When Ryan and Michelle first told us they wanted to shoot their engagement session at Rancho Las Lomas, we were SO excited! We absolutely LOVE this venue, and it’s always been faithful to providing STUNNING backdrops for all of our shoots. This dreamy golden hour engagement session with these two cuties has us giddy with excitement! We can’t wait to capture more of their love at their wedding in just a few short weeks. From one dreamy location to the next- these two are tying the knot at the Summit House in Fullerton, California! Definitely another one of our favorite wedding venues in Orange County.
We hope you enjoy their photos and their story as much as we do!
Q. How & when did you first meet? Describe your thoughts / how you felt about each other. Was it love at first sight?
A. Our story began in 2014 on a little dating app called OkCupid.
Michelle: “We messaged on this app for months but could never seem to get together. Finally, I gave him my number with the line from the epic Carly Rae Jepson song ‘Call Me Maybe'”
Ryan: “I visited OkCupid on a whim and created a profile thinking nothing would come of it. Little did I know that the first person I chatted with would be the one I asked to marry!”
Q. What do you both do for work?
A. Ryan is a medical device development engineer at Glaukos Corporation in San Clemente. Michelle is a program director for the clinical supply optimization department at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Q. Tell us about your first date. What was going through your mind? Where did you go, what did you do?
A. We had our first date at Park Place Steakhouse.
Michelle: “Ordinarily when I went on a date I knew it wasn’t going anywhere by the end so I would make sure I split the bill. This time was different. Ryan was a perfect gentleman, he treated me to dinner and we shared our first kiss under the twinkling lights.”
Ryan: “It was a good first date.”
Q. What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together.
A. We enjoy traveling together just as much as relaxing at home on the couch. We both are foodies and like to cook/bake together.
Q. Tell us about your proposal story! How / where did it all unfold? Who cried first? Were you surprised?
A. We got engaged in Chicago.
Ryan: “I had been working on the ring for months and kept it a complete secret. After asking her mother and father, all that remained was the proposal itself. I picked out a quiet park with a view of the Chicago skyline and suggested we go for a morning walk. The whole time I felt like the ring was burning a hole in my pocket! I was a little nervous, but mostly excited thinking of our future together. I asked, and she said “yes”, and the rest is history!
Michelle: “I had no idea he had been working on the ring or that he was getting ready to ask me that day. The setting was perfect and I am so excited to start the next chapter of our lives together”
Q. What is one piece of advice you have for couples just beginning the wedding planning process? What have you enjoyed most about planning your wedding?
A. When wedding planning gets stressful, work on the honeymoon planning instead!
Cake tasting and food tasting were both fun and delicious!
A photo of the ring the day they got engaged!
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About the Author:
Jerrick O’Connor is the owner of Three16 Photography and has 15 years of experience in the world of photography. He specializes in Weddings, Engagements, Family and Corporate photography and loves connecting small business owners with other small business owners in hopes they can benefit each other’s production. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife Josie, playing board games or just spending time with his many friends.
