H&H Weddings

Tell us your love story!

Our love story began so unexpectedly, which is exactly how most say “love” happens. I was hosting my first big photoshoot at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles, where I featured my makeup on various models. I in no way intended or expected to be put in front of the camera, but that is exactly what happened. A photo of myself and a model was posted to social media and Christy commented to tell me how beautiful I was and that’s how it all began….

What about the proposal?

As told by Christy:

On the fourth of July, I was “going to work” and told Shannon I was so sorry, but that I would meet up with her later that day. I told her that my friends were all about the fourth of July and that they would have great fun until I arrived. Since Shannon LOVES coffee I figured I could get her up and out of the house if we told her that my friends were taking her to a coffee shop before the festivities began. Little did she know, I was waiting for her at the Ventura cross, a well-known spot with a beach view, rose petals along the pathway, and music playing.

As told by Shannon:

I thought her friends were so weird! They wanted me up at 7am on my day off to go get coffee? “this better be some epic coffee” I thought. I was so surprised when I saw Christy at the cross! After I said, “Yes!” I asked, “so where’s the coffee?”

When did you know you were meant to be together?

Besides falling in love, I think we both knew we were meant to be when we would talk about our values and beliefs. We both understand the importance and benefits of having a hard work ethic, we value having goals and accomplishing them, we love staying physically active whether it’s snowboarding, wake surfing, or running the stadium stairs, we want to raise our future kids without limitations and let them soar as high as their wings will take them. 

Marjorie and I attended the same college and even lived a few apartments away from each other sophomore year. Marjorie says she would walk by my apartment all the time, without us knowing one another. Our spring semester of our sophomore year, we made commitments to go on the same school-sponsored study abroad trip for Spanish immersion, destination Quito, Ecuador.

Marjorie’s Perspective: Bridget and I attended the same college and unbeknownst to us, lived a few apartments away from each other sophomore year. In hindsight, I realized that I walked past Bridget’s apartment multiple times every day, without us knowing each other. Our spring semester sophomore year, we made commitments to go on the same school-sponsored study abroad trip for Spanish immersion, destination Quito, Ecuador. Although the details are a bit hazy, the first time we met was probably during one of our Ecuador Informational Meetings. I had a class right before the meeting so I arrived late. Once I arrived, I proceeded to ask our professor all of the questions that apparently had already been answered. The repeated questions annoyed Bridget so much that when I turned around to start meeting people, Bridget was not receptive to having small talk with me. Fast forward two months to the morning of 16 May 2011. All of the Clemson students had successfully made it to Quito the night prior and we were preparing for our first day of school. On the morning of 16 May, my Ecuadorian sister led my roommate and me to Bridget’s house to link up before making the trip to school. Within the first 15 minutes of meeting Bridget in Ecuador, I determined that my primary goal for the study abroad trip was to be the best friend that Bridget had ever had. I was mesmerized by her. Bridget brought so much peace, love, and gentleness to the atmosphere. On the bus ride to school, I was so impressed with how easily she was able to converse with her host mother, in Spanish. She was so intelligent, humble, kind hearted, quietly strong, and an angel of a person- everyone on the trip noticed these qualities, except for her. Since I have the tendency to be an aggressively, intense friend, I am incredibly surprised how well I was able to suppress my desire to befriend her. Four days after our first meeting, I invited her to see Pirates of the Caribbean in theatre with my host family; however, our true bonding did not begin until that weekend, when a large majority of our student group decided to travel unchaperoned to Mindo. The night that we arrived in Mindo, Bridget and I bonded over our love of musicals, sports, nature, adventure, and God. After that weekend, our friendship was sealed. During the next three weeks, we overcame obstacles together, sacrificed for each other, grew into better people, and developed a lasting friendship. Our relationship endured its challenges for almost two years before we finally realized that the special bond that we had developed was more than friendship. 

Tell us your love story!

We met in August, 2013 when we were both working as Public Defenders. New to the city and the job, Elana was lucky to be immediately enfolded into a tight-knit friend group within the office. Whether rehashing each day's courtroom adventures, or earnestly debating the relative merits of the local restaurants, there was always somebody to grab a drink and talk something over with - indispensable friends of the type who reliably respond to your court emergency texts within 10 minutes, and always make merciless fun of you when you even marginally deserve it.

