Orange County Engagement Photographer

Southern California is supposed to be known for its beautiful year-round weather, right? Well, it hasn’t exactly been that way for some of our couples trying to schedule their engagement photo sessions in 2020. We had one couple that flew here from Florida during Orange County’s recent fires that caused the skies to be discolored, we’ve also had some very windy days and now one session had to be moved for none other than… hail! In Orange County no less. What are the odds?

For Rebecca and Alex, those odds of having hail happen on their engagement session day was fairly unlikely, but it did. There was so much rain during the cold weather, it was bound to happen. And to think, just like the couple that flew out here from Florida, Rebecca and Alex flew into Orange County from their home in Cleveland, Ohio. And what did they end up getting? Cleveland, Ohio weather. Oh, these two are meant for each other alright.

Rebecca and Alex are a super sweet couple that were so loving with each other during their photo session at Treasure Island Beach and were really at ease in front of the camera. The rain and hail forced us to push the session back a day, but despite that and it being a bit overcast, the weather overall was quite nice, and a lot warmer than you think it would be, especially at the beach after a storm.

Treasure Island Beach is located in Laguna Beach, and truly is a hidden gem along the strip of coastal beaches. On one side you have the beautiful ocean water, another direction is an amazing set of rock formations and yet another direction are all the hills, expensive homes and unique fencing along the trail that leads you down to the sand.

To think, meeting someone at work leads to a fine-dining date night, which later leads to a night at their favorite place and a groom-to-be down on one knee with some bling in his hand, would all lead to a date with destiny as Rebecca and Alex plan to become one in October of 2021 at The Union Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

The staff at Three16 Photography would really like to wish Rebecca and Alex many years of love and happiness.

Check out their love story. We hope you enjoy it, and their photos, as much as we do.

Rebecca and Alex’s Love Story

How & When did you first meet? Describe your thoughts and how you felt about each other, and tell us, was it love at first sight?

I had just started at a new job in May of 2017 and worked in the same department as my mom, the manager of a different team in the IT department. While interviewing potential candidates for an open position, my mom stopped into my office one day & had jokingly asked me if she should hire this guy, ‘Alex.’ She showed me his picture on Skype and I was like, “Mom, please hire him.”

It worked out that Alex was the perfect candidate for the position! A couple months later, Alex moved from Philadelphia back to his hometown in Cleveland, OH.

Alex and I officially met on his first day at work when my mom came into my office and introduced us to each other. I guess you could call her a matchmaker?

Alex and I went several months going back and forth with sharing a smile at each other and small talk in the office or in meetings; but when Alex messaged me on Skype asking me for my opinion on apartments in Cleveland; I played his game and responded by giving him my number and letting him know I could show him around Cleveland, if he wanted.

He never texted me back. However, a couple more months went by and we finally started to talk outside of work when I added Alex on social media. Six months later, we started dating officially and now, three years later, I cannot wait to marry my best friend.

 

What do you both do for work?

We are both in field of Health Information Technology. Alex is an IT Consultant for multiple hospital locations extracting data and analytics. I am an IT Project Manager where I manage the delivery of hospital projects from start to finish!

GROOM: What was it that made you first start liking your bride-to-be?

I instantly had a crush on Rebecca after meeting her on my first day of work. But after our first date, I knew she was special. She is super funny and also the most caring, giving, thoughtful and sweetest person I know. After a few more dates, I realized I always wanted to be with her and thought to myself – oh man, I really, really like her, could this be it? It was. Fast forward three years…. we are engaged and I could not be happier with my best friend and soulmate.

BRIDE: What was it that made you first start liking your groom-to-be?

When I first met Alex, I was instantly nervous and smitten with him! Alex was very good looking, and I found him to be extremely intelligent and kind. When I had the opportunity to get to know him better, I could not find a single flaw in him – he is the most caring, thoughtful, & charming guy. I started liking Alex when he would constantly make me laugh and always made me feel so special.

 

Tell us about your first date. What was going through your mind, where did you go and what did you do?

Alex came to pick me up & we went to have dinner at a fine-dining seafood restaurant overlooking Lake Erie called Pier W. I was so nervous; I could not even finish my soup!

What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together and what makes your relationship unique?

We are simply best friends. We balance each other out and complement each other’s personalities well. We always have the best time with each other. We enjoy cooking together, traveling, taking care of our puppy, Finn, or simply watching a movie/show! We can be serious and have important conversations about our future but also are always making each other laugh, which is the most important thing in a relationship.

Tell us about your proposal story! How and Where did it all unfold? Were you surprised and tell us, who cried first?

Alex and I decided to go grab a bottle of Cabernet in one of our favorite spots in Ohio City on a random Tuesday night. Wine Bar is an extremely intimate and cozy spot in Cleveland, and one of our top places we go to! During our time at Wine Bar, we were catching up on a long day after work, relaxing with a bottle of wine, and were having great conversations about our life together in the future, our families, and reminiscing on funny stories from our early stages of dating.

After a great night, we walked back to our apartment right across the street and I had sat down to check some e-mails; while Alex went off in the other room. He had been gone for quite some time, but I did not think anything of it.

Alex had come up behind me and had said a few things that made me turn around to look at him. When I turned around, Alex was kneeling & holding out a diamond ring and asked me to marry him.

I immediately said ‘Yes’ and started crying.

Later, Alex let me know that this special night on July 28, 2020 felt right and after the night spent at Wine Bar together, he did not want to wait any longer to pop the question after having the ring hidden in our apartment for over a month!!

What is one piece of advice you have for couples just beginning the wedding planning process? And what have you enjoyed most about planning your wedding?

If you’re just beginning the wedding planning process; make sure to prioritize together what vendors are most important to you on your special day. This will help you tackle what you need to get done first without getting overwhelmed! Do a lot of research on vendors, and maybe consider getting wedding books for décor inspiration and a Wedding Planning binder! Overall, be a team with your fiancé and simply have fun planning this special day with your best friend!

We both most enjoyed securing our Wedding Venue as this set the stage for the rest of our wedding planning & of course having the opportunity to get our engagement pictures taken with Three16 Photography at Treasure Island in Laguna Beach! We cannot wait to use these beautiful photos for our Save the Dates to be sent out soon!