Orange County Professional Photographer
As Orange County Professional Photographers, we just adore the couples we meet, whether it’s to photograph their engagement session, their wedding, various stages of their family life, or any combination of those, each one of them is truly great to work with. But perhaps our favorite part is hearing their amazing love stories. How they met, fell in love, the proposal, and ultimately, the wedding. This is especially true for Kristin and Andy. A truly wonderful couple that we had the pleasure of photographing their wedding at the Jones Victorian Estate here in Orange County.
Located in the city of Orange, The Jones Victorian Estate is an elegant, classic wedding venue built back in 1881. The estate is surrounded by lush trees, rose bushes and a sparkling pond and waterfall. The backdrop at the Jones Victorian made for a perfect wedding venue for Andy and Kristin! The outdoor wedding ceremony took place on the gorgeous patio space. The lush green foliage, along with towering palm trees, created the perfect shaded space for these two to say, “I do”. With a backdrop of tropical palms, a glittering waterfall and pond, and a wonderfully decorated altar of blooming and bright flowers, the joyous ambiance was the perfect representation of the joy that Andy and Kristin both hold.
So, how did these two get to this day? You have to back a few years. When most people think of video games, they don’t immediately think about meeting the love of their life. But that’s exactly what lead to Andy and Kristin’s first meeting! Although they lived in different states, they connected through an online video game, and finally met in person when Kristin came to California for her sister’s wedding. She planned a beach day with a handful of people that they all played the game with, and that’s when these two love birds first met! After just being friends for a long time, their love began to blossom for each other, and Andy proposed at Disneyland in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle!
Now, fast forward to the wedding day. Kristin wore an elegant lace gown and had heads turning all day long! Her hair was curled to perfection and her makeup was on point, as she was ready to walk down the aisle to marry the love of her life! Andy patiently waited for his bride in a deep gray suit with turquoise details. We absolutely loved the vibrant-colored details throughout this wedding! From the turquoise blue in the groom and bridal party’s attire to the bright fuchsia, purple and yellow in the florals, and the table decor at the reception. All of the details came together perfectly for a bright and exciting late Summer wedding celebration!
All of the details of this beautifully done wedding ceremony and reception were captured by the team at Three16 Photography.
We would really like to thank Kristin and Andy for allowing Three16 Photography to be part of your special day. We wish you many years of love and happiness.
Check out their love story. We hope you enjoy it, and their photos, as much as we do.
Kristin and Andy’s Love Story
How did you both meet and who liked who first?
We first met online playing World of Warcraft (WOW). Online: World of Warcraft in June of 2011. Andy decided to look for a guild to play with through the wow forums. He found my guild because we were at max level and he could bring all of his friends to play and get the guild perks without having to work for it. So, he brought his friends and they made their own raid group. My raid group happened to be way better and we were downing content faster than his raid group.
One thing I loved about WOW was collecting pets. So much so that I basically did an entire guild achievement by myself to get one pet. Our friend Pasha (one of the groomsmen) saw this and decided to give me some codes for pets you can get from Blizzcon to help me reach my goal of 100 pets (and getting an exclusive pet for reaching that goal). I was curious about why he was giving me codes, but he explained that he had gone to Blizzcon and didn’t want them. Later he decided to tell me the truth that he and most of the people that Andy brought with him were actually Blizzard employees and that he got the codes for free.
So fast forward to the summer of 2012 when I came to California for my sister’s wedding and I decided to plan a guild beach day and finally meet all of these awesome people I had been exploring the world of Azeroth with for over a year. Pasha was awesome and decided to make the day even more awesome by having me come for a tour of Blizzard first. So, I toured Blizzard with a few other guildies. After the tour, we had lunch in the cafeteria and that is when Andy and I actually met for the first time.
We were friends for a long time first. Andy definitely liked me first.
Tell us about your first date. Who was more nervous and what did you guys do?
Our first date was in October 2013 right before Halloween. Andy asked me to “hang out” in Los Angeles with him since he was back in town from Austin. He claimed he’d never been to Griffith Observatory before and that he’d like to check it out. I met him at his mom’s house, and we drove to downtown LA to a Mediterranean Restaurant. The restaurant looked fancy, but we ordered it to go. Andy asked if it was cooked for us to share a meal since they were really large (the first of many meals we’d share together). He also got us both these gross salty yogurt drinks that both of us pretended to like but really hated. Then we drove up to Griffith Observatory and had a picnic under the stars. I remember thinking, “Oh my God, I think I’m actually on a date.” I even went to the bathroom and texted a friend telling them that I was pretty sure I was on a date.
Andy was obviously more nervous since he knew we were on a date and I didn’t know until later.
What’s the proposal story? Give us all the details and tell us, who cried first?
