Orange County Engagement Photographer
As Orange County Professional photographers, our team has the opportunity to capture so many different types of events. But when Ahmed and Alma reached out about photographing their Richard Nixon Library Engagement Party, we were so excited! This stunning red, gold, and white Engagement party was definitely a celebration to remember!
First off, Richard Nixon Library is one of our absolute favorite venues! From the gorgeous architecture of the building to the perfectly manicured garden and elegant golden accents throughout the venue – this space is an actual DREAM. Not only is it the perfect Orange County Wedding Venue (check out one of our latest Richard Nixon Library Weddings here!), but it’s also the perfect fit for a glamorous engagement celebration! The dazzling chandeliers, along with floor-to-ceiling golden drapes, and an open dance floor created a luxurious backdrop for Ahmed and Alma’s Richard Nixon Library Engagement Party.
Alma was dressed in an absolutely STUNNING red floral lace gown that set the tone for the color palette of the day! Ahmed was also looking snazzy in a gray suit with a white tie and black shoes and belt. These two looked like they came straight out of a magazine!
For this gorgeous celebration, the guest tables were set with shimmering gold seating, tablecloths, and charger plates. In addition, the ruby red napkin linens were a great accent, and the floral assortment of red, white, and purple pulled everything together. The soon-to-weds shared the most wonderfully decorated table we may have EVER seen! A dainty white lace table cloth was set and draped with dozens of deep red flowers, flooding over the edge to create even more dimension. Framing the head table were blooming bouquets and dreamy candles to set an even more romantic atmosphere.
We loved getting to be a part of this glamorous engagement celebration, and we hope you love the photos and their love story just the same!
Ahmed and Alma’s Love Story
How & when did you first meet? Describe your thoughts / how you felt about each other. Was it love at first sight?
We met in Hermosa Beach, October 2018 after having a mutual friend encouraged us to get together. One of the first thoughts that came to my mind was “okay, she’s cool”. We grabbed some pizza and started talking at American Junkie.
For me, I do not believe in love at first sight, but I knew instantly that we had something special because
our first date ended up taking up the entire day.
What do you both do for work?
I am a Project Manager for a legal services firm, and she is a Management Consultant at Deloitte.
GROOM: What was it that made you first start liking your bride-to-be?
Her sense of humor by far. She understood my dry sense of humor and knew how to dish it back.
BRIDE: What was it that made you first start liking your groom to be?
His confidence and sense of humor are what made me start liking my groom to be. He knew all the right things to say from day one, giving me the sense that I could be myself.
Tell us about your first date. What was going through your mind? Where did you go, what did you do?
We went to a well-known bar/restaurant in the center of Hermosa Beach, called American Junkie. I figured it would be a great way to get a sense of her style and enjoy great food and the fall weather!
After dinner, we headed across the street to Tower 12 for dessert to carry on our conversation, then we walked down the pier and I surprised her with an evening rocket show! Altogether, I did something I had never done before – a 7-hour first date.
What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together.
We have a unique relationship in the sense that we both are well cultured with an Americanized balance. We feel that we have the best of both worlds.
We both have a bit of OCD, and like having our personal lives very clean and organized. We both like to have fun and have a tendency to pick on one another with some playful banter. We both love to travel (although she has done more of it throughout the world), so she definitely has some places to show me.
We definitely push each other to be the best version of ourselves and to pursue what we want in our lives.
Tell us about your proposal story! How / where did it all unfold? Who cried first? Were you surprised?
Although we had always talked about the future, it really began to unfold when we decided to head down to San Diego in mid-June a few days after her birthday. I took her to one of my favorite hikes, in Torrey Pines Beach State Reserve (down in La Jolla) and the scene was perfect.
In our culture, proposals are done through the families. My responsibility as the groom is to make it official, by getting the bride-to-be’s father’s permission to ask her for her hand in marriage. She had no clue that I had already done that on the same morning we were heading down to San Diego.
The second we got there, we did the hike and got to the main peak to see the views. Then she gets a call. It was her father, congratulating her. She had no idea what he was talking about at first, only to ask, “um, congratulations for what?”. He responded saying, “Congratulations, it’s official, he and his family officially asked for your hand!”
She was stunned and got teary-eyed.
It’s one thing to have an idea, it’s another thing to have it actually happen.
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?
Stay patient, and stick to what you want your special day to be. A lot of your closest family and friends will throw out what they want to see and a lot of opinions will be given. Although having opinions is important for some tidbits, at the end of the day, it’s your wedding. Balancing family dynamics is the most underrated aspect of the wedding planning process, so it’s very important to set expectations from the get-go.
Loved reading about Alma and Ahmed’s Richard Nixon Library Engagement Party? Show them some love by liking and commenting below! Also, check out one of our other recent engagement sessions like Torey and Jorge’s Museum Engagement!
