Whitney Bonagofsky and Mike Dickman both describe themselves as easy-going.  When a couple is willing to drive down to Laguna Beach from their home in San Francisco just for an engagement session, it’s hard to argue with that description.  But we expected that.  When we first met with them over Skype, their laid-back, fun disposition was undeniable, and we clicked right away.  So we were eager with anticipation to photograph their engagement session and hear more about their love story.

And their love story is as fun as they are.  It’s equal parts classic and quirky, complete with friendship-turned-romance and forbidden office love.  Whitney and Mike met working for the same company in Portland, OR.  Mike thought Whitney was the smartest, most beautiful, and most confident woman he’d ever met.  That made things difficult for him, because he was Whitney’s intern!  But the attraction was mutual, and as their friendship developed into romance, they had to hide it from their company and co-workers.  Finally, 3 years ago, they were free from the surly bonds of their company and they were able to make their relationship known.  They moved to San Francisco together and all that was missing was the ring.  Mike asked Whitney to marry him on his birthday overlooking a mountaintop vista.  When she said “Yes!” it was the perfect ending to a story worthy of a romantic comedy, probably starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney.

When we met them in Laguna Beach, parking was scarce (as it always is).  Rather than trying to arrange a meeting, we circled around, spotted them on a street corner, and hollered out the window “Hey!  Whitney and Mike!”  Thus, our first in-person meeting resulted in the two of them hopping in a car they’d never seen before driven by someone they’d never met.  (Didn’t we say they were easy going?)  We drove to Crescent Bay Point Park, an absolutely breathtaking spot for an engagement session.

It’s a small park, but it has everything you need; a gently-sloping green lawn, great foliage scattered about, several lookout points overlooking the ocean, and easy access to the beach.  Mike and Whitney let their fun side loose with piggy-back rides and indulged their romantic side enjoying panoramic views together.  We finished up with a sunset stroll along the beach.

After the engagement session, we went out for drinks at Skyloft, which has an awesome rooftop bar.  We stayed for a while enjoying the company of these amazing, fun-loving people, and left way too late for two people who still had to drive back to San Francisco.  If their wedding is half as fun and relaxed as they are, it’s going to be a blast!

Stay tuned for their Memorial Day wedding at Desert Willow Golf Course in Palm Desert, Ca.