Tag Archives: southern california photographer

Justin & Andrea // Romantic Wedding at the Waterfront Hilton Resort

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Glenn & Jessica // Fairytale wedding in Malibu

FROM THE BRIDE (Jess) & THE GROOM (Glenn) :

Jess – I was beyond excited the morning of the wedding! Our long-awaited day for our fairytale wedding in Malibu was HERE … after a two year engagement! We had been planning and thinking about it for so long that I couldn’t believe it was actually time. We actually had breakfast together at Calamigos Ranch and Glenn basically had to force me to eat because I was so excited that I had no appetite! As soon as my bridesmaids started showing up for the day, it hit me that it was finally happening, this was OUR day! I felt so surrounded by love and friendship while getting ready with the girls. Seeing all the wedding details, my bouquet, my dress, jewelry, opening my gifts from Glenn – I could not stop thinking about how in just a couple short hours, we would be saying our vows in front of our friends and families, and I would be MARRIED to my soulmate!

Glenn – The morning of the wedding was a combination of excitement, anticipation, and a LOT of waiting. The girls started at 8am and the guys didn’t have anything to do until 12:30pm. Those may have been longest 4.5 hours of my life. I spent the time relaxing with family and friends, drinking coffee, and debating whether to do my vows from memory or not. After two years of waiting and planning, we were both so excited to finally say I do and celebrate with everyone. I was personally most excited to get to the first look and see my beautiful bride. I knew that we would both be anxious for the rest of the day, but from then on we would be by each other’s side through the whole event.

Did you have a ‘first look’ or a ‘walk down the aisle’ moment? How did you feel when you saw your significant other for the first time?

Jess – We decided to do a first look before our ceremony! I was a bundle of emotions on the walk over from the bungalow I’d gotten ready in to where Glenn was waiting for me. As soon as I saw him standing on the bridge, with his back to me, I started tearing up. We had been waiting for so long for this moment and I had been so excited for MONTHS for him to see me in my dress, and the moment was FINALLY here. It took all I had to keep from crying before I stepped up and took his hand in mine, and from that second on, neither of us could contain our tears of joy and disbelief that our Big Day was finally happening.

Glenn – After spending the morning relaxing, the day immediately turned into a whirlwind of photos, interviews, whiskey, one lock out, and some lost items. Before I knew it, I was whisked away from my groomsmen for the first look. And then I waited what felt like 30 minutes on the bridge. I couldn’t wait to see Jess, but wasn’t exactly sure how personal the moment would feel with five different lenses pointed at me. But, as soon as she walked up behind me and touched my hand, everyone else melted away. It was just the two of us and we’d be married in two hours!

What was your favorite moment/story from your wedding day?

Jess & Glenn – This is a hard question! Our whole day was filled with incredible, magical, perfect moments but I think my ABSOLUTE favorite moment from our wedding day was our first dance. We had been planning it for months and had secretly been taking dance lessons the past month and a half with an incredible teacher we found in Dallas! We wanted a fun dance that meant a lot to us so we had mixed two of “our” songs together – Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros mixed with Alive (Zedd Remix) by Empire of the Sun and Zedd – for our first dance. It was SO fun to finally be performing what we had worked so hard on and for it to go so well, even with our nerves and our “we just got married!” adrenaline.

How did your day most feel like a fairytale wedding?

Jess & Glenn – Every moment just felt so magical. Our day truly was a dream come true. From putting on my gorgeous wedding dress to seeing Glenn during our first look all the way to the last dance of the night, I felt like a true princess marrying her prince. Saying our vows in front of a gorgeous waterfall, surrounded by friendship and love from all sides, flowers and hops adorning the arch above us, the setting and the vibes throughout the entire day just felt like a fairytale.

