They Really Hit It Out Of The Park
Talk about a fun and super-friendly couple. As a wedding photographer in Orange County, you really look forward to working with couples like Stephanie and Keith and believe me I have worked with many of them. These two just seemed so in tune with one another that even I felt it inside of me.
Being that they now live in Las Vegas, scheduling was really key for them. So for their engagement photo shoot, Stephanie and Keith wanted to do it somewhere that was a little different, so we chose a cool alley in downtown Santa Ana. It made for some really cool photos. Both of them are huge baseball fans. Keith likes his Chicago White Sox, while Stephanie is more realistic in liking the hometown Angels. Just kidding Keith. Ha! After shooting in Santa Ana we headed to a park for more shots and of course, they had custom-made baseball jerseys. Guess which one looked better?
Stephanie and Keith are getting married at the Red Horse Barn in Huntington Beach in April. If you have never attended a wedding there it’s really incredible and you have to schedule it well in advance. Here’s a recent Red Horse Barn wedding we did ( red-horse-barn-wedding-eric-jennifer ) and we’re really looking forward to returning to Red Horse Barn for three more weddings we have scheduled for this year. They have an amazing staff and we love working with them.
Enjoy Stephanie and Keith’s Journey….
Stephanie and Keith’s Love Story
Stephanie’s Perspective….
Q: What do you do for work and what do you enjoy most about it?
A: I’m an RN in a pediatric emergency room. Taking care of sick kids isn’t easy, but seeing a kid feel better and smile when they leave is the best part of my job.
Q: How did you first meet Keith? Describe to us your thoughts upon first meeting him… was he goofy, weird, prince charming, etc?
A: Keith and I met through an online dating website. I was in nursing school at the time and had a really busy schedule. We had been emailing and texting for a few weeks before we were able to meet up in person, but there was an instant connection when we first started talking. I remember thinking when we finally met that he seemed nervous, but he listened to my story about the open heart surgery I had seen that day without being freaked out. After I started the story, I thought maybe I shouldn’t have started with that story, but he proceeded to tell me a gross work story so I knew then he was a keeper!
Q: What is something that you find totally cute about Keith?
A: Since we started dating almost 4 years ago, Keith always makes me go with him whenever he does anything like get his haircut or pick out new glasses. At first, I thought, “Why do I have to go?”, but it makes me feel special that he values my opinion that much. He would also be mostly blind if I had not made him get his eyes checked! (You’re welcome, Honey!)
Q: What’s the proposal story? How did it all unfold and were you surprised?
A: Keith had been offered a new job in Las Vegas and after spending some time talking about it, we decided that he would take the job and that we would move there together. We had a lot going on, but we had only one weekend to get to Vegas and find somewhere to live. The night before we were going to drive to Vegas and look at places to live, we were meeting my family to have dinner – as a sort of going away dinner. Keith came home from work and I was getting ready for dinner. Keith asked me to give him a back rub, which I was too busy to do, but he insisted it would be just for a second. I reluctantly gave in. Keith asked me if I would agree to give him a back rub once a week until the end of time. I agreed. Then he asked, “How about two?” I said, “Don’t push your luck.” He proceeded to confirm that I agreed to once per week, to which I said yes again. Keith got up and was suddenly on his knee holding a ring. I was absolutely stunned.
Q: As you plan your wedding, what has this experience been like? What’s your advice to others as they plan their wedding?
A: People say it’s going to be stressful and you’re going to lose your mind, but as of now that really hasn’t happened. I have several people to bounce ideas off of and are there to help me with whatever I need, which has made it easy to plan even being in another state. There are a hundred decisions to make about everything from big things like menu and food to little things like which stamp to buy. But at the end of the day, nobody is going to remember what stamp you used to mail the invitation, so my advice would be to focus on how you want your wedding day to feel and be remembered. Make that your focus.
Q: If Keith were an animal, what would he be and why?
A: He would be a cardinal because that’s the Ball State University mascot and that’s all he ever talks about! Chirp! Chirp!
Ketih’s Perspective….
Q: What do you do for work and what do you enjoy most about it?
A: I work with the developmentally disabled in Las Vegas. I manage four-bed group homes. I’ve always had a passion for working with this underserved population and have since high school. The best part of my day is any opportunity I have working with our clients and working to provide them with all the opportunities that are available to you or me.
Q: Describe Stephanie in one word and why did you choose that word?
A: Find a nicer word for uncompromising. What I mean is that she doesn’t settle. Whether it’s personally or professionally, Stephanie continues to want to achieve more, make her own life better and make the lives of others better in any way possible…. Me, in particular.
Q: Tell us about your first date, what did you do and were you nervous?
A: Stephanie and I decided to meet for dinner and drinks at a place in Long Beach, but I can’t remember the name of it. Once we got there we figured out that this place was more of a dance club, and didn’t necessarily lend itself to conversation and getting to know someone better. The club was in a complex with a lot of other dining options, so we decided to walk a bit and pick out something else. We both walked into a Tilted Kilt not knowing what a Tilted Kilt was. If you’re unaware it’s a less modest version of Hooters. It was a little awkward standing there deciding that this too was probably not a proper first date, so we walked some more. We settled on Claim Jumper and had a nice evening getting to know one another. I invited her to watch the Super Bowl with me the next day. She said she had to study and gave me a firm “maybe.” The next day she declined the invitation. The Giants beat the Patriots 21-17.
Q: Was Stephanie surprised when you proposed and why did you choose to propose the way you did?
A: We had known marriage was the plan for a while, but I’m sure she was surprised by the timing of the proposal. In January 2015, I was offered a job in Las Vegas. Stephanie and I agreed that I would accept it, move to Nevada and she would join me a few weeks or months later once she had secured employment. I had three weeks from the time I accepted the job to be in Vegas, so I decided I would propose before I left. If I waited until she moved to Nevada with me there would be no one for her to celebrate with. We had a dinner planned with Stephanie’s mom, sister and brother-in-law the Friday before I moved. The day before I asked Stephanie’s mom for permission and explained my timing. She agreed with doing it before she moved, in her words, “Stephanie will want to revel in it.” I picked up the ring at 5pm on Friday, proposed at 6, had a celebratory dinner at 7 and we moved to Las Vegas a week later.
Q: Looking towards the future, what do you most look forward to doing with Stephanie?
A: Starting a family for sure, but also exploring our new home and becoming acclimated to Las Vegas. Wedding planning involves a lot of back and forth between here and California. We love California, but I’m also looking forward to embracing our new home.
Q: What is something unique, quirky or special about Stephanie that you’d come to admire?
A: Unique/Quirky: Stephanie is far from a passive fan at live baseball games or when watching on TV. She will argue balls and strikes or question calls.
Special: Stephanie and her mother are very close and talk multiple times a day. It’s a special relationship and one that I think helps the relationship between Stephanie and me.
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