a clam and turned it into an engagement ring are one step closer to lifelong bliss, they shared with USA TODAY.
Ken Steinkamp and Sandy Sikorski live in Westerly, Rhode Island and on December 27, 2021, they grabbed clams at Bridge Restaurant, which is now closed.
Sikorski was eating one of the clams when she tasted something a bit off. It turned out to be a pearl and a year-and-a-half later, the couple turned the pearl into an engagement ring.
Their story made its rounds online and in multiple news outlets, turning them into celebrities of sorts.
The pair said sometimes people see her ring and bring up the story of how they found the pearl.
“I am surprised every single time somebody says ‘I know about this ring,’” Sikorski said. “It’s hard to go unnoticed because it’s white and people are looking for a diamond. “
Now, the couple has secured a venue and plans to tie the knot on April 14.
Read more to find out what the couple has been up to and how they’re tying their previous find into their nuptials.
Ceremony will be intimate at a Rhode Island resort
Steinkamp, 75, and Sikorski, 70, will wed at Avondale Chapel, then have their reception at Ocean House, a resort a few miles away in Watch Hill.
They opted for a small ceremony due to costs and family circumstances, they told USA TODAY Thursday afternoon.
“We chose a small wedding because of the age we are and I don’t think we have 200 friends that could ever get here,” the groom said.
They spotted the chapel where they’ll say “I do” as they were headed out for their nightly drive, he said. They drive each night and watch the sunset. Off on this side road lies Avondale Chapel. It was built in the 1800s.
“It’s very cute and very small,” Steinkamp said.
They decided to tie the ocean and the chapel into their wedding plans and now, they’re all set to have a boutique ceremony with about 27 people.
Read more on the couple: She found a pearl inside of a clam. Now, it’s her engagement ring.
Boutique weddings are in right now, said Hannah Bontempo, the catering and sales manager at Ocean House who is helping the couple make their wedding happen. They are typically smaller in size and made up of about 30 or fewer guests.
“It’s a smaller event, so it’s not a giant ballroom,” she said. “It’s not a giant tent. It’s not like a crazy, long, drawn out ceremony. It’s more intimate. It’s more designed to be for the couple and for their love and their story.”
Making pearls a part of the festivities
The couple plans to have pearls around the base of their wedding cake. The bride will also wear pearl earrings and her granddaughter, Nora, will be a junior bridesmaid and have pearls on her shoes.
They had a wedding cake tasting on March 2 at Ocean House, where Chef Jessica Quiet prepared a chocolate clam with a pearl inside. The chocolate was delicious, Sikorski said.
“I had shared the story of their ring,” said Bontempo, the catering and sales manager at Ocean House. “I was sharing that with our pastry chef so when they came for their cake tasting, she wanted to make it a little bit more special for them.”
She said with each couple she works with, she likes to get details and hear their love stories to give their ceremonies that personal touch.
“I have to say that that pastry was kind of above and beyond,” she said.
The bride and groom have also curated the perfect playlist to celebrate their union on the 14th.
They plan to sway to Van Morrison’s “Have I Told You Lately” for their first dance and later, they’ll feature songs by artists such as Bruno Mars.
Wedding will be something fun for everyone, bride and groom say
Steinkamp and Sikorski said the wedding will be momentous for them but also for family and friends.
It has been a tough time for them because her mother passed away a few years ago and her father, Louis Bald, is 93 and has had some health issues. He is determined to live longer and attend the wedding though.
Sikorski wants her father to walk her down the aisle and he has been in and out of the hospital. They’ll see if he can walk with a cane, she said.
“He said ‘I’m not going to miss it,’” Sikorski recalled.
Her husband-to-be said part of the planning involved making sure her father is taken care of.
“One of the challenges of doing this is not only the cost and the timing but it’s the organization around her father,” he said. It’s the coordination of that and allowing us some time away. Sandy’s been because she’s the oldest, she’s been the main caretaker for mother and father for many years.”
The couple will marry on a Sunday and the next day, they’ll fly out to Europe for three weeks. They want to go to Paris since Sikorski has never been and French is her native language.
Family members have stepped in to take care of her father so the couple can travel.
Her father is so excited about the wedding, she said. He asks them all the time about the wedding plans and can’t wait to see it come to fruition.
“All weddings are a family affair,” Steinkamp said. “This little smaller wedding has been very special in that regard because it does bring a little light into the picture.”
Prior to meeting in 2018, both of them had been married and divorced. They joined the same dating app and one day, she got a notification that he was nearby. She wanted to message him but her membership had lapsed, so she renewed it and introduced herself.
The couple found the pearl in December 2021 and on July 6, 2023, he proposed to her.
Both Steinkamp and Sikorski are thrilled to tie the knot and travel after. They can’t help but smile when reflecting on their journey to get to this point.
“This is a Hallmark story if there ever was one,” Steinkamp said.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
