A beautiful, genuine couple got married this spring and I had the honor of documenting their wedding day for them. Maria and Fernando‘s wedding took place at Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach. The week leading up to their outdoor wedding day was beautiful with clear, sunny skies. Waking up on the morning of the big day, my heart sunk. It was raining and really gloomy and incredibly windy and nothing what they imagined for their wedding day. I was ready to tackle the challenge, and so were all of the other vendors and guests and even Maria and Fernando. But, we were definitely all praying for a quick change in the weather.
Their coordinator, Jenny (Jen Events), was AWESOME. She was everywhere all at once but also right by my side when I needed her. In such a large venue AND with so many last-minute changes to accommodate the weather – that’s nearly impossible to do! Yet, she pulled it off beautifully and helped everyones nerves settle down in the process.
Their florist, Kat (Kat’s Creations), was also AWESOME. With the gusting wind, she was concerned their original floral pieces and archway for the ceremony might topple over – not good! She busted a move to re-do the original design and made smaller pieces that stayed put throughout the entire ceremony!
10 minutes before their ceremony started – our prayers were answered. The clouds parted and the rain stopped. You may notice in some of the photos that we were basically in the eye of the storm. Beautiful, blue skies hovered over us. The dark and gloomy skies stayed just on the outskirts. (Though, the wind stayed around to keep things interesting and fun.) The harsh weather stayed away until just after all the planned outdoor portraits were done. Once we were safely inside, it poured. It was a miracle.
Oh, and can we talk about their first dance? It was by far the most powerful first dance I’ve ever witnessed and hands down my favorite part of their wedding day. Maria and Fernando took secret dance lessons leading up to their wedding day. They weren’t going to let the fact that he’s in a wheel chair hold them back from a tradition they both deeply wanted to be a part of. They wanted to surprise everyone with a routine – and boy, what a surprise it was. There was not one dry eye in the house – everyone was sobbing in joy for this couple, myself included. I could barely see through my viewfinder as I was photographing such a memorable and precious moment. Towards the end of their slow dance, an upbeat song started and they tore up the dance floor. They brought up their bridal party and everyone cheered, clapped and boogied in celebration of the love they found in each other.
This is a moment I will never, ever forget.
This wedding has been featured on The Lovely Knot.
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