Two Wanderlusts Got Engaged During a Gorgeous Mock Wedding Photo Shoot

Apr. 09, 2019

9:03 a.m.

Willow Roots Photography

When Alexa Diakoulas' friend asked if she and her boyfriend Frank Langley would like to help with a mock wedding photo shoot, she thought it would be a fun way to celebrate their "meet-aversary." Two years earlier, the pair met at a concert in Costa Mesa, California. Frank had driven three hours from Los Angeles to hang out with friends from Las Vegas, who ended up bailing at the last minute. All alone, he debated driving home but didn't feel like sitting in traffic, again. Instead, Frank got in line to see if he could snag a ticket to the sold-out show. Enter Alexa. "My friend and I walked to the back of the line and stood behind a cute, tall boy," she recalls. "At some point, he was eavesdropping on our conversation and made a funny remark." You can guess how the rest of the story goes: Said cute boy bought their tickets, Alexa and friend followed him in, and they spent the whole night dancing and laughing.

The next week, Frank endured four hours of L.A. traffic to take Alexa out to dinner for their first date. The couple was so engrossed in conversation that the restaurant had to send over multiple waiters to ask if they were ready to order. After sharing a bottle of wine and taking a few bites of their meals, they decided to package everything up and head to the beach. "Frank asked the waiter if he could keep the empty wine bottle [as a memento], and that's when I knew he was a keeper," Alexa says.

A month later, Alexa, a self-proclaimed wanderlust, announced to Frank that she was quitting her job to travel. He had just returned from his first ever trip abroad but didn't miss a beat. "He called his friends and told them they would need to find someone else to move in," Alexa says. Immediately, the pair pulled up a map and started plotting. "I knew in that moment that he would be my person forever," Alexa explains. After three months spent exploring ten countries together, they were more in love than ever.

Fast forward to February 19: Sara Thomas of Willow Roots Photography dreamed up a romantic styled shoot and invited Alexa and Frank to participate alongside Alexa's brother and his wife, who were the "bride" and "groom." Toward the end of the shoot, Sara announced that it was time for the last set of pictures, featuring the "best man" and "maid of honor," Frank and Alexa. The couple posed on a couch, then in front of a white wall. Sara told Frank to whisper something sexy. "Do you remember the first time I told you I loved you?" he said to Alexa. And then, bam: he was on one knee, dream ring from California in hand. "Will you marry me?"

Alexa and Frank are still in the early stages of planning their wedding, but one thing they do know for certain: their honeymoon will be a month along. You can follow their adventure at thegypsyinus.com.