They ‘Knew’ this was Perfect as the Writing was on the – Wrists
One of the best parts about being a wedding photographer in Orange County is everything is so new. New love, new family, new wedding and in some cases, new locations to shoot engagement photos and even weddings. Much of the Annie and Lorcan’s San Juan Capistrano engagement shoot was, well new for me.
They wanted to have their engagement shoot done at the Northwest Open Space in San Juan Capistrano. It’s a short drive away from Mission San Juan Capistrano, where I have shot many times, but this was a new location for me. Wow, I am so glad I was introduced to this location as it was absolutely beautiful and was a perfect fit for our new couple. They were incredibly friendly and I loved hearing all about their story as I photographed their engagement session.
Annie and Lorcan are getting married at the Estate on Second in Santa Ana this fall, which is an amazing venue right here in the heart of Orange County. I recently did a tour of the venue, which makes me even more excited for Annie and Lorcan’s wedding taking place there. It will be Perfect. It will be New.
Annie and Lorcan’s Love Story
Annie’s Perspective….
Q: How did you first meet Lorcan?
A: Lorcan and I met in San Luis Obispo at a house party. He was visiting one weekend for his friend’s 21st birthday. I went to college in San Luis Obispo and went to the birthday party because it was for one of my roommate’s friends from class. Everyone was hanging out in the garage and I found a Sharpie that people were using to write their name on their cup. My friends and I all drew hearts on our wrists because we thought it would make for a cute photograph. Lorcan asked what we were doing and we started talking. After talking for a while he asked me to draw something on his wrist; I wrote “I <3 U”. We continued to hang out for the rest of the night and learned more about each other. We realized our families lived really close together and exchanged phone numbers.
Q: Upon first meeting Lorcan, what were your first thoughts?
A: Lorcan stood out from the crowd because of his height (he’s 6’4”). He was also wearing a shirt with Batman on it, which I thought was quirky and different. When he introduced himself as Lorcan, I didn’t believe him so I asked him to show me his driver’s license. I was impressed to learn about his roots, growing up in Ireland and then moving to the US, and I was immediately attracted to him because of his light blue eyes.
Q: Tell us about your first date and what was your favorite moment?
A: My first date with Lorcan was amazing! Lorcan put a lot of effort into planning the date. He picked me up and took me to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. After dinner, he drove us to the Balboa Fun Zone. We walked around, played games and then rode the Ferris Wheel (my favorite moment).
Q: What is it about Lorcan that sets him apart from the rest?
A: Lorcan is easygoing and can get along with anyone. He’s very caring, smart, funny and romantic.
Q: Tell us a goofy/funny story about Lorcan.
A: Lorcan is addicted to chocolate. We have a Costco-sized jar of Nutella in our house as a chocolate food ration in case there’s an emergency (that’s how much he loves chocolate). Emergencies can range from natural disasters to Lorcan having a chocolate craving, but not having any chocolate in the house.
Q: How did Lorcan propose and were you surprised?
A: I had a feeling Lorcan was going to propose on the day that he proposed. My family had been putting in more effort than normal to know what I was doing that day, and Lorcan was acting anxious and nervous. We had been talking about getting engaged for a while, and we picked out a ring together, so I knew it was imminent. I had hinted to Lorcan that I wanted him to be super romantic with the proposal. We went to the beach that day, but Lorcan refused to go in the water. That’s when I really knew something was going on. He got down on one knee at the beach and then I blacked out. I don’t actually remember anything he said, but I know I said yes. As we were walking back to his car I made him repeat his proposal to me so I could remember what he said. Lorcan told me he had an entire day and night planned for the two of us. He had enlisted the help of my sister to decorate a hotel room with flowers, chocolates, our favorite champagne and wine. He also had her pick out an entire wardrobe for me to wear. That night, Lorcan took me to my favorite steakhouse for dinner. The entire restaurant knew that we had just gotten engaged and it was a big celebration. The entire day and night was magical. It was well thought out and incredibly romantic.
Lorcan’s Perspective….
Q: What do you and Annie do for work?
A: Annie is a Sr. Financial Analyst with a large investment management organization. I work as a Project Manager for Mitsubishi Electric in the elevators and escalators division.
Q: Besides your proposal, what would you say was the best date you ever planned for Annie?
A: Our first date together. I picked Annie up and from there we went to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant. After dinner, I took her to the Balboa Fun Zone where we rode the Ferris Wheel and played games. It was a lot of fun and the ride on the Ferris Wheel was super romantic and totally caught her off guard.
Q: What is it about Annie that made you realize you wanted to marry her?
A: Besides everything about her? I just knew really early on that she was the one. You could say it was love at first sight. The more I got to know her, the more I realized I couldn’t spend a day without her.
Q: Planning weddings can be stressful but there are good times as well. What have you enjoyed most about the planning process and how have you both grown closer together?
A: I think the thing I most enjoy about the process is how our communication continues to get better and better. We have grown closer I think naturally because conversations about the future are now about “us” and “we”.
Q: Why did you propose the way you did and do you think Annie knew what you had planned?
A: I really wanted to surprise her and catch her off guard with the proposal, and the day and night I had planned. Annie’s sister was helping me with the planning and since Annie may or may not be a CIA interrogator, she had a pretty big suspicion something was up that day. I had to pop the question at a time and location where she wouldn’t be expecting it. That’s why I picked the beach. Luckily she had no idea where or when it was happening, so when I got down on my knee to ask, it came as a complete shock to her.
Q: What is your number one tip to couples that are thinking about getting married?
A: Communication, I believe, is the key to having a good relationship. Annie and I had to master that early on as we spent three of the six years in a long-distance relationship.
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