Dunia & Ryan’s Sanctuary on Camelback wedding photos are ones where you can’t wipe the smile off your face all day. Their laughter is contagious and the energy of their family and friends is something I won’t soon forget. I asked Dunia & Ryan to tell me about one of their favorite moments from when they first started dating, and when they knew each other was the one:
Ryan: “One day when Dunia and I weren’t yet officially dating, she casually mentioned that there would be a time when we would stop hanging out. And in that moment, I felt a pang in my stomach and knew I never wanted her to leave my side.”
Dunia: “I’ll start this story by saying I’m super allergic to gluten, so I can’t ever eat it. One morning when Ryan and I were still pretty new in our relationship, he asked me ‘What food do you miss most that you can’t eat anymore?’ Without hesitation, I blurted out ‘French toast!’ We both fell back asleep (or so I thought) and about an hour later, Ryan woke me up with breakfast in bed. He had gone to the grocery store, bought gluten free bread (this is when it first came out and was only stocked at specialty stores) and had made me French toast. I knew he was someone I’d be lucky to end up with for good, right then and there.
One of my favorite early dating moments was in the very beginning of our relationship. My boss offered me a free weekend stay at his Oregon ranch/lake house. I invited Ryan secretly, since we worked together and our dating was still under wraps at our company. At that time, we were each making barely any money, so we spent all that we had on flights up there. We had a super spontaneous and adventurous trip and really fell in love there. Between Ryan showcasing his cooking skills, tons of wine and endless conversation by the crackling fire, it was the best trip we could have imagined.
The funny twist is that we had each taken Thursday and Friday off of work for different reasons (since nobody knew we were going on vacation together or even dating at that point). When we arrived at the airport in Medford, OR our flight was drastically delayed, and we were warned it might not leave that day. Normally this wouldn’t be a huge issue, but this was a tiny airport and they didn’t have flights from there to LA until Tuesday. We were nervous our cover would be blown when neither of us showed up to work on Monday at the last minute!
It was the very beginning of our relationship, but while we were at this small airport, with all the stores and restaurants closed, we had nothing to do but try to lay down and sleep. Not only one, but a few people commented to us that we were a ‘darling couple’ even though we weren’t even official.”
Planning Ashley Gain Weddings and Events | Venue Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa | Floral Design Carte Blanche Design | Makeup Michael Franco | Hair Sachi Salon & Spa | Gown Vera Wang | Shoes Badgley Mischka | Groom Burberry | Bridesmaids Jenny Yoo Collection | Cake Classic Cakes and Confections | Videographer Amore Films | Strings Sweetwater Strings | DJ Desert House Productions Inc. | Photo Booth The Live Photobooth | Groomsmen Calvin Klein | Linens La Tavola Fine Linen | Invitations Goodheart Design | Day of Paper Song & Pen| Calligraphy Autumn Farrell Matney | Rentals Us To U Party Rentals | Film Lab The FIND Lab