You're all probably astute enough readers to have guessed by this point that Jen was one of these friends. More settled, having been in practice for 3 years by that point, Jen was just as friendly and welcoming as everybody else, but maybe (if we're being honest) a little bit quiet in a way that Elana (mistakenly, it turns out) read as aloof. In a way, in the beginning, we were as distant as two people who are extremely close can be. We'd eat lunch together almost every day, but would generally be talking to one of the other 6 people at the table. Nevertheless, we flashed upon shared tidbits - like how we both slept on air mattresses for too long when we first moved there, our close relationships with our siblings in different cities, and our appropriate reverence for the genius of pizza nachos. Over the years, those flashes turned to sparks. And moments turned to hours. Now years. We continued to bond over big things like injustice and the stress of fighting to serve our clients, and small things like our serious quest to find the best donut in town, our enthusiasm for long walks that end with strong drinks (coffee and otherwise), and our mutual appreciation for the magic of a good rainstorm. And those many big and small things transformed from the basis of a great friendship to the foundation of a beautiful relationship.

What about the proposal?

We had two! We knew we wanted to get engaged and start planning our wedding, so we started browsing for rings together to get a sense of what we each liked, but we agreed to each individually choose the final ring and plan a surprise proposal for one another. The opportunity to plan something particularly special and romantic was important to each of us. What we didn’t know before the proposals was that there’s also an incredible intangible element that’s unique to both asking somebody to marry you and being asked that we are both very glad we got to experience from each perspective. It’s this incredible moment of immense excitement and vulnerability that’s followed by the deepest feelings of love and affirmation.

Emotional details aside, the stories go like this:

Elana surprised Jen by taking her on a trip to the Berkshires one winter weekend. We had actually been out really late the night before so the threat of a hungover pajama day was real. Instead, Elana woke up early (probably because she hadn’t actually been able to sleep at all!) and came home with breakfast sandwiches and coffee. An hour or two later, Elana gave Jen a card on which she’d written the same poem that Jen had first given to her back when we stumbled upon the idea of loving each other.

We loaded up our pup and the overnight bags Elana had secretly packed, and jumped in the car for a few hours of driving during which Jen unsuccessfully tried to guess where we were headed. A few more sentimental notes were exchanged, a carefully picked playlist was played, scenery was seen, and eventually we arrived at our hotel. Assured we were running late to our destination, Jen was told we could just quickly drop our bags before heading back out. When we came down in the elevator, Elana made her close her eyes and walked her over to a lounge area where the wonderful staff at the hotel had helped her arrange a beautiful set up with flowers and sparkling rose. A knee was taken, sweet words and a ring were exchanged, as were hugs, kisses, and a promise of forever.

Through weeks of purposefully throwing one another off and deft familial double-agency, neither of us had a clue when the other was planning to propose. Jen was especially surprised by Elana’s proposal, because she was sure that the elaborate plan she’d arranged to occur just 6 days later was going to be the first proposal. While in Southern California visiting family, Jen surprised Elana with an incredibly romantic private hot air balloon ride. We had a picnic of champagne and cheese on a table strewn with rose petals while the huge balloons slowly filled with air. We didn’t want to bother the guys who were very busy setting the balloons up so we very happily drank the champagne straight from the bottle. We drifted higher and higher, cozy in our basket, watching the sun paint the sky a dazzling array of colors as both the mountains and the coastline surrounded us on an indescribably beautiful and serene late afternoon. Jen handed her phone to our pilot, who was kind enough to take many photos and even a video, before kneeling down in the balloon basket and proposing a lifetime of love and adventures. Literally floating on air, we again agreed that we’d love nothing more than to spend our lives together.

When did you know that you were meant to be with each other?

It’s hard to pick one moment, because truthfully, we know that we are meant to be with each other because of the incredible ease that we share in co-navigating all of the many moments we’ve shared so far. We operate on the same frequency, like waves called by the same tides, and absorb one another’s dips and peaks not just with patience, but also with amusement; and often with delight. But if pressed, there are a few special memories that this question calls to mind. One summer night, while in Vermont on a camping trip for one of our best friends’ birthday, the campsite Ranger suggested that our group might enjoy taking advantage of that night’s full moon by going on a nighttime canoe trip to a little island a bit up the river. We all agreed this sounded awesome, so as dusk rolled around, we packed up a picnic dinner and some beers, had faith that our dogs could balance in the canoes, and set off onto the water. It was lovely, exciting, and serene…and also became an utter, albeit memorable, disaster.             We reached the shore and found the fire pit the Ranger had directed us towards. Midway through roasting our hot dogs we realized we were being swarmed by countless bugs, the dirt looked alive from all of the movement. Naturally, we all freaked out and decided to leave as soon as we could safely get the fire out.