We got engaged at Disneyland! Although it is my favorite place, it isn’t exactly his, so I guess that is true love right there. We met up with our friends Kelsey and Leo, who helped orchestrate the entire event. The morning started with Andy almost getting caught by security because he was trying to hide the ring. The security guard asked him what he was hiding, and Andy quickly whispered that it was an engagement ring and the person felt it and let him through. I saw him getting caught at the gate but didn’t really think anything of it since Leo was distracting me. In retrospect, Andy acted weird all morning. He wouldn’t let me put sunscreen on him and he kept his hat attached to his belt buckle (to hide the ring. He also didn’t want to wear the hat until after he proposed because it would mess up his hair).
Later that morning when we were passing by the castle, Kelsey asked if we wanted to get some pictures in front of the castle and I thought that was weird, but Kelsey always loves taking pictures. We went to the front and took some group photos before the photographer suggested we take some couples photos. Then the photographer asked Andy and I to hug and it was totally the most awkward hug ever because I think he was trying to get the ring out of his pocket at the same time. When he opened the box, it was like a disco ball and the ring sparkled all over the place. I honestly can’t remember exactly what he said but I remember nodding and at some point, saying something like, “I think I forgot to actually say yes”.
Apparently, I cried, and people clapped but I didn’t notice until after I saw the video. The photographers were awesome, and we spent a long-time taking pictures by Snow White’s wishing well. Then we went to every photographer we could find and took more photos throughout the day. It was truly the most perfect and magical proposal.
As you approach the wedding day, what have you both enjoyed most about the wedding planning process?
The cake and food tastings were pretty awesome! We are both foodies and love eating good food. It was also really wonderful meeting Michelle Gregory, our wedding planner, and finally booking our venue. She has been such a huge help and has made the planning process so much easier and more fun.
Why did you choose your particular wedding and reception venue?
We loved Michelle as soon as we met her and knew we’d be in good hands. She’s providing such incredible service from planning, to going with us to cake tastings, taking care of the DJ, going with us to the florist, taking care of most of our decorations and helping bring the wedding of our dreams to life. The venue itself is also very beautiful and has a lot of character. We really loved the trees surrounding the area, the white gazebo for our cake, and the chandeliers hanging from the trees.
Where did you draw some of your inspiration from for your wedding day?
Some of the inspiration is coming from my love of Disney and because he proposed at Disneyland. We’ve decided to do a fairytale castle brought outdoors as our theme. Another part of the inspiration is our love of video games and in particular, World of Warcraft where we met. You’ll find all sorts of items you’d find in a castle or in the game as part of our décor including a shield and a sword (earned by Andy for 5 and 10 years of service at Blizzard Entertainment, chandeliers, antique mirrors, picture frames filled with pictures of the couple and their family, silver candelabras with vines of flowers growing up them, a dresser and crystal vases. You’ll also notice hidden Mickey’s (like you can find at Disneyland) throughout the wedding.
Where are you going for the honeymoon and why did you choose that destination?
We are doing a mini-moon to Colorado and will be hiking, biking, going to the spa to relax, and just enjoying time relaxing after the wedding. Then in late September/early October, we will be heading to Europe for a few weeks. We chose Colorado because Andy has always wanted to go there, and it looks beautiful. Andy is an avid bicyclist and cannot wait to hit some trails while I am more excited about the hiking and relaxing part of the trip. We both have really wanted to go to Europe but haven’t had the chance just yet. We aren’t sure exactly where to go yet but one of the destinations will be Disneyland Paris for obvious reasons.
Vendors used for Kristin and Andy’s gorgeous Jones Victorian Estate Wedding:
Location Information
Ceremony & Reception: The Jones Victorian Estate
Address: 349 N. Renee St., Orange, CA 92869
Website: https://thejonesvictorianestate.com/
Vendor Information
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Company: Three16 Photography
Website: www.three16photography.com
Instagram: @three16photography
FLORIST
Company: Flower Allie
Website: https://flowerallie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerallie/
DJ
Company: NightLife Entertainment
Website: www.NightLifeMobiledj.com
HAIR
Company: Wendi’s Wonderland Salon
Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wendis-wonderland-salon-huntington-beach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/169526960196824/wendis-wonderland-salon/
MAKE-UP
Company: Muse Makeup Artistry
Website: www.musemakeupartistry.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musemakeupartistry/
DRESS
Company: Bridal Gowns Orange County
Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bridal-gowns-orange-county-mission-viejo
GROOM’S SUIT
Company: Friar Tux
Website: https://www.friartux.com/
WEDDING INVITATION
Company: Elegant Wedding Invites
Website: https://www.elegantweddinginvites.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elegantweddinginvites/?hl=en
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