Interview with CEO Doug Kazanjian - VIP Diamond Ring Drone Delivery

by Kazanjian Beverly Hills January 6, 2021

In July of 2020, Doug Kazanjian created an unforgettable memory by delivering an engagement ring via drone to his friends, Collier and Kara. Doug combined his love for photography, jewelry and drones by making the most beautiful idea come to life. The ring was flown over the Pacific Ocean directly into the couples' lap. It was the perfect social distancing delivery of 2020 and a story that will never be forgotten. Below we have interviewed Doug and he shares his experience and details from the incredible moment of the Drone Delivery.

What inspired you to deliver the engagement ring via drone? Have you seen this before or was it your idea?

DK: I had never seen it done before. I have flown drones for 8 years now and done quite a bit of filming with drones including having filmed my friend Danny Seo’s engagement video.

My father [Michael], my friend [Collier], and I were talking about how Collier was going to propose to his girlfriend Kara. We thought: how could we do something extraordinary for such an important moment in their lives? My father instantly said “Doug, you love your drone and photography, what if you did a ring delivery via drone?” And that was it. The perfect social distancing delivery of 2020!

What did you enjoy most about the delivery?

DK: I loved seeing Kara’s expression, it was priceless! Her reaction was everything we could have hoped for. Collier and Kara had been sitting in their backyard watching a magic show via Zoom on the computer, and at the end of the show the magician said “look into the sky”. I immediately received a text from Collier telling me to launch and the drone came buzzing down from the sky toward them. The Kazanjian bag slowly dropped down by its straps until it got low enough for Collier to grab it and get on one knee. It turned out to be a really nice video with an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean in the background. I was ecstatic that everything came out perfectly and I had so much fun being part of this experience.

How did you prepare?

DK: I went to Collier’s house a week before and tested it out. The process of flying the drone around and getting the perfect angle was exciting but very stressful. I had to practice how to fly around the house so that the bag would drop in at just the right position.

I couldn’t really see what I was doing and was flying completely off of the drone screen. I just needed to make sure Kara stayed focused on the sea view so that the surprise wouldn’t be ruined.

How did you ensure that nothing went wrong?

DK: By practicing the test flights, I was able to better ensure that nothing went wrong. It also helped that I could preform well under pressure in the moment. I had to stay extremely focused on what I was doing.

Was this risk worth it and why?

DK: Even though the delivery was incredibly dangerous, the risk was definitely worth it. Collier was in the marines and stationed in Southeast Asia. He risked his life for our country, and for me, so I felt like this was a chance I was willing to take for him.

Luckily were flying over homes of people Collier knew, so if the bag fell, we could ask around and try to find it. But if the ring went missing, it would have been an uninsured loss.