Fortino Winery Engagement Session | Zulaikha and Greg

Where Zuklaikha and Greg met:

They met freshman year of high school at Terra Nova High School in Pacifica. Zulaikha and Greg had a class together and they ended up sitting near each other. They became friends right away!

About their first date:

Greg and Zulaikha casually dated when they were 20 for a couple of months, but then lost touch. He found her on Facebook more than 10 years later and started to message each other for a while. They ended up meeting up at Starbucks.

They continued to meet up at Starbucks multiple times. The funny thing is that Zulaikha is not a coffee drinker and yet, she still drank coffee. She had never had so much coffee in my life and he’s not a coffee drinker either.

Meeting up at Starbucks is what they count as their anniversary but their first big nice date was at Duarte’s Tavern in Pescadero.

When Zulaikha knew that Greg was the one

It may seem like a silly moment, but Zulaikha and Greg went out for dinner and drinks one night. When they came home, Greg went and found something for Zulaikha to put her fake lashes on so she wouldn’t ruin or lose them.

It was those small little things that showed how much he cared, which led her to know he was the one forever!

Greg and Zulaikha’s proposal

They took a walk up to Mori Point on their 1 year anniversary and at the top overlooking the ocean. Greg started speaking about how long they have known each other and how much he loves and cares for her. Then he suddenly pulled out the ring and went down on his knee for half of a second and proposed.

Surprising Zulaikha, Greg’s mom and sister-in-law jumped out and had secretly taken photos of the two of them during the proposal. They were unable to get any images of Greg down on one knee because he jumped up so quickly.

He did that because Zulaikha has told him that she didn’t want people around them or focused on them during the proposal. So, he was worried about it that, seeing a couple of people about 50 feet away, that he popped up quickly so as to not cause a scene.

While Greg thought he was being subtle, he was a little obvious that a proposal was taking place. So, it really wasn’t much of a surprise, but lovely all the same!

The best date of all time

Their first official formal date (once they moved on from Starbucks dates) was an unforgettable date. They took a drive down to Pescadero and ate at Duartes Tavern. After that, then went on a long drive on back roads and explored and talked for hours while they drove around. It was very special and one of the best dates.

What they love to do together

These two are big foodies. They like to try new foods in different places.
Road tripping to different places and finding waterfalls to hike to is another favorite.
They often drive down to LA and check out different vegan restaurants.

Things they definitely want to do

Going to Thailand and spending the day on a tropical beach to just relax and having fun and adventure exploring the city.

Favorite Restaurants

Hanabi Ramen, Mensho Tokyo and Shojin (in LA)

The best meal they’ve ever eaten

In Portland, they enjoyed a 7-course meal at Farm Spirit which was a vegan farm to table restaurant. They have never experienced food like that before. It was so flavorful and rich and creamy.

The best gifts they’ve gotten each other

Adventure, travel, or experience gifts are their favorite gifts. Going to Seattle for Zulaikha’s birthday last year is one of their favorite memories and gifts.

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