AN ENGAGEMENT STORY: LESLIE & MANG-GIT, SAN FRANCISCO

Months before I left my job, I couldn't anticipate how my life was going to change. But one thing I knew for sure was that I had booked plane tickets to SFO for my dear friend Leslie's surprise marriage proposal. Her now fiancé Mang-Git (MG) had carefully arranged for a special dinner with their closest friends... a dinner for Leslie, who believed it was for her birthday, that was more special than she could ever imagine.

Fresh out of college, I met Leslie 4.5 years ago in Cincinnati and I met MG for the first time at our friends-giving party in November 2010, exactly 4 years before their engagement. The two of them were so cute, they couldn't get their hands off each other the whole night! At the time they were doing long distance, which to me is a familiar rite of passage for those of us marrying our college sweethearts. Well years later, these two love birds are just as magnetic. I've learned that in addition to their lovable and goofy personalities, they are one of the most down-to-earth and chill couples I have ever met. Case in point, they are cool with me sharing their engagement story with you guys (keep reading). On top of that, they agreed to let me and Mike take their engagement photos with amateur cameras, lenses, and haphazard skills. We hope you enjoy a portion of them here (the rest are posted here on my Facebook). Needlessly to say, these are two friends I will always cherish.

   

On September 1, 2014, I received a private Facebook invite from MG. Though he didn't explicitly say that he would be proposing to Leslie, I realized what was about to happen. The funny thing is, about 1.5 years ago MG organized a super secret get-together for a few of us girls to visit Leslie in San Francisco. This was a month after Leslie moved from Cincinnati. And for most of us, it isn't always easy to move to a new city and make friends right away. MG thought that a girls reunion might make Leslie feel a little more at home. During our visit, we couldn't help but wonder... was this going to be the trip that we see our little Leslie get engaged? Though it didn't happen then (and we teased MG about it quite a bit), I learned very quickly just how much MG cared for Leslie and her friends. So when I saw an invite for a super secret get-together part 2, I knew this time was the real deal. I spent the next few months cautiously avoiding Leslie for fear of over-excitement and accidentally spilling the beans. But I had good reason, I swear! I was in the middle of figuring out how to gracefully leave my job (sorry Les!).

   

Time flew by in the blink of an eye and I found myself in San Francisco on the night of November 18, 2014. It was one day before Leslie's 26th birthday and MG's proposal! I nonchalantly sent Leslie a text message after midnight to wish her a happy birthday. She exclaimed how long it's been since we've caught up. Excitedly, I responded that we should totally catch-up over the weekend (which was in fact, the truth). Phew, she didn't suspect a thing!

On Wednesday night, November 19, 2014, a group of friends gathered at one of MG and Leslie's favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. We anxiously awaited the arrival of our two friends. We weren't quite sure how MG was going to propose, but we had our cameras ready like celebrity paparazzi. The magic moment approached as we heard MG's voice emerge inside the restaurant. We snickered and giggled with excitement in the back while shushing each other to make sure Leslie didn't hear us. In the seconds that followed, MG walked his lady into the room where we were all gathered, said [insert affectionate words here because I was too overwhelmed to hear anything], dropped on one knee and proposed with a beautiful rose gold pear-shaped ring that he spent months customizing for Leslie. She said "Yes". And just like that, the sweet moment passed and we were somehow lucky enough to witness one of the biggest milestones in their lives.

     

I'm so happy for Leslie and MG - for all they've accomplished individually and as a team. Their relationship has grown leaps and bounds as any great relationship does. Recently, I asked them a question, "What do you admire most about each other?", and here's what they said.

M: I really admire Leslie's patience, with her family and with me. I'm definitely the mr. grumble pants in the relationship, and I have a fairly low tolerance for people related annoyances. Leslie is always there to listen to my complaint, knows when to give me my space to be mr. grumpy pants or call me out and tell me that I am being unfair in my grievances. She keeps me in check, and reminds me of all that is happy and good in life.

L: What I admire most about Mang-Git is his ability to inspire me in new ways every day. I met Mang-Git midway through college, during a time when both of us were experiencing an incredible amount of personal growth. While most couples change & drift apart after graduation, the exact opposite happened with us. The interesting twist here is that the 2 of us couldn’t be more different – from Myers Briggs types to hobbies and even sleeping schedules,  I’m pretty sure there’s almost nothing that we have in common… except our personal values, which are mirror images of one another’s’. This healthy difference in interests anchored in shared priorities has allowed us to experience incredible things together, like: live in Germany and learn the local language & love for beer; design & create one-of-a-kind furniture that make our house feel like the homeliest of homes; excel in our careers and become the youngest members on our teams comprised of seasoned industry veterans; cultivate stronger relationships with our parents and siblings and be the most selfless and loving family members that we can be. Our differences lead us not to disputes and arguments, but rather endless discoveries of fun, quirky interests and renewed passions instead. Mang-Git's nerdiness was what first attracted me to him 7 years ago, but his can-do attitude & zeal for life are what make it so easy & rewarding for me to re-fall in love with him every day. 

Their answers are truly as candid, loving, and selfless as they are.

    

In the months that followed Leslie and MG's engagement, I signed up to help them plan their wedding, one of a few that I've taken on this year in order to gather the knowledge and experience that only comes with actually doing the work. From checklists to vendor research to eventually the decorative details, I'm having a lot of fun reconnecting with Leslie and MG in a new way. As busy as they are, I hope that my presence brings them some level of solace from the stresses that are typically associated with wedding planning.

 

While Mike and I were in San Francisco, we stayed with Leslie and MG for a few weeks. One thing led to another and we found ourselves planning their engagement photoshoot. Like total amateurs, we spent days checking out different styles of photography and poses (or rather, directions) to instruct our first 'clients'. We used friends as test subjects. We collected props. We spent an afternoon vetting the photoshoot location. The best part of prepping for me was styling their outfits (my inner fashionista was ecstatic)! One can assume that Leslie and MG either trust me a great deal or are simply just that chill. :)

     

After the photoshoot experience, I have a new-found admiration for great wedding photographers. It's not easy to juggle camera settings, angles, backgrounds, poses, and directions while the sun (for us, it was a lack thereof!) and your subjects are moving from one magic minute to the next. I personally love the photojournalistic style with a touch of vintage film. I won't speak for Mike's photography style, but it's definitely different than mine (haha). Hopefully, we were able to capture a blend of aesthetics that also satisfies Leslie and MG's one-of-a-kind style. Mike and I certainly had a blast directing our two models, who were naturals in front of the camera. Plus, I'm not sure that any other couple would request for an ancient Chinese family portrait like the one we shot below. Through this process, we found love in a new place - behind a camera. This is only the beginning, so don't be surprised if you see more engagement photos appear on the blog this year. Don't hesitate to message me privately if you're interested in being our next models!

The photos were taken by me and Mike on a cloudy day in Bernal Heights Park and Mission Bay.

P.S. - for folks that personally know the happy couple, did you know that MG can play the banjo? :P