How we met -by Jenifer: The first time I met my husband was on 4th of July. I was working as a server at Dukes Restaurant next to the pier in Huntington Beach, and every year they hire security guards to work during 4th of July and the U.S. Open of Surfing. Needless to say, this handsome hunk caught my eye. Little did I know he too was having the “hots” for the server with the ruby red lipstick, a.k.a me! We exchanged glances several times as I made it top priority to pass by his view. Next thing I know I dropped a knife, gripping what seemed like a thousand stack of plates; this security guard came to my rescue as he darted through the crowd across the lobby to pick up my fallen silverware. “Excuse me miss- you dropped something.” I hardly would call it our modern day handkerchief, but I quickly replied with,” I meant to do that!” I scurried into the kitchen blushing and feeling embarrassed on how awkward I must have looked. Later that day as he took his break, our first conversation consisted of him asking me how I would like to be proposed to. Hold on! Before you think anything crazy, let me back up. When he asked how I was doing. I replied with, “I’m a little nervous.” You see, I explained that one of my guests was planning on proposing to his girlfriend at the very table they had their first date. Panicked and wondering what to say next, he ended up asking me how I wanted to be proposed to. Without blinking, I answered as I made mention that I wasn’t too keen on a lot of attention. Again panicked and scattering to find something to say, he replied with, “I’m going to have fun with you.” You can ask him to this day what he was thinking about and he would let you know how extremely nervous he was and was just trying to think of anything to say. I had a great idea thinking to myself, ‘why not ask for my number?’ Well this didn’t happen until a month later when the U.S. Open of Surfing was in town. On the very last day, he came up to me asked for my number saying if he could take me out sometime.
how they asked – by Paul:
Paul “Well, how would you like to be proposed to?”
JeniRose “I don’t know I really don’t like a whole lot of attention”
Paul “Well it looks like I’m gonna have a lot fun with you.”
Ironically enough this was our first conversation and 1 year after dating this amazing woman I was determined to ask her to marry me. I couldn’t just ask, it wasn’t my style. I needed surprise, music, dancing, fireworks and all the attention that would force her to say yes. I knew that it had to be at the place where we first met at the Huntington Beach pier. The plan was to stage a flash mob as we walked back from getting shakes at Ruby’s restaurant at the end of the pier. The crew for the flash mob was going to be family and friends so I disguised them in “Jabawakee” masks dressed in all black.
As we walked back my aunt in disguise followed closely with a camera. As we approached the scene she notices some street performers that I coordinated with before, The Boca Sisters playing the acoustic version of Bruno Mars “Marry You” We stopped to enjoy the show and she asks me to listen to the song that’s playing. I respond with “Oh you know this song?” She had no idea what was about to go down. Little does she know that both of our entire families are in the audience watching her reaction. While we’re watching the show I’m nervously going over the dance steps in my head that I rehearsed only a couple times when all of a sudden someone with a jabawakee mask barges in and stops the music. Then a masked character hits play on a boom box and Katy Perry’s “Firework” came on. This song was the first song I heard Jeni Rose sing while we watched fireworks off the pier on the 4th of July. I remember it was right after we met and she invited us (the security guards) to watch the fireworks. She was singing the song at the top of her lungs just being her goofy self. Who knew that a year later I would be proposing with the same song. As “Firework” played the masked characters walked out and began dancing. As the song went on I was pulled into the mix and danced the steps with the crew (my cousins and friends).
After laying roses down at her feet the song climaxed to me spinning around dropping to one knee and revealing the ring. I was so excited when she said yes I had forgotten to put the ring on her finger. Instead I embraced her and lifted her up to see our family and friends cheering for her. Everyone rushed in and lifted her up and as planned she was speechless. And the rest as they say is history.
Photography by Andy Rodriguez Photography