Soul Mates Marry at Lake Oak Meadows in Temecula

I normally don’t write a blog about a wedding until the client has chosen their photos for their album and this is why there are not very many blogs written on my website for weddings because I have hundreds of brides who have not chosen their photos for their albums yet.

But luckily I just finished editing the images for Jennifer and Sean’s wedding album and I finally was able to make my little slideshow for YouTube and write this blog.

as a matter of fact I would have to say that I am honored to be writing this blog because this was definitely one of my all-time favorite weddings. I have shot some extraordinary weddings add some extraordinary venues but I don’t always get that warm tingly feeling of being in the presence of real soulmates.

When I first met Jennifer and Sean quite a while ago now, thinking back, they sat in my home office and we were chatting about how they met and how they were friends for a while and then they decided to start dating and how they are completely convinced that they are soulmates and normally the bride is the one that is talking about the warmth of their love but this time Sean stepped in and said…. And I remembered as clearly as if it just happened…”I didn’t believe in all that stuff, you know, soulmates but now I know that it’s true because she is my soulmate!”

Wow, literally my eyes teared up. For a couple to be so clearly in love and so excited about their upcoming nuptials, it made me very excited also.

 

(Video Slideshow at the bottom of this post with more images)

Jennifer and Shawn were telling me all about their really cool wedding that was going to take place in Temecula at a wedding venueans event called Lake Oak Meadows.  It had been a long time since I had shot at Lake Oak Meadows in Temecula. They’re beautiful lush Garden setting, the lake that illuminates with fire at night is literally a dream come true. In a couple of years I will be getting married also and every time I shoot a wedding I think I wonder if I could get married here, is this the type of place that I would love to get married at? And of course that would be a resounding yes!

I love like this doesn’t often come around. After having photographed weddings for now over 25 years of course I see couples that are in love. That’s one of the best parts of my job is seeing people at their best, at their happiest, at their most in love. Of course I’ve seen the tragedies of divorce over the years or troublesome marriages. I also wonderfully get to be a witness to some of the deepest truest loves in the world. This was such the case. Jennifer and Sean are true soulmates and I know with everything that I have inside of me that they will be together forever. Perfect like yin and yang they balance each other. They are both sweet polite and loving to one another. They are respectful and loving. I know that their love Is a fairytale love like we all dream of.

A perfect union of souls that travel together forever.

It honestly reignited my idea that these types of true love’s really do exist. Even in my own life I have met my soulmate, and although the relationship is far from perfect and we have problems just like everyone else…..I know in my heart of hearts that what I have is magical just like what Jennifer and Sean have. They are blessed and lucky to have found one another.

We started the day at lake oak Meadows in Temecula for Jennifer and Sean’s wedding in the girls room and out near the girls getting ready cottage. We shot the dress and the shoes and all of the details that make a wedding. My second photographer Noah started shooting the boys inside of the boys cabin.

After shooting the details I went back into the girls cabin at Lake Oak Meadows and started shooting Jennifer and the girls getting dressed and ready we got so many beautiful photos inside of the cabin because it’s light and airy and there is plenty of light to be able to shoot really beautiful photos as you can tell from the photos below. there are beautiful little chandeliers throughout the cabin and even a little courtyard where I was able to take photos of Jennifer in her beautiful wedding dress.

Afterwards I walked around the ground with Jennifer and the bridesmaids and took their photos before the ceremony. All of the girls were gregarious and really fun. We had a great time walking around. lake oak Meadows in Temecula is a perfect venue for photographers because everywhere you look there’s a little vignette ready to have a beautiful bride in front of and lots of photos taken. We shot all around the lake with all the beautiful trees draping in the background. 

Afterwards we shot the boys and all of the same locations that we shot the girls but of course boys always bring their own magic to the photos. we had so much fun with Sean and his groomsmen just walking around and taking pictures they had us cracking up.

Finally the moment came for the ceremony as you can tell from the photos below it was such a special ceremony. Full of special details for their artistic Urban, DJ ,artist ,wedding. I forgot to mention that Sean is a DJ and Jennifer is an artist… So they brought their particular really cool details to the wedding. The ceremony took place overlooking the beautiful lake, at lake oak Meadows in Temecula. With the willow tree draping over there ceremony it was absolutely magical you couldn’t ask for a more perfect day. 

Afterwards I finally got a chance to take photos of Jennifer and Sean with their family and finally the pictures of both of them together. I help my bride and grooms with their schedules so we can always be sure that their photos of the two of them together what I call the creative formals are always taken in the right time of day. We really want those photos taken at Golden hour which is about an hour before sunset.

We walked all over lake oak Meadows and took some extraordinary photos of them as you can see here.

Their love absolutely shined through.

After their photos we went straight into reception and grand entrance.

The reception was filled with beautiful details from their creative life. A cake topped with cartoon figures of them DJing… Dripping in white and gold. A piano decorated with all kinds of desserts all decorated to their Urban theme of DJing, records and art. Even little cupcakes with the tops of spray paint cans or luscious and so adorable. 

they walked in with confidence and fun and to all of their family and friends waiting to adore them. We spent the evening taking family pictures and of course all of their formalities. With an emotional first dance, mother son dance and father-daughter dance along with cake cutting bouquet toss and garter toss the day was just filled with so much laughter and so much love.

Afterwards but before we left I took them outside to take a couple of photos of them along the fire lake. As you can see the photos at Lake Oak Meadows at night are extraordinary.

I want to firstly thank the bride and groom, Jennifer and Sean not only for hiring me for their wedding day but also for reigniting that deep soulful Love Is possible… And still alive and well in our modern world. I also want to thank all of the vendors and everybody who made this day happen I have listed everyone below along with their email addresses and Instagram names.

Everyone was just amazing!

Cake: Kathy Stringer

IG: @bocakesbakery

Email: bocakes1@aol.com

 

Videographer: Cody  Newkirk

IG: @theweddingmemory 

 Email: cody@theweddingmemory.com

 

Makeup: Paulina Bustos

IG:  @mrspaulinab

Email: dollmeuppaulina@gmail.com

 

Hair: Brenda

IG: Hairapybybrenda

 

Photobooth: Tim

IG: enchanted_OC

 

Dessert table: Jenn Umayam Cortes

IG: my_sweet_hobby_79

 

Florist: Jenn Joco

IG: @californiapetals

Email: californiapetals@gmail.com

 

the sweetheart table, piano for the dessert table and the phonograph for the sign in table

 

IG: @madampaloozaemporium

Email: create@madampaloozaemporium.com

 

Coordinator Angela Duurance from the Venue

 

Venue Lake Oak Meadows Temecula