Writing about Hotel Maya was a lot of fun, so when I came across this recent wedding shot by the fabulous Adrienne Gunde I was more than excited to see it come to life.
From Adrienne: “Kelie and Kaare were married in Long Beach on a sunny May afternoon. I met with Kelie and her bridesmaids at the juicy-colored Hotel Maya, followed by a sweet first look right along the waters edge, and portraits around the hotel’s grounds. The unique & mod hotel was actually Kelie’s main reason for wanting to do a first look - she was smitten by the bright colorful architecture (as am I! smitten silly!) and knew that doing a first look was the only way to get portraits there since the ceremony took place at a different location.”
Wedding Coordination: Jennifer Yamauchi
Photography: Adrienne Gunde
[Images via Adrienne Gunde]
We have a beautiful love story to share with you today. Emily Scannell of Borrowed Blue Old New photographed the wedding of Janie and Aric who have known each other since they were 12 years old!
From Janie: “Aric and I met when we were 12 years old during church summer camp, in Watsonville, CA. It was a crush at first sight! Growing up in different cities, our friendship was really formed through years of writing letters and spending time every summer at camp. Year after year, our feelings for each other grew stronger, but we didn’t date until I moved to San Francisco for college. Sadly, that was short lived and we soon lost touch. I eventually moved down to Los Angeles and he moved to San Luis Obispo for school. Fast-forward 10 years later, we bumped into each other at a mutual friend’s wedding. Seeing him that day felt exactly like every first day of camp, where my stomach would fill with butterflies from nervousness and excitement! About a year after reconnecting, Aric moved down to Los Angeles and we’ve been together ever since.”
“Our ceremony was held in the lobby of the Merchant’s Exchange Building and the reception was upstairs in the Julia Morgan Ballroom, with three fireplaces! To keep from competing with the beautiful venue, we wanted to keep the décor minimal and elegant, with a mix of modern and classic. Our amazing florist, Nancy Liu Chin, filled every table with candles and an array of different white flowers, everything from orchids to dahlias, with varying heights and sizes. ”
On Janie’s favorite moment: “So many moments were created for us that day. If I had to pick just one, I would have to say it was our first dance. I am not a dancer by any means and am not the most comfortable being the center of attention, so I was pretty nervous about it, just praying that I wouldn’t trip over my own dress. When the time came, I was floating on cloud nine, dancing with my husband for the first time! “
[Images via Borrowed Blue Old New]
I have a great wedding to share with you all today that fits perfectly with our Tearjerker theme. I stumbled across Zach and Beth’s wedding while looking at Kate Botwinski’s photography blog. I love all of the tender, heartfelt moments she captured — their joy, tears and love really pop out of the photo.
Kate was eager to provide the sweet details about Zach and Beth’s relationship, and I am so glad she did because their story is so wonderful! . Zach & Beth met through a mutual friend on facebook while Zach was in college at The United States Air Force Academy and Beth at Kansas University. He saw her picture and thought she was gorgeous. After sending countless facebook messages back and forth, they met for the first time in the Rockies for a long-weekend ski trip with friends. Zach & Beth dated across the country from each other for a few years. Beth made weekend trips to visit Zach at his Air Force bases, and Zach treated Beth to day-long shopping trips and fancy dinners all throughout their relationship - every girl’s dream!
Zach proposed to Beth at the end of 2008 in a quiet downtown Chicago park. They had planned a get-away trip to bring in the new year together. He held her hand and took out headphones so that she could listen to a song because it told how she makes him feel: “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds. While she was listening, Zach got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. There was plenty more to celebrate than simply the start of a new year! The next day Beth’s mom had a congratulatory package delivered to their hotel room for the couple: customized M&M candies reading, “Zach proposed” and “Beth said yes!” among many other goodies.
The couple wed in the Village Presbyterian Church and walked the same wedding aisle as Beth’s parents walked years earlier. Beth’s dad walked her down the aisle and she carried the same special white bible that her grandmother and cousin carried down the aisle with their flowers.
Isn’t their story sweet? I love the pictures of Zach dancing with his mother and Beth dancing with her father — it practically brings a tear to my eye!
Many thanks again to Kate for sharing this lovely wedding with us!
[Images via Kate Botwinski ]
I think my heart just grew 10x. This wedding is too adorable for words — it just goes to show that you are never too old to find/fall in love.
Elizabeth Messina photographed the sweet, timeless wedding of her grandfather several years ago. From her website: “my grandmother & grandfather were married for sixty years….after my grandmother passed away, anthony was set up on a blind date with mae through his church….a couple of years later mae & anthony were married in new mexico…it was such a honor to photograph my grandfather’s wedding and this very sweet and intimate part of my family’s lives….you are never too old to fall in love…”
[Images via Elizabeth Messina]
Many of you may know Megan Hunt, owner of Princess Lasertron . Megan makes non-traditional vintage felt and button bouquets and accessories for brides.
Megan’s quirky sense of style and love of color translated beautifully to her own wedding in 2008. Megan and her husband David got married at The Slowdown , a modern, industrial music venue. Of course, she did her own flowers (in pink and black, love that!) to match her ADORABLE dress. Polka dots, pink, black, tulle, and a big bow?? What’s not to love!
Becky Novacek captured the colors so perfectly to make everything POP! From the colors to the venue, Megan and David used their own unique and fun personalities to create a beautiful wedding!
* Check out Princess Lasertron’s website for more info about her beautiful bouquets with flowers available in any color of the rainbow.
[Images via Princess Lasertron , Becky Novacek Photography ]