We raced back into our canoes, and paddled back into an inky blanket of pitch blackness. The division between sky and water was completely imperceptible. The full moon we’d been promised was nowhere in sight. We later learned that in an impressive display of city-slicker ignorance, we’d failed to realize that there’s a lull between sunset and moon rise. But in the moment, panic, darkness, and a vague sense of the direction we had to row in were about all we had.

We were at least smart enough to bring flashlights, so we tried to fire them up. The light in the otherwise total darkness seemed to attract every flying thing for miles around. Jen, bravely seated at the front of the canoe, was being pelted. A friend in a distant canoe screamed “are these bats?!” another friend wept a bit, a pair of much-needed glasses was lost in the water. We laughed together a bit, until Jen yelled back that apparently the bugs were attracted to the white of teeth too, so she was going to have to stop talking. Our canoe group drifted further and further apart, not that we could see one another – we only knew because the intermittent complaints yelled through the otherwise silent night sounded further away each time.

We whispered to one another, in our two-person canoe, with our dog between us - keeping one another calm, trying to identify landmarks from the trip up in the daylight, coordinating to stay on rhythm and on course. We rested from our paddling and floated for a minute, taking in the brilliant sparkle of a starry country night sky, listening to the water lap around us, laughing together as we sat in the middle of what we could already tell would be a lifelong memory. A blissful moment, in a chaotic scene, interrupted by a brilliant streak. A flash of light marked the black sky - there, moving, gone. In unison we pointed upwards, and yelled to each other: “shooting star?!” Part joyful exclamation, part call to attention, part hope that the other had seen it too. It was the first shooting star either of us had ever seen and it felt incredibly special to share it. We agreed that it was for us.

And life for us is much like that. We know we are meant to be together because we keep each other calm in stressful moments, we can pause to laugh at absurdity even in the midst of chaos, we have faith that if we communicate and coordinate we will always find our way back. But above all, when we are together, magic and adventure are never far off. We are lucky to share a life of moments that feel too perfect to be real, and that can feel like a whirlwind of opportunities and plans, where life is not always easy but does always feel full of possibility.  

From the photographer:

I met Charlie and Michael via Skype from their home in Chicago and we knew we'd be a good fit for each other for their Labor Day weekend wedding. We weren't sure if we'd be able to fit in an engagement session before the big day, but thankfully, the two of them planned a trip down to Colorado in June and we had the chance to hang out for a few hours.

We started the session exploring down by the Gore Creek in downtown Vail, which was raging from the spring snow melt. After we wrapped in Vail, we drove a few miles down the road to Eagle River Preserve, a little known hiking area with paths winding along the Eagle River and beautiful sweeping Colorado views.

I had a fantastic time hanging out with Charlie and Michael, getting to know each other, and we all left the session extremely excited for their wedding day in September.

I chose this quote to represent the couple:

"We chase the melodies that seem to find us

Until they’re finished songs and start to play

When senseless acts of tragedy remind us

That nothing here is promised, not one day…

…We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger;

We rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer

And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside…

…Now fill the world with music, love and pride”

-Lin-Manuel Miranda  

Ryan and I met just over two years ago online. We chatted for a week or so and decided to meet up. We had an instant connection. For me, I was meeting a man who wanted all the same things I did. He wanted a family and to settle down, but at the same time, we could go out and have a blast too. A social chameleon with goals and aspirations. It was all over from that moment. We moved in together in April of 2015 with our dogs and our best friend, Derek, and have created a little family for ourselves. Ryan proposed on my very first cruise, which was actually a work function of mine. Everyone in our 20 person group knew, except me. So, the first night on the bow of the ship, under all the stars, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was a dream! We couldn't be happier! On March 4th, we will be continuing the journey that is the rest of our lives together. We will continue building our life and realizing our dreams.

