Liz was outside the casino’s employee entrance, waiting for the tram, when Rudy bumped into her. His first words to her were, “Watch where you are going!” He then laughed and walked away. Liz was infuriated. But she did recognize him. “He was always the loudest and funniest one in any room, and I remember laughing at his jokes during pre-shift meetings. He was the guy who tried to make everyone laugh all the time. He was also the thinker, the guy who asked the tough questions when management introduced new rules and procedures. He spoke up for the little guy. He was the one who would invite new hires over to our big table during lunch if they were sitting alone.”
Rudy did look back and noticed that the girl with pretty curly hair had an annoyed look on her face. His worry would end the following day when Liz pretended to dodge him, avoiding being knocked into him as a joke. She even mocked him with, “Watch where you are going!” Rudy laughed and took that moment to invite Liz to an after-work hangout spot- a local 24-hour bowling alley on a Tuesday.
When Rudy arrived, Liz was already there. He was immediately drawn to her cute curly hair and contagious smile. He rescued her from the guys talking to her. Liz found the slight possessiveness super attractive, and they hung out for the rest of the evening. At the end of the night, Rudy, as always, made sure everyone could get home safely. And Liz now found herself worried about the guy who took care of everyone else. So she hung back. Rudy had said, “Goodnight,” to the last person and turned around to see Liz waiting for him next to a Jurassic Park Arcade Game. “I found myself wanting to look out for him. I wanted to make sure HE was good, you know? The guy that thought of others.” They played the game, sobered up, and Liz went home.
They, of course, talked more after that, and the flirty texts got even more flirty. Their first date would be at the movies. Liz bought the tickets, and Rudy bought the popcorn. The movie was honestly not good, but the coffee afterward was. They talked for a long time and found that they had so much in common. They shared similar interests, outlooks, priorities, values, and morals. “I learned that he deeply loved and cared for his mother. I think that when I decided I really liked him.”
Liz liked him, but she was shy. So at the end of the night, when Rudy tried to kiss her, she ran off. Rudy was confused and deflated, but their first kiss would come on their second date.
Fast forward 8 years. They shared a home, bank accounts, and lots of love. Rudy saw a woman who was not only beautiful but also faithful and wonderful. Liz had a man who was funny, smart, and caring. It would be at one of their favorite places where Rudy would propose: Disneyland on Sweethearts Night. He, of course, had thrown Liz off by gaslighting her with reasons that marriage was a bad idea.
But the truth was that Rudy knew that Liz was who he wanted to marry. “I can honestly speak about Liz forever without ever getting bored; she is the most amazing, kind, and caring person I’ve ever met. It blows my mind to think that some regular guy like me is going to marry her. It almost feels like a John Hughes movie, where the nice guys get a happy ending. My only regret is making this remarkable person wait almost 10 years for her special day.”
There in front of Snow White’s Wishing Well as they posed for a picture, Rudy dropped to his knee and proposed. Liz said yes to the man who had knocked into her and told her to watch where she was going. She watched. She went. And ended up right by his side.
This Story was captured by A Story in Time Photography – Jessie Cadenas with the assistance of Melissa Quezada. We are Los Angeles and Orange County Wedding Photographers located in the Inland Empire. Our style is Classic, Romantic, and Fun. If you are interested in your Family, Quinceañera, Engagement, or Wedding Story being captured, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us using the contact button at the top of this post or HERE.
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