MY VENDORS:

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Trent & Chloe // Fairytale Calamigos Ranch wedding at The Redwood Room

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Andrew & Christina // Intimate Manhattan Beach wedding

June 9, 2018 feels like a dream, and the night before just as dreamy. We had the most relaxed, easy-going rehearsal and dinner. Setting up the church and the banquet hall was a breeze as we had the centerpieces and all of the paper florals done for at least a week! We both were able to get a full night’s rest, and everyone did their own hair, makeup, and wardrobe essentials. Uncharacteristic from other weddings, we were always on time if not ahead of schedule! Sticking to the schedule, but also not personally fussing over the details made the day wonderful. We just remember being so excited about being husband and wife that we couldn’t stop smiling or eat because had we made it! It was also affirming to be told how easy and carefree our day was for everyone involved. What we remember most about the wedding was a sense of calm throughout the entire day. Everyone was happy and easy going, especially the wedding party. What made us most happy was seeing all of our guests smiling and excited to finally be celebrating with us as husband and wife.

I don’t pretend to be a statue, but I’m not really a crier. I was calm and excited as we took getting ready shots, then my mother-in-law walked into the bridal suite asking for help with her dress before going to see Andrew. I jokingly told her she wasn’t supposed to be here, and all she could say was that I looked amazing. After we helped her I couldn’t help but thinking my mother-in-law was walking up to my husband; I was about to have a husband by marrying my best and truest friend. Cue happy tears! Later on during the heartwarming toasts, my sister spoke about how happy she was that Andrew & I figured it out together and that we should never let go of what we have between us. Happy tears once more!During the salad, guests were starting to notice that each table had a different board or card game available to play. One of Andrew’s father’s cousins snuck over to the kids table and took their game – Trouble! She was so happy to have found that board game at our wedding, and we had never seen an adult so excited to see a game. Watching them then play the game made it even more fun!

Romantic, timeless, comfortable, crafty – these are a few words that came to mind while planning our wedding. We knew that we wanted to stick to a certain budget, and we were able to meet that goal by doing what I love doing – making everything I possibly could myself! We wanted everyone to feel welcomed and as though they truly are part of our story. Friends and family call my mom the “crafty-crafty queen,” so it only makes sense that I wanted to be the “craft princess” by cutting and creating each centerpiece and floral. Making the paper flowers gave me the opportunity to think about not only the wedding but each guest at the tables, taking time to think about what special touches could we include at our wedding so that there was something for everyone. What was most special for us was overhearing guests saying, “Oh! Look! We got this game to play first. I’m so excited!” That’s when we knew that all of that crafting and planning was worth it.

Be true to you and your future spouse; Andrew did not want to dance at all at his wedding, so we didn’t have dancing. Instead we personally selected fun games for our guests to play, and it seems like every time we talk about our wedding with someone they always loved that they got to play games instead of dancing.

Hire a day-of coordinator and a photographer that you respect, love their artistry, and have your best interests at heart! Tiffani and our coordinator, Laura, made sure that we had to worry for nothing but always made sure we were comfortable with what was happening. I cannot image what our wedding would have been like without them there!

Take the time to explain to each other the things you want, and just as importantly, do not want at your wedding. We took the time to list out our desires, and we came to a compromise on what we would include. Also, do not be afraid to talk to everyone about your big day. Good ideas come from the craziest places, and there are no bad ideas in brainstorming.

MY VENDORS:

Ceremony Venue: Hope UMC | Reception Venue: Matisse at the Ayres Hotel | Coordinator: Laura Bevilacqua

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Wedding Gown Boutique & Designer: David’s Bridal Collection | Wedding & Engagement rings: LaMore Design (engagement ring) & ModernWeddingRing (wedding rings) | Other Bride Details: Necklace , Earrings | Bride Shoes: www.whitemountainshoes.com | Bridesmaids dresses: Coralie Beatrix | Bridesmaids robes: robemart.com | Groom Suit & Effects: Hollywood Suits | Groom Details: MOH, fabric from www.spoonflower.com & template from www.tie-a-tie.net | Groomsmen gifts: www.thinkgeek.com