The story so far:

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and is widely regarded as a bad move." (Douglas Adams)

Luckily, it was all made worth it about 13.7 billion years later, in 1843, when a French woman named Ada Lovelace created the world's first computer algorithm which meant that Alan Turing could invent the first computer in 1937 giving Tim Berners-Lee (and possibly Al Gore? We're not sure what that's about) the platform to create the world wide web in 1989 and put Hedy Lamarr's 1942 code skipping technology to good use in the form of wifi all so that in 2014 board game enthusiast and Atlanta resident Katie Ryan could peruse internet dating phenomenon OkCupid with ease, allowing her to message the cutie in the sunglasses with the exciting opening line "You have probably the best "About Me" section in the world. Love it." #romance.

Meanwhile also-Atlanta resident Emma Marticke was most likely watching 30 Rock and eating ice cream in bed because she's a damn adult and can do what she pleases-when a little notification popped up. Responding positively to compliments of any kind, noting that Katie's height was in her desired range, and agreeing that her profile was indeed "the best" so at least this girl must have good judgment, Emma responded.

They talked for quite a while, Emma being careful not to tie everything to a Harry Potter reference ("I have a bit of a soft spot for Harry Potter..." "Oh me too" "No...you don't understand"), Katie seriously over-estimating Emma's importance ("Please find whoever you need to talk to about getting some news on CNN other than the plane"). They paid each other awkward compliments ("You have nice eyes" "Thanks. I like the way your face is") You know, typical flirty banter. They finally made plans to get slushies in the park on their lunch break. It was hot out. Emma pretended it was fine. Katie's teeth turned blue. Emma got sunburned through her sweater. They high-fived. It was love.

A few years and two rings later, their relationship has only gotten better. Emma got Katie to start salting her food. Katie taught Emma how to play Backgammon. Emma introduced Katie to the wonders of year-round air conditioning, and Katie even managed to get Emma out of the house a few times during the summer (Emma still gets sunburned too easily, but luckily Katie is there waiting with aloe and a soft blanket).

They have been through good times (eating cookie cake), very good times (eating a cookie cake with m&ms baked in), and some tough times too (the time Great American Cookie Company forgot to bake in the m&ms), but all in all, they could not be more excited to spend the rest of their lives together, drinking blue slushies, arguing about the thermostat, and high-fiving for eternity.   

Sarah and I met through mutual friends at Capital Pride in 2014. We were both going through a transition period - new jobs, graduation, moving - and quickly became friends. Despite living pretty far apart, we kept finding reasons to be together. Sarah pretended to enjoy watching the World Cup and I pretended to enjoy sitting at the bar waiting for her shift to end. By the fall, we officially began dating, much to the dismay of her 6 year old Akita mix, August.

I come from a pretty small family where my 22-year-old brother is the youngest around. Up until meeting Sarah, I had spent a very limited time with little kids. So when Sarah invited me to her nephew's first birthday, I had no idea what to expect. I'm not sure she knows this, but that day is when I knew I wanted to marry her. I was incredibly overwhelmed and spent most of the afternoon sitting in a corner talking with her siblings. But seeing Sarah with her family was something I can't explain.

In most ways, Sarah and I are complete opposites. I am extraordinarily competitive and played sports my entire life. While she tolerates my need to compete, Sarah's interest and talents are in the arts. She has a love for photography and creating new things. I am an early riser while she is...not. I NEED to get to places early while if she is only 15 minutes late it is a win. Despite these differences, we work. No one has ever made me happier or truly accepted me for my quirks. I couldn't ask for more in a partner and am incredibly excited to share forever together.

Tell us your love story!

We met on a ski trip at Mount Snow in Vermont. A mutual friend introduced us because we were both training for the 2014 Boston Marathon. Ironically, we had been in the same circle of friends and played in the same flag football league for about five years, but we didn’t meet each other until the timing was right. That ski day was rained out, which allowed us to spend the day chatting and discovering our shared love of food, especially sweet potato fries. Lesley was completely oblivious to Katie’s interest in her until we met on the dance floor at an 80’s party later that night. We ending up talking the entire bus ride home the following day and haven’t gone a day without speaking since. We kicked off our engagement shoot at the Boston Marathon Finish Line to commemorate our love story starting with the Boston Marathon.     What about the proposal?

Katie proposed to Lesley where we had our first kiss: The Federal Reserve. Admittedly not the most romantic spot, but it’s meaningful to us. Katie started that day by waking Lesley up with breakfast in bed followed by a Boston date day. We walked around, did some shopping, and ate dinner at the same restaurant where we had our first date. After dinner, Katie steered Lesley back to our first kiss spot where she got down on one knee, told Lesley she was the love of her life, and asked for her hand in marriage. Lesley said “yes” while overjoyed with tears.

