Tweet
THESE NEWLYWEDS TOOK OFF WITH THEIR PHOTOGRAPHER FOR MAGICAL DESERT TRIP
SF Gate, CA
June 20 2014
Couple reconnect years later and turn their vows into a magical
desert trip
Louise Rafkin
People often describe a first date as "magic." But for San Mateo
couple Paulette Harutnian and Mark Emerson, their first date was more
Magic Kingdom.
Nine years ago, both lived in Southern California and were launching
careers in film production when they met at Disneyland on a blind date.
Paulette worked with Mark's brother, and often they shared rides. On
the way home one day, he asked to be dropped at Disneyland, where
he'd be joined by his wife and also his brother. They had an extra
ticket to the park, might she join them? Though she wasn't dressed
for a date, Paulette, with her usual zest for life, accepted the offer.
"When I met Mark, it wasn't exactly love at first sight, but it was
something," Paulette said.
Within weeks, they were seriously dating and enjoying the synergy of
a good match. Mark was as shy as she was chatty, said Paulette. And
Mark was charmed by Paulette's voracious curiosity. "She researches
all kinds of random subjects, from solar power to serial killers to
viruses," he said.
"Mark is the most genuine person I know," Paulette said.
For a year, talk of marriage floated heavily above the relationship
like a fog, though both, then in their early 20s, felt they were
perhaps too young for such seriousness.
In addition to their age, the couple faced a bank of cultural
differences. Paulette, born in Iran, was tight with her Christian
Armenian family. "It was expected that she live at home until she met
and married another Armenian," said Mark, whose parents had concerns
about their youth.
A year and a half in, Paulette called it off. "There were pressures
from both our families, and I had things to do to get my life
together," Paulette said.
It wasn't an easy split, although both moved on - both romantically
and in their careers. Paulette, now a computer graphics modeler at
DreamWorks, began what would become a three-year relationship. Mark,
now an assistant editor in animation for Lucasfilm, went as far as
planning a destination wedding in Italy with another woman before
that relationship suddenly fell apart.
For four years, both admitted to thoughts of "what if" but didn't so
much as speak a single word.
It was Mark who broke the silence. Post-engagement, he sent a message
via Facebook to Paulette, who'd recently admitted to herself that she'd
made a mistake in letting Mark go. As soon as she saw his message,
she knew she would tell him that painful truth - that is, if he were
single. Their reconnection was instant, and they began talking four
or five hours a night. A reunion was planned for - where else? -
the Magic Kingdom.
During a magical night at Disneyland, they shared stories of their
"lost years." Paulette showed him a sunset photo from a trip she'd
taken to South Africa and admitted that at that moment, admiring
that sunset, she had realized how much she missed him. Mark matched
that story with one of his own: On a trip to Greece, while watching
a different sunset, he, too, had questioned whether they could have
made a go of it.
With both harboring renewed hope, they agreed on one thing: In their
former relationship, they'd let their families have too much influence;
this time, they'd listen only to their own hearts.
On April 25, with full support from both families, the couple married
in Glendale (Los Angeles County), at the Brand Park friendship garden.
Cristiano Ostinelli, an award-winning Italian photographer whom Mark
had contacted for the wedding he'd abandoned, flew in from Europe
for the ceremony.
"Bringing Cristiano actually cost less than most of the local wedding
photographers," Mark said. "I loved his work, and we wanted artistic
photos we could hang on our walls."
The imported talent led to more adventure. After the wedding, the
couple, with the photographer and his girlfriend-assistant, embarked
on a four-day trip through the Californian desert, stopping to shoot
at Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, the Salton Sea and Ivanpah, a solar
energy plant deep in the Mojave Desert.
Aside from the challenge of wearing a wedding dress fastened with
100 tiny buttons for four days, Paulette, who gushes with enthusiasm
for solar technology, said the journey was inspiring. And the photos
speak for themselves.
"We need change in energy technology, and embracing the sun is what
brought us back together," said Paulette, who says visiting Ivanpah
was the highlight of the trip.
"Our relationship is all about renewable energy," added Mark, who
successfully made the connection to the solar plant by e-mailing its
public relations people with a simple request: "Help me make my future
wife happy."
photo: Paulette Harutnian and Mark Emerson of San Mateo, who both work
in film in the Bay Area, wed April 25 in Southern California. After
the wedding, the two embarked on a four-day trip with their wedding
photographer, Cristiano Ostinelli, which included a stop at the Ivanpah
Solar Power Facility in the Mojave Desert. Photo: Cristiano Ostinelli
http://www.sfgate.com/style/unionsquared/article/These-newlyweds-took-off-with-their-photographer-5567287.php
From: A. Papazian
SF Gate, CA
June 20 2014
Couple reconnect years later and turn their vows into a magical
desert trip
Louise Rafkin
People often describe a first date as "magic." But for San Mateo
couple Paulette Harutnian and Mark Emerson, their first date was more
Magic Kingdom.
