Inside the QALO Family: Bryana’s Gettin’ Married!
Love selflessly.
A phrase so small and unassuming but one with an enormous impact. Nothing puts selfless love on display more than marriage. It is a humbling, challenging, and life-giving adventure that we are honored to put a positive spotlight on everyday here at QALO.
So when one of our own decides to take on this life changing adventure, we get excited beyond belief, like hold-the-company-meeting-and-dance sort of excited (yes, that actually happens around here). We also get nosy and want all the details!
We sat down with Bryana, our operations coordinator, to get the full story on her upcoming wedding to Shawn.
(L to R: Daisy, Bryana, and Shawn in a Back-To-The-Future-themed engagement shoot)
Q: How did you meet?
“We met doing local theater here in Orange County! We played opposite each other (and romantic leads) in a short play called “An Actor’s Nightmare”. We remained friends long after the production was over and realized how much we missed not only acting with each other, but just hanging out in general! Several months later we started dating, and we laugh because we “technically” had our first kiss on stage!”
Q: What are your favorite things to do together?
“EVERYTHING! Every new thing or normal, everyday thing we do together is special. Our favorites though, include lots and lots of outdoor concerts, particularly at the Hollywood Bowl during the summer and taking Daisy on our “aventuras” to Dog Beach, or hiking in So Cal. I can’t mention our favorite things to do together without mentioning theater. We’ve supported each other in many separate productions, and actually finished the run of a play where Shawn directed and I got to act on stage. It’s certainly been one of my favorite highlights of our time together. We also make a great team in planning outrageously themed movie nights and holiday parties for our friends and family.”
Q: How did Shawn propose?
“Last November I was able to join him on a work trip to Hawaii where he was working on a show for one of the local resorts. He told me one night we were going to celebrate the opening night and have a couple of cocktails in the penthouse suite where the producer was hosting a small get-together. I got dolled up, and he brought me up to this gorgeous room overlooking the ocean- it wasn’t until I realized it was only us and he was reaching for a ukulele that I knew he was going to propose. It was a super surprise, and he’d spent his time learning the song “Lava” from the recent Pixar short to sing to me, and also enlisted the help of some other cast members to hold up a giant sign down below that read “Bryana, will you marry me?”. Needless to say, it was the highlight of an already amazing trip!”
Q: What are you most looking forward to about being married?
“I think we are both most looking forward to start this new chapter together- and I’ll finally get to call him my husband!”
Q: Where are you honeymooning??
A: “We will probably take an “Official” Honeymoon sometime next year! We’ve always talked about going to Tahiti and spending time on the huts that are in the lagoons right over the water! So romantic! We’ll probably take a short, “unofficial” trip right after our wedding, either to Yosemite or New Orleans…two very different places that appeal to two very different parts of our personality!”
Thanks for sharing with us Bree! We cannot wait to see you as a gorgeous bride and for many more adventures to come.