When did you know that you were meant to be with each other?

Well… Katie knew almost immediately, but then had to work months to build Lesley’s trust. Besides running, food, and skiing, we also share a love of live music. We attended many concerts together in our first year of dating, but spending the weekend singing and dancing at the Boston Calling Music Festival was all Lesley needed to know that Katie was a keeper.

Going into the wedding planning, what did you definitely know?

We’re both really into cars. Lesley loves American classics and has a ’69 Ford Mustang that will be integrated into our wedding. Katie is more into German automotive engineering. Katie took Lesley to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum for Lesley’s birthday. We absolutely fell in love with the museum and the beautiful grounds surrounding it. We knew we wanted to get married there before we were even engaged and can’t wait to say “I do” in September 2017.    

How did you start dating?

Z: Kyle and I started dating after about six years of knowing one another. We began dating my senior year of college, after I had just come back from studying abroad in France. I messaged him asking him when I was taking him to dinner.

K: Its true. Zabrian basically told me where and when we were getting dinner, to which I happily agreed, and we’ve been together ever since.

How did you know that your partner was the right one for you?

Z: He was different. Kyle was quiet, shy, reserved, and very caring. These were all qualities that told me that he was going to care about me, just as much as I’d care about him.

K: Even before we became a couple, he knew exactly what he wanted. I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck for our date, and barely spoke a sentence. Still to this day I get teased because when I met him at dinner all I could muster out of my mouth was “Hey bud”. To this day he will tag things with #YouHadMeSinceHeyBud. I needed a partner who could dish it out as well as I can, and could be charming and funny about it simultaneously, and thankfully, he was determined to get that dinner.

What have you learned from your fiancé?

Z: I’ve learned that it is okay to do things to make yourself happy, even if it isn’t favorable to everyone else. Also, when you take him on road trips, he still needs juice to drink and gummy candies to eat.

K: I’ve learned to trust. Not just any trust, but the kind that people brag about in whirlwind romances. The kind where you can show all your flaws and mishaps, and he will help me learn from them all. Its never a competition, or a blame game, but an opportunity for us to grow as a couple. He showed me that love is real, and that you can give a person every ounce of your soul, and they’ll protect it forever.

How would you describe the dynamic of your relationship?

Z: Magnetic, because even though sometimes we are at opposite sides of the spectrum, we come together for a common goal. Understanding, because we have both had different world experiences, and we take the time to appreciate the differences in those experiences. Honest, because we are not afraid to talk to one another about anything.

K: Flirty, because one us is constantly trying to flirt with the other, with varying degrees of successes. Reassuring, because even when the flirting doesn’t work, we convince the other that we really do love one another. Comical, because there is truly never a dull day in our household. Even on the days where we literally get to wakeup together, then lay back in bed at night, there are always laughs filling our house.

What are you most looking forward to as a couple?

Z: Having something that is exclusively ours. Owning our first home. Looking at successes and failures, and reflecting upon all the time we’ve had together. Growing old.

K: Becoming parents. After our wedding in December, we will begin the long journey of surrogacy. My biggest goal in life is to be a father. I can’t wait for all the milestones that a child will bring into our life, and the memories that will flood our home together.    

The couple live and work in Downtown LA and will be marrying there as well. The wedding will take place in January 2017 at the modern, and oh so chic City Club of Los Angeles, 51 floors above the sparkling city. The views at night are magnificent.

Photographer Kristina Lee took Josh and Jonny all around the city to their favorite (and the city's most popular) spots! They took shots on the gritty street, on spectacular rooftops and in some very formal eateries. Each area required costume changes that reflect the unique style of these gents. But most importantly their personalities and love for each other shine through in the images. These two are so in love and I know that others will feel it and be inspired to bring a personal approach to their own engagement sessions.

Here are a few words from the couple:

Josh and Jonny met in the fall of 2011 at a mutual friend's party. Josh had seen Jonny out but was never introduced, at the party they became friendly. The next day Josh connected with Jonny via Facebook and a week later they were sitting at Bottega Louie on their first date. Three years into their relationship Josh and Jonny took a trip to Seattle for their anniversary. Josh planned months in advance hiring a local photographer to capture the moment and making arrangements to be at Kerry Park at sunset. Jonny had no clue and it was perfect! They will be married on January 7, 2017, their 5th year anniversary at the City Club Los Angeles, overlooking the city they love.