El Adobe

Rehearsal Dinner

Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano, Autograph Collection

Wedding Day

Celebration Brunch

Our Wedding

We met on the very last day of 2019 - New Years Eve! At the time, Shane was working at Nektar in Rancho Santa Margarita and happened to have a coworker who was also a friend of mine. After Shane and his friend got off work that night, his friend told him about a party that they should check out (it was New Years Eve afterall)! They showed up at the party, which I was at, and his friend immediately introduced him to me with the intro of “you like medical things, he likes medical things, you guys should talk.” Two weeks later we went on our first date!

How We Met

About a month into dating, Shane and I went to a friends house for a Superbowl Party and he introduced me to everyone as his girlfriend, which I technically was not yet. I laughed at him and teased that he did still have to ask me in order to make that title true and one day later day, he did! Our dating anniversary was February 4th 2020.

When the Relationship was Established

He did! About a month into officially dating, we went to a bar with some friends and Shane had a bit too much to drink. The words slipped out at the end of the night! We ignored what happened at first, waiting to see who would bring it up and eventually I couldn't hold my tongue and asked him if he meant it. He said he did and repeated it again :)

Who said "I Love You" first

The In-Between

In March of 2023, we went on a cruise to celebrate Shane’s dad’s retirement. While we were on the cruise, he bought the ring! Since I was also on the cruise, I was definitely suspicious that he might’ve done so, but what really sold me on it was actually a raffle ticket! Here’s what happened: When he bought the ring, he was given like 70 raffle tickets for a prize drawing and the Jewelry store told him to come back on Sunday to see if he won. So, on Sunday he tells me that we have to go back to the Jewelry store and I was very confused how he just suddenly had 70 tickets to the Jewelry store. I tried to ask him why but he wasn’t really answering my questions. Another person in the shop did ask though, and the answer was “you get raffle tickets when you buy something.” Ding, ding, ding! I was immediately suspicious that he bought a ring since it wouldn’t have made sense for him to buy anything else. Valentine’s Day and my birthday had already passed and Christmas was a while away. However, as time went on, I wondered why he hadn’t proposed if he did buy the ring on the cruise. I started to question everything and had even begun to convince myself that he didn’t buy one and I was crazy! Looking back, it all kept me on my toes. I was consistently wondering what to wear whenever we went out to dinner! But it was all worth it. Nothing beats that moment when you realize what’s happening.

When did he buy the ring? Did you know?

Shane told me a few weeks before he proposed that he had made us dinner reservations at this new restaurant he really wanted to try in San Clemente. I didn’t question it because he’s done this before and I was happy to go, so I just went with it! When it came to the day of, he made sure I had the afternoon off work and we started to get ready for our dinner. I asked him what I should wear because I knew nothing about the restaurant and he told me a dress. I picked out a white dress (which made people think I knew what was happening, but was really just because he told me I couldn't wear the pantsuit I had originally picked out) and we headed out. On the way to dinner, he told me he wanted to stop by the beach where he surfs because he wanted to see how the waves looked for tomorrow when he was going to go. Again, I didn’t question this because we’d done it before so I wasn’t suspicious yet. As we got closer to the beach, he started looking for parking in a weird spot, somewhere he’d never parked before, and that’s when I knew. My heart started pounding and I could see the red rose petals from afar. He walked me up to his proposal site and the rest is history! It was the easiest “yes,” I have ever given. Our engagement anniversary is June 15th, 2023.

How did he propose?

Our Story

The Proposal

The Engagement

Photos

Bridesmaids

Jennifer Young

Jenna Nelson

Noelle Parra

Taylor Stagliano

Ashley Martin

Alexandra Hobler

Ashley Bowman

Groomsmen

Jack Schaefer

Loren Whelan

Isole Garcia

Derek Young

Jarod McCormick

Benjamin Zauri

Sean Cannon

Wedding Party

Q + A

There are a limited amount of rooms we were able to block at the Inn itself for wedding guests, so if you'd like to stay at the resort itself, we recommend booking as soon as possible. The link to our room block has expired, if you would like to stay at the hotel, please email Anna at bowmanwedding831@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

We do not have a room block here, but it is another great option if people are looking to stay close to the venue and downtown San Juan! This hotel is walking distance from the Inn, so you will still be close to all the action!

Best Western Capistrano Inn

Other Options

Air BNB is another great option for those traveling and wanting to stay in larger parties! Also, if you are planning on traveling from out of town and want to stay in more of a “beach town” than San Juan, we recommend checking out hotels or Air BNBs in either San Clemente or Dana Point! Feel free to reach out to us if you need any recommendations or guidance for hotel/Air BNB guidance in the area! We are happy to assist if we can :)

Where to Stay

Saint Junipero Serra established the Mission over 240 years ago! It was originally established to spread the Catholic faith and has continued to do so to this day. The site is truly beautiful and peaceful and is open to visitors of all religions. The Serra Chapel, or Mission heart, which is the spiritual center, dates back to 1780 and is where the Eucharist is celebrated daily. The chapel is Californias only still-standing chapel where Saint Serra celebrated Mass. On Weekends, the Mission Basilica has Mass on Saturdays at 6:30 AM or 4:30 PM and on Sundays at 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM and 5 PM. Certain Masses are also offered in Spanish as well. Museum and Garden Hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 9AM-5PM

Mission San Juan Capistrano, Landmark, Chapel, Museum and Gardens

The San Juan Hills Golf Club is a Par 71 Championship golf course with public tee times! They have a fun Sports bar &amp; grill as well and also feature a driving range.

San Juan Hills Golf Club

Aside from being Anna's favorite Brunch spot, the Ramos House Cafe has a rich history! It is located on the oldest remaining residential street in California, where adobe homes were originally constructed to house soldiers and workers overseeing the construction of the Mission. The Ramos House was built in 1881 by the Aguilar Family, but housed the Ramos Family for the longest time. The Ramos Family was one of San Juan Capistrano's oldest families and rumors speculated that the family used to hide vaqueros in what is now the restaurant's wine cellar and music studio from their would-be captors! To find out more about the rich history of this amazing restaurant, visit the "about" section of their website!

Ramos House Cafe

If you love drinking beer in a unique and fun environment, this is your place! Swallow's is a cash-only bar, but there are ATMs inside if you're not the cash-carrying type. They also typically have live music on weekends!

Swallow's Inn

Five Vines offers fun wine tastings from family-owned boutique wineries and local craft breweries. It's one of Anna's favorite stops in town :) Happy Hour: Tuesday through Friday 2-6 PM

Five Vines Wine Bar

Rancho Capistrano Winery is Orange County's largest winery! The grapes are sourced from different premier wine regions like Paso Robles, Lodi, Northern California, and Washington. The patio is dog-friendly and there is also a tasting room (available upon reservation).

Anna & Shane

Anna & Shane

Wedding Party

Bridesmaids

Groomsmen