Of all the places in Southern California, Disneyland is by far my favorite. There’s an electric vibe from the moment you cross the entrance to the final trolley ride back to the parking lot. There are so many people from all over the world that travel to find that Disney magic… and it’s even better during the holidays!! So, as you can imagine, I was thrilled to have an engagement session there. Even more thrilling, was the fact that it was with Katrena and Ryan!

Katrena and I began a sort of “pen pal” friendship. We emailed back and forth quite often and discussed all things Disney, travel and wedding day plans. When we met, she showed up with a folder full of wedding ideas and I seriously had heart-eyes. She spread out her paper cut outs and pictures on the table and as we discussed her DIY projects, I couldn’t help but smile because they were all personalized items both she and Ryan cared about. It really reminded me of why I love this job so much, it’s such a privilege to witness true love and celebrate it.

Katrena is a librarian (& yes, it is totally appropriate to think of Belle right now) and  Ryan works as a skipper on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland so besides this already sounding like a fairytale, their #b3autyandth3beard wedding hashtag is not only clever but so so perfect.

We adventured through California Adventure first and stopped at Katrena and Ryan’s favorite places, including Animation Academy.  Katrena and Ryan stop for a new drawing every time they visit, and as it turns out, Ryan has been saving them all since they first began dating. (Oh so cute!!) After having some fun there, we ventured out to Disneyland and to our surprise, were let in on our own ride through the Jungle Cruise!! BEST MOMENT EVER. We were the only ones on the ride!! We shared many more laughs after that, it was truly magical.

Thanks Katrena and Ryan for a fantastic day!! I cannot wait for your wedding!!

XO,

Vanessa