Nine years ago, both lived in Southern California and were launching
careers in film production when they met at Disneyland on a blind date.
Paulette worked with Mark's brother, and often they shared rides. On
the way home one day, he asked to be dropped at Disneyland, where
he'd be joined by his wife and also his brother. They had an extra
ticket to the park, might she join them? Though she wasn't dressed
for a date, Paulette, with her usual zest for life, accepted the offer.
"When I met Mark, it wasn't exactly love at first sight, but it was
something," Paulette said.
Within weeks, they were seriously dating and enjoying the synergy of
a good match. Mark was as shy as she was chatty, said Paulette. And
Mark was charmed by Paulette's voracious curiosity. "She researches
all kinds of random subjects, from solar power to serial killers to
viruses," he said.
"Mark is the most genuine person I know," Paulette said.
For a year, talk of marriage floated heavily above the relationship
like a fog, though both, then in their early 20s, felt they were
perhaps too young for such seriousness.
In addition to their age, the couple faced a bank of cultural
differences. Paulette, born in Iran, was tight with her Christian
Armenian family. "It was expected that she live at home until she met
and married another Armenian," said Mark, whose parents had concerns
about their youth.
A year and a half in, Paulette called it off. "There were pressures
from both our families, and I had things to do to get my life
together," Paulette said.
It wasn't an easy split, although both moved on - both romantically
and in their careers. Paulette, now a computer graphics modeler at
DreamWorks, began what would become a three-year relationship. Mark,
now an assistant editor in animation for Lucasfilm, went as far as
planning a destination wedding in Italy with another woman before
that relationship suddenly fell apart.
For four years, both admitted to thoughts of "what if" but didn't so
much as speak a single word.
It was Mark who broke the silence. Post-engagement, he sent a message
via Facebook to Paulette, who'd recently admitted to herself that she'd
made a mistake in letting Mark go. As soon as she saw his message,
she knew she would tell him that painful truth - that is, if he were
single. Their reconnection was instant, and they began talking four
or five hours a night. A reunion was planned for - where else? -
the Magic Kingdom.
During a magical night at Disneyland, they shared stories of their
"lost years." Paulette showed him a sunset photo from a trip she'd
taken to South Africa and admitted that at that moment, admiring
that sunset, she had realized how much she missed him. Mark matched
that story with one of his own: On a trip to Greece, while watching
a different sunset, he, too, had questioned whether they could have
made a go of it.
With both harboring renewed hope, they agreed on one thing: In their
former relationship, they'd let their families have too much influence;
this time, they'd listen only to their own hearts.
On April 25, with full support from both families, the couple married
in Glendale (Los Angeles County), at the Brand Park friendship garden.
Cristiano Ostinelli, an award-winning Italian photographer whom Mark
had contacted for the wedding he'd abandoned, flew in from Europe
for the ceremony.
"Bringing Cristiano actually cost less than most of the local wedding
photographers," Mark said. "I loved his work, and we wanted artistic
photos we could hang on our walls."
The imported talent led to more adventure. After the wedding, the
couple, with the photographer and his girlfriend-assistant, embarked
on a four-day trip through the Californian desert, stopping to shoot
at Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, the Salton Sea and Ivanpah, a solar
energy plant deep in the Mojave Desert.
Aside from the challenge of wearing a wedding dress fastened with
100 tiny buttons for four days, Paulette, who gushes with enthusiasm
for solar technology, said the journey was inspiring. And the photos
speak for themselves.
"We need change in energy technology, and embracing the sun is what
brought us back together," said Paulette, who says visiting Ivanpah
was the highlight of the trip.
"Our relationship is all about renewable energy," added Mark, who
successfully made the connection to the solar plant by e-mailing its
public relations people with a simple request: "Help me make my future
wife happy."
photo: Paulette Harutnian and Mark Emerson of San Mateo, who both work
in film in the Bay Area, wed April 25 in Southern California. After
the wedding, the two embarked on a four-day trip with their wedding
photographer, Cristiano Ostinelli, which included a stop at the Ivanpah
Solar Power Facility in the Mojave Desert. Photo: Cristiano Ostinelli
http://www.sfgate.com/style/unionsquared/article/These-newlyweds-took-off-with-their-photographer-5567287.php
From: A. Papazian