Posts tagged unique wedding
St. Francis Episcopal Church & Palos Verdes Golf Club Wedding - Sarah + Ryan

Last summer, Sarah cried or looked like she was crying when we said bye to each other after her wedding reception ended. She later wrote, " I see you like a friend and can I honestly tell you it makes me sad that we don't get to hang out now?" Sarah and Ryan live in Chicago, and it's amazing how much I get to know two complete strangers and be able to connect with them, their close friends and family on wedding day, which is why I love weddings so much; it's like a summary of who you are, where you came from, who you're surrounded.

Here are some of my favorites; their ceremony was held at St. Francis Episcopal Church in beautiful Palos Verdes and the reception was at Palos Verdes Golf Club.

Brittany + Brendan

I didn't want to shoot this wedding.

I wanted to self-invite and enjoy the wedding as a guest. I knew I was going to love this couple after months of numerous e-mails and a Skype call, and Brittany and Brendan made that true when we first met in person a couple of days before their wedding at The 1909 in Topanga. They have a huge love affair with food (just like me!), and both of them are earnest and warmhearted people who could not take their eyes off of each other the entire emotion-filled day and night.

It was Brendan's first time EVER to wear a suit, and their first time to get any "professional" photos taken. It was certainly the most relaxing wedding I've ever been to and worked at, and was a wedding of how I would imagine for my own in the future - filled with love, celebration, good music and yummy food.

Brittany and Brendan met each other through a mutual friend about 4 years ago. On their first date, they had tacos and discussed the future of Facebook. (She works for Facebook and he is in the tech industry), then they did that on the second date as well and they seem to do that all the time. Then, two summers ago, he surprised her with a ring in Hawaii.

"I didn't say 'yes' at first, and I apologized for that," Brittany said. "We started a philosophical discussion about marriage, proposal, and engagement. And 10 minutes into it, I'm saying 'yes,'"

"We make each other better and more ourselves. I know I'm more honest, silly, vulnerable and confident because of Brittany," Brendan said.

I still can't forget those many moments when they stared at each other's eyes so lovingly and exchanged adorable smiles. I'm very lucky to have met kindred and loving spirits like Brittany and Brendan and to learn how to draw joy, hope and inspiration out of what I'm surrounded in most humble way. Thank you, again, and congratulations!! Yay!

The Most Unique Wedding Ever. Dani + Gabriel
Dani: I think in the face of it all, maybe love and compassion aren't luxuries, but necessities. With love, we're no longer alone in these vastnesses, and we can face them not with fear, but with humility and gratitude.
Gabriel: And with you, the vastness isn't just bearable...
Dani: What is it, then?
Gabriel: It is beautiful.

This beautiful Long Beach wedding had lots of happy tears, laughs, and a rock climbing wall as one of their surprises that knocked everyone’s socks off.

Dani and Gabriel met at Cal State University Long Beach, and I never get tired of hearing how they met; she fell into his lap while rock climbing indoor. "I totally caught her," Gabriel said.

Everything had a meaning in this wedding. I mean, e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Gabriel MADE their own wedding rings out of wood panels. He was polishing them even on the day of wedding - because he's just an awesome perfectionist. The couple decided to donate their partial wedding funds to 3 different charity organizations as guests got involved with depositing the DIY wooden tokens into a charity jar of their choice. As they volunteer to raise guide dogs for the blind, we had about 10 guide dogs as wedding guests.

The entire wedding was simply all about love, joy of life and celebration. I was so blessed to observe and feel all the love everyone was pouring, and this most-unique-wedding-ever definitely brought together all their closest friends and family for a celebration everyone will remember forever.

Cheers!