California Dreaming at Monarch Beach Resort

Beeta & Allan

A message from the bride

Describe the moment he proposed: I have a huge obsession with Disney and always wanted to get proposed to there. Allan made it clear from the beginning that this would not happen because it would be too obvious so I didn’t think anything of it when we visited Disneyland on our annual getaway during the holidays, which also happened to be the diamond celebration. We were sitting in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle before the fireworks were to start. One of the cast members then asked us if we would like to take a picture in front of the castle while everyone was roped off since we had been waiting so long (this of course was all pre-planned with the cast members). I was so excited because that meant no one would be in our pictures! The cast member had us make funny poses and then she told me to cover my eyes. When I opened them, Allan was on one knee! It was absolutely the most romantic and magical proposal. I screamed YES and everyone began to cheer. After I got my engagement ring, I realized why he didn’t let me buy gloves that night.

What are your recommendations/tips for couples before/during their PreWedding Session? Other than doing your best to book your location and date in advance, I think it’s extremely important to get an idea of your location prior to your shoot date so you can plan outfits accordingly and just get a better sense of what the location you've booked has to offer. I also think it’s essential for you and your photographer to have the same vision, which completely worked in our favor because Rene captured everything so perfectly. You also need to enjoy the day and take the time to process everything, because you need to keep in mind that you will not get this opportunity again so let lose and have fun. Above all, listen and trust Rene’s directions; he knows how to make you look good!

Describe your experience with finding the perfect location for your PreWedding Session: When we began our search for our perfect PreWedding location, our top priority was to pick a place hardly utilized before. We wanted somewhere modern and timeless yet a bit different from where our wedding session would take place. I contacted Rene’s team and they quickly sent us a list of locations that essentially met those needs. After extensive research and contacting the different locations, we decided that the Monarch Beach Resort encompassed everything we envisioned and more!

Interesting/fun facts about the couple or session: We actually took our photos on my birthday, which made it even more memorable. Also, I was happy to know that Rene had been to our location before many times so it was a very smooth process from location transitions to outfit changes, he gave us great guidance through it all.