Mariah looked so beautiful for her fabulous quinceanera and it was seriously so much fun. We started her pre-shoot at the horse ranch where her family rented her a gigantic black horse for her photos. Her mom said it was sentimental because when Mariah was little she had her own slime business and had a black horse on her logo. The horse was gorgeous and so well-behaved and the horse’s owners allowed us to go across the street to this gorgeous open field. The horse’s owners stayed nearby and helped us turn the horse and achieve the poses we were hoping to get. Everyone was so nice and helpful so a big shoutout to them. After taking photos with the majestic horse we stayed in the field for a little while longer taking pictures of Just Mariah in her huge champagne-pink dress. She looked like a real-life Barbie doll.
We did the rest of her pre-shoot at Pasadena City Hall, which is one of my favorite photography shots, and took photos well into sunset. She was a trooper through a chilly windy day in her big dress and was so patient even when we got the horse, yes, the horse, to pose for photos. The pre-shoot photos came out magical and then came the big day… Her birthday!!
The ceremony took place at First United Methodist Church of North Hollywood which had beautiful high ceilings and stained glass windows, great for lighting. They even let us clear the church and get some stunning pictures of Mariah that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to get, so a huge thank you to the staff. After the ceremony, we headed outside and took pictures of Mariah and her chambelanes. There was a super cute fountain in the courtyard area and the sky started to sprinkle a little which made for perfect lighting and a fun time. They headed off in their limo and we packed up and followed them.
Once it was time for the reception we headed to Allure Banquet Hall in Van Nuys. Talk about G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S! There were sparklers, fog machines, a whole DJ set up, and it seemed like endless food courses for the guests. Mariah’s name was set up on the dance floor in huge bright lights and her cake was ornately covered in pink and gold flowers. When she made her grand entrance the lights were turned off and the sparklers rang her in. It was gorgeous. She had her daddy-daughter dance and then immediately went into her choreographer dance with her chambelanes. After dinner, Mariah came out in a new outfit. Since Mariah is a cheerleader, she and her friends organized a surprise dance for everyone and it was insane! So much talent in these young girls and it was such an amazing night. Thanks to Sasha, Mariah’s mom, for hiring me and Beverly for the referral!
A big thank you to everyone who made this day run as well and efficiently as it did. It was seriously a blast.
Reception- Allure Banquet Hall
Catering- Allure Banquet Hall
Event Coordinator- Juliana
Florist- Veronica
Videographer- Patrick @Patrickstaehlmedia
Dj- Emie Gonzales