Disneyland engagement photoshoot? Say no more – we’re in. We absolutely love Disney! I mean, how can you not love Disneyland?! It’s the happiest place on earth!
Orange County has PLENTY of amazing places to capture engagement photos, and we often get to shoot in a variety of different locations and scenery. But one of our very favorite places is Disneyland! Not only is it at the top of our list to shoot, but it’s one of our favorite places to just go and have fun! So when Danielle and Ben asked if we could shoot their engagement photography session there, we were more than excited to make that happen! We started off shooting their engagement photos around the park. But then to end the evening, Josie (my girlfriend) and I actually had the privilege of going on a super fun double date with Danielle and Ben. In short, if any of our clients want to take their engagement photos at Disneyland, I’m definitely not opposed to it!
Of course, many thanks to Danielle and Ben for letting us join in on the fun! We can’t wait to capture your wedding at the Glen Arden Club!
We hope you enjoy reading about their love story!
Q. How & when did you first meet? Describe your thoughts / how you felt about each other. Was it love at first sight?
A. We first met when we were in high school, through mutual friends. We didn’t really speak to each other until one night Danielle was throwing a Halloween Party at her home. Ben wasn’t invited but decided to crash the party anyway. Danielle thought to herself, “who is the kid at my house?” Ben says he was always in love with Danielle from the moment he laid eyes on her. Danielle was battling between having feelings or protecting our friendship but she couldn’t stop these feelings and flirting with him. However, after years of friendship and learning more about each other, it was very easy to be together.
Q. What do you both do for work?
A. Danielle is a rehabilitation physical therapist for dogs. Ben is a web developer and designer.
Q. GROOM: What was it that made you first start liking your bride-to-be?
A. It’s hard to describe what made me like her so much, but one of the things that really stood out to me was her smile, those gorgeous eyes, and how much she would pay attention to me when I was talking to her. I think that the moment she started telling me about her passions, dreams, and goals was when I really started falling in love.
Q. BRIDE: What was it that made you first start liking your groom to be?
A. Because I was such a big flirt to try to get him to like me, I saw his honesty and kindness in response to how I was flirting with him. It truly made me feel like I really was someone special to him. From then, I was no longer just being silly and flirting for fun, I actually was truthful in saying how cute I thought he was or how much fun I really had with him.
Q. Tell us about your first date. What was going through your mind? Where did you go, what did you do?
A. Our first date wasn’t originally considered a date until we were already dating. Danielle had to attend jury duty and asked Ben to pick her up for lunch since he was working in the area. She went on lunch break and we decided to eat at Chik-Fil-A. This is the first time we were really alone together. After lunch, Ben took her back to jury duty and sat with her until they released the unselected jurors. We played 21 Questions, watched soap operas, and got to know each other really well in such a random environment. It wasn’t the most romantic but one that we cherish. Because we were such good friends, it was like two friends hanging out and for us, that’s the best. It makes it so easy to be ourselves together.
Q. What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together. (example: pushing each other to new limits, love to travel, huge comic book fans, foodies, etc.) What makes your relationship unique?
A. We’d been good friends for a while before we started dating, and I think that contributed to how long and sturdy our relationship has grown to be. We both love nerdy things together such as video games and going to Comic-Con. But, we really love Disneyland. We spend a lot of time at Disneyland that we try to do new things every time we go and even do some wedding planning while we’re there. We both have become very big gym enthusiasts so you can always find us at the gym prepping for our yearly half marathon at Disneyland or preparing for a future competition.
Q. Tell us about your proposal story! How / where did it all unfold? Who cried first? Were you surprised?
A. To preface, Danielle prides herself on knowing everything and never being surprised. We had been dating for years, but the thought of getting engaged seemed further for down the road…or at least she thought. At the beginning of 2018, Ben planned a proposal at Danielle’s parents’ home in Bakersfield. The plan was for her to come home after her workday on Saturday, under the guise of Ben’s mom’s 60th Birthday Surprise Party. The details were pretty sparse, but all she knew was to come straight home dressed formally. When she arrived at her parents’ home, she found the door open. A pathway lined with lit candles and roses led her to her backyard, where at the end was a chest with a collection of pictures, notes, and letters from our 9 years of dating. When she got to her backyard, the lights faded on, and “The Way You Look Tonight” sung by Tony Bennett came over the speakers. She walked to the chest and opened it, while Ben came from behind to surprise her and get down on one knee. When Ben began to propose, Danielle’s first reaction was to exclaim, “No way!” several times. After she said yes (with tears running down her eyes) her dogs and family came out of the darkness in the backyard to celebrate with us. What she didn’t know was her best friend drove down from San Francisco, her brother flew in from Hawaii and her sister flew in from Georgia to see it happen. Danielle was definitely surprised, and the proposal went perfectly.
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. Our biggest piece of advice is to remember and never forget that you are marrying your best friend, your future partner, and the person who loves you for everything you are and stand for. A wedding is one day; marriage is for life.
We enjoyed learning more about each other and the things that we had envisioned for our wedding day. We have both enjoyed seeing what we can do and accomplish with a party this large together.
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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.
