How We Met
Adrian and I met at a bar in Hollywood in 2007 where he worked. I know, that opening line sounds lame, but I promise it’s a good one so please keep reading! I became the bar’s in-house photographer for their large parties and eventually a bartender there as well. Although we weren’t immediately attracted to each other, he was always nice to me, always remembered my name and remembered my favorite drink. We quickly became friends, and then in 2011, we ended up as roommates, which was responsible for us discovering that we wanted to be more than just friends. All the “rules” of meeting a guy in a bar, and dating a co-worker/roommate were broken, however, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Our relationship blossomed very quickly and hasn’t fizzled since. He’s my best friend, my favorite person, and now my fiance!
Though our relationship came together so quickly and seamlessly, we have had our differences throughout the years. Our lives were nearly perfect in the beginning, but we’ve been thrown curveballs the last two years or so and our lives have changed drastically, but for the better. We occasionally stop and reflect on how much different everything is now: we lost both of our dogs within six months of each other (they both were the same age and got old), jobs are different, moved to another house in another city, etc. but we always tell each other how grateful that we are that we’ve had each other to lean on during those difficult times and how much stronger of a couple we are because of it. It’s been becoming clear that we’re ready for the new chapter in our lives.
how they asked
I’ve been dying to go to Paris for at least ten years, if not more. It’s so embarrassing that it took me this long to make it happen, but I’m glad it did at the time it did. There really is a time and a place for everything. Airfare and hotels just happened to be RIDICULOUSLY affordable, plus, our friends who played the Bataclan in November during the attacks were playing in Paris for that crowd again so we really wanted to be there for that. Valentine’s Day also happened to be on the day after we flew in, so that was a bonus too. We’re not big Valentine’s Day people because we do romantic things for each other everyday, however, it was pretty obvious what was floating around in my head, along with friends asking if I thought he’d be popping the question on the day of Saint Valentin in the most romantic city in the world. After all, we have been together for almost 5 years now…
On Valentine’s Day, we did the whole romance thing; a fancy Parisian dinner (escargot, anyone?!), drinks, walks on the cobblestone roads through the painfully beautiful city, a sexy hotel room with a huge fancy bathtub, chocolates – all of that. No proposal. I was thinking, “So, I guess that’s not happening.” and just carried on with the festivities, slightly relieved that we weren’t like a thousand other couples probably getting engaged in that city that same evening. We’re hardly cliche.
Adrian is occasionally one of those guys where I have to drop hints, and every so often he picks up on it. But then there are times where he actually has his own agenda and surprises the hell out of me. He probably figured it would be way too obvious and even cheesy to propose on Valentine’s Day so of course, he does it on a night where I really would least expect it!
On our last night there, Adrian was acting funny off and on throughout the day and eventually wanted to go back to Tour de Eiffel even though we had already seen it twice on our trip. I was like “Again?!” We ended up taking a different route on foot there instead of the common way across the Seine and found this “secret” little patch behind trees with benches with zero tourists or anyone else around. It was actually really cute. I had my camera up to my face to snap (even more) photos of the beautiful tower and the next thing I know, I hear Adrian sarcastically say “Look how perfectly this place is, just us…I should probably get on both knees…” and there he was, on his knee with a ring in hand. I started to ugly-cry and probably forgot how to talk for a few minutes, but I do remember cracking a joke and making Adrian laugh really hard since that’s what I do when I don’t know what to say. We just held each other and eventually my sobbing turned into laughing. It took a LONG time to get here and it was not an easy road. But we made it, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Best vacation ever.
I’m actually a wedding photographer (www.kellibeephotography.com), so of course I had to document it. All I had on me was my camera and a wide angle lens. I didn’t have my flash, and it was rather dark where we were so the only available light we had was the tower lit up and the flashlight from my iPhone. It’s pretty interesting to be photographing yourself when you’re so used to photographing others. Notice my hand awkwardly placed in the middle of us. This is why hiring your own photographers are usually important! *hint hint*
I wanted to find an engaged couple of my own to shoot in Paris but ended up getting engaged myself. I have submitted stories to how they asked before, so it’s kind of funny and surreal to be on the other side, submitting my own story. I never thought I’d be doing this for myself one day!
