This wedding is really special to me! So special that I insisted on writing this blog myself even though my daughter Maya has been blogging for me for the last couple of years.
It’s been about 1 week since I photographed this wedding and every time Maya, my daughter, and I talk about we still get choked up with tears. We love talking about this wedding. We love telling people all about the love and affection that radiated throughout throughout wedding.
The first time that Allison’s dad, Daniel, contacted me I could hear the warmth in his voice and the pure love that he has for his daughter Allison. We chatted on the phone about what would be the best options for the wedding and him and Janine, Allison’s mom, came over to meet with me so we could chat more about the wedding. It was quite convenient as they live basically right across the street from me … walking distance.
When we were all together in our meeting they gushed about their daughter and explained to me how very important it was that she have a beautiful wedding. They were not overly concerned with budget, they were not overly concerned with too many details, the only thing that concerned them was expressing their love to their daughter by being able to put together a beautiful wedding for her. As they stated … she is their one and only.
Shortly after Allison and Jakob’s wedding with her parents. I scheduled a phone call with Allison and Jacob to go over details about the wedding and their engagement session.
We photographed their engagement session at Pasadena City Hall, very near where they live. The entire engagement session they gushed in love with each other. Now, I have been a wedding photographer for over 30 years and I have seen hundreds and hundreds of couples. Couples that are very concerned with what outfits they are wearing and how they look. Couples that will take gorgeous photos and do exactly as I say. But, Allison and Jacob were all giggles and rainbows and a butterflies and everything that is sweet in the world.
When they looked at each other, they looked at each other like no one else existed in this universe for them.
It really tugged at my heartstrings. Their photos were so full of emotion and love and happiness and beauty that it made my job so easy.
Let me take a moment to talk a little bit about Allison’s parents, Daniel and Janine. I know how why Allison is such a happy person. I know why she found her perfect soulmate and they both love each other so much. It absolutely stems from having amazing, loving, well-adjusted parents who are therapists. Wow! I will not say that I am envious of Allison’s parents! I won’t say it out loud! I won’t say that when I stopped by to look at their house preparing for the wedding day and chat with them that I didn’t absolutely ache in my soul for well-adjusted beautiful healthy parents who want nothing more than their daughter’s absolute happiness! They are a testament to how making your children a priority in love makes for beautiful, happy well-adjusted children… that walk through life with a glow and love to them… that radiates and touches everything around them.
My daughter Maya and I started the day at Daniel and Janine’s home where Allison with the help of her cousin did her makeup and got dressed and ready.
Allison’s parents home is one that is rich with heirlooms and emotionally anchored possessions. Absolutely the opposite of me! Janine will explain to you how Daniel created this thing or that thing with his own hands and her dad made the stained glass windows in her home. How this piece was passed down through generations and also that piece.
I love a beautiful heirloom home full of memories and the ghosts of our ancestors even though I am nothing like that I do have a deep appreciation for it.
Allison’s dress was purchased in uptown and in a very Allison way she also got the dress embroidered in lilac flowers and forest green leaves. Because it wouldn’t be Allison if it wasn’t completely unique. She wore jewelry that was passed down from her grandmother, a beautiful choker necklace. And of course she wore glittery short boots to top it all off … Which she graciously removed in the middle of her ceremony because enough was enough! Everything about the items that she chose to represent her and her wedding had a story and a history.
Everything was rich and emotion and steeped in the past.
Everyone ran around getting dressed and ready and Allison just laughed her way through the day. Daniel was pulling out the handmade cutting boards that he lovingly created as guest gifts. Each one affectionately crafted with his own hands and accompanied by a beautiful letter to their guests. He also created the arch that stood in the church adorned with flowers. Again with his own loving hands.
Emotions were high as Allison got dressed and there were so many hugs and kisses I just couldn’t keep track.
Her cousin and maid of honor helped her with makeup and with getting dressed and ready along with her mom.
After she was dressed I photographed a few pictures of her in her home and then we set out for the first look that took place at Central Park in Whittie…. right next to our homes.
I photographed Allison and Jakob’s first look at Central Park with their Church in the background. As you can see from these photos it was a very fun and emotional moment.
Both of them were just thrilled and happy to be in the moment.
After the first look we walked around downtown and photographed all of their creative formal and artistic pictures. They’re fine art wedding portraits were so much fun to photograph in uptown Whittier. I photographed them in all of my favorite landmarks as I walk these streets every single day when I help walk my three Huskies. Over the last few weeks I have been noting where the light is and where I think I want to photograph Allison and Jakob.
We took all of the brides and groomsmen all around Uptown and had lots of fun with everyone.
After the photos we went straight into ceremony which took place around sunset.
It was a beautiful ceremony with lots of hymns and lots of emotion. The ceremony took place at United First Methodist Church. Which is my neighborhood church. Uptown Whittier is really important to Allison as that is where she grew up.
After ceremony we took a few family portraits as the light of the day grew dim and blew hour began.
Straight away we went to the reception at Crystal Marquis off of Philadelphia and Greenleaf. The reception was beautiful decorated in purples and pinks. There was so much charcuterie everywhere and it was absolutely stunning what a great job Honey Petals Charcuterie did did with the design of the charcuterie boards. It was not only delicious but absolutely a work of art.
All of the details were so beautiful and there were so many gorgeous twinkly lights everywhere. I adore photographing with twinkly lights