Sometimes the person you’re meant to be with is right around the corner, with fate waiting for just the moment for that first introduction. That’s exactly the story behind Alea & Connor’s beautiful Gliderport engagement session, with a story– and couple– that we absolutely fell in love with the moment we chatted over Zoom. We’re so thrilled to share it with you today because we have a feeling that you’ll love it and them just as much as we do.
While Alea & Connor shared several close friends, it wasn’t until the last few weeks of their senior year at the University of Arizona that they finally found themselves hanging out at the same bar. Connor, a computer science major, had finally decided to join his friends to blow off steam after long nights studying for finals when Alea and her friends spotted his friend group across the room. With hellos and hugs, his friends introduced him to Alea & her friend group, and from the first hello, there was a spark between the two of them that only grew throughout the night as the friends celebrated their upcoming graduation.
And just the next day, Alea knew, maybe subconsciously, that she had found the person she’d want to spend the rest of with as she jokingly told a friend that the man she had met the night before was “so sweet & wonderful” that she was “totally gonna marry him”. With only a few weeks left, Alea & Connor knew that they had to take advantage of the time that they had together before she moved to Scottsdale & he moved to Denver for the jobs that they had lined up.
The more they spent time together, the more they found something that they loved about the other; Alea falling for the way Connor would make her laugh and was kind to everyone he met, Connor falling in love with Alea’s wit and the way she would bend over backwards to support those she loved.
With trips to visit one another & explore their new towns, as well as vacations to Vail to ski, a year passed as they dated long distance– and then all of a sudden, the pandemic hit and lock downs were enforced. Not wanting to go weeks or months not seeing one another, Alea moved to Denver to be with Connor. Forging a life in a new town, they found more and more that they loved the life they were building, as Alea found how Connor made her feel grounded & safe as they began a new path & Connor fell further in love with Alea’s silly side.
Adopting two adorable dogs (a golden doodle & german shepard) and forging a life together with restaurant dates & dog walks, it wasn’t long before Alea and Connor knew what Alea had joked about to a friend was quickly becoming the truth– she was totally going to marry him!
Wanting the moment to be special, Connor & her family orchestrated the perfect plot– a ski trip to Vail, which Alea’s stepmother would conveniently “hurt her ankle” right before so the trip would just be the two of them. Knowing that Alea would be suspicious if it was just the two of them, they set up a trip for her family to “come into town to visit” so Alea would plan the perfect vacation, complete with reservations & activities to do while they visited the resort.
A few days into their trip and with everything set, Alea & Connor set off on a private guided snow mobile tour to explore the mountain. While Connor tried his best to surprise Alea, the second that she met the “guide” who was armed with a camera, she caught on to what was about to happen– and with butterflies, the three of them headed to their first stop.
The guide posing the two together, Alea & Connor stood smiling in the snow, until all of a sudden Connor dropped to one knee. And with an immediate and joyous yes, what Alea had jokingly said became the truth; she WAS going to marry that sweet and funny computer science major she had met by chance!
We had SO much fun getting to explore woods & cliffs during their Gliderport engagement session. As we hiked around the area, snapping candid photos as they goofed off and chatting, we got to see the silly side & sense of humor that they loved about one another. Taking the time to breath & soak in the moment amidst the craziness of wedding planning, they even chose to do a champagne toast to celebrate their engagement & the time they got to spend together (which ended up being one of our personal favorite moments during their Gliderport engagement session)!
To Alea & Connor; we cannot put into words how lucky we are that your wonderful wedding coordinator, Melissa of Sweet Blossom Weddings, led you to us. We knew from the moment that we met you during the Zoom call that you were a couple that we would cherish getting to spend time with as you took the time to sit back & savor during our first moments together– even as you waited for movers to come & get the last of your belongings to move to your new home in San Diego.
With every conversation & interaction we have, we know that we were right, just like Alea was– you’re what we like to call “dreamies”; and we’re so excited to walk every step of the way with you on this journey.
If you adored their Gliderport engagement session, we think you might get some inspiration from Akira & Liz’s Sunset Cliffs location, or love another beautiful sunset we captured during Gerryme & Millicent’s Gliderport engagement session. Already getting excited for their BEAUTIFUL Rancho Bernardo Inn wedding? We think you might love getting to check out Nikki & Joe’s elegant Rancho Bernardo Inn wedding while you wait for Alea & Connor’s big day!
