Sonoma county engagement photos are some of the most fun to take! Jocelyn & Danny met at Sonoma State, where they were both students, in 2008. It was the first week of Jocelyn’s sophomore year, and Danny was a new transfer student. The two met at intervarsity, a christian fellowship group on campus. Well that’s all fine & dandy, but let me tell you how Jocelyn and I met. This requires me to go back a little ways in time, so bear with me.
I moved from Santa Cruz to Merced when I was in the 5th grade. I left just a couple months into the school year, so we thought it would be OK joining a new school and meeting new people. WRONG-I started at a school that was year-round, on the “track” system. I started when everyone else in the school left for the camp green meadows trip, and I had a hard time making friends at first as the only other people at the school were kids that didn’t go on the trip, but weren’t in my class. I hated having to start over.
I made friends, and everything was fine. I even danced to “Just got paid” by Nsync with 3 friends in the school talent show. But then, I had to start middle school. There were 4 of us that were best friends–and we were each going to the 4 different middle schools in town. I started 6th grade, and, once again, had to start over. I didn’t know a single other 6th grader in a brand new school. I hated having to start over.
I made friends, and did fine. We had a lot of fun! Still some of my good friends today, and I’m actually photographing one of their weddings next weekend. We enjoyed middle school, and then came time for high school. We had used our family friends address when enrolling me in school, so that I could go to the same schools their kids did (though they were older & younger than me, and never in my grade). So when it came time to enroll me in high school, we started using our own address. And, surprise surprise, it was in a different district than my middle school. So what did this mean? Almost everyone from my middle school would be going to a different high school than me. I BEGGED my Dad to let me go to Golden Valley High School. But he was a coach at Merced High, and that was the school our address said I had to go to. So, once again, I started over.
I knew some of the older girls, as my dad was coaching JV girls basketball at the time, but didn’t know any other freshman. I can still remember walking on to campus on the first day, thinking how much it sucked. On the second day of school, I ran into a girl I had played city league basketball with–we had won the championship when we were in 7th grade, and she went to a different middle school than I did. She was so sweet, friendly, and invited me to hang out with her & her friend, Jocelyn.
We all became best friends, along with some others along the way, but Jocelyn and I really bonded. Senior year we started looking at colleges…it was at this time that I decided I wanted to go to CSU Chico, and she wanted to go to Sonoma State. I told her I’d put SSU as my backup, but Chico was the place for me. I got in to all 3 schools I applied to, and Jocelyn convinced me to go to Sonoma State with her (thank god). I really have her to thank for everything I have in my life right now. If I had gone to Chico, my life would be so different. I wouldn’t have met my soulmate, and maybe wouldn’t have even started this amazing career.
So why did I tell you about all that other stuff? The point is this: After I met Jocelyn, I never again had to start over. We ate lunch together. We took classes together. We got jobs together. We ditched school together. We went to prom together. We graduated high school together. We spent the summer together. We left home together. We roomed together. We started college together. We learned together. We got campus jobs together. We got real-life adult jobs together. We grew up together. And it was cool, cuz we still had other friends and activities and interests outside of our friendship. Our friendship has never stopped us from doing other things, it has encouraged one another to grow and learn and explore. And now, we got engaged together, just a few months apart, and will get married together, just a few months apart.
People always were surprise that we were best friends, cuz we are pretty opposite of one another. She helped me pass chemistry and statistics, and is an CNRN, BSN (certified neuroscience registered nurse, with a Bachelor of Science in nursing). Yeah, i like to brag about her. I am a photographer, and a dreamer, and helped her with her philosophy, psychology & english homework. I was a little crazier growing up than she was. But it just works–we balance each other out.
I love Danny, and am proud of him, too. We all just get along, and the four of use really enjoy spending time together. I am so happy that these two incredible humans found each other, and I’m so happy to spend the rest of my life with them…oh wait, are we not marrying each other? Well, practically. Cuz you’re both stuck with me for life. And Jocy–I’m so honored to be your maid of honor. I love you!
Oh, and as fate would have it? Jocelyn went to the same elementary school I did, was in a different class, but saw my talent show performance–yeah, she was jealous of my moves 😉
Ok, enough emotional mumbo jumbo. Here are some of their engagement photos I took for them recently: (I should probably add that the photo of them hi-fiving at the end was when I told them we were done–it was so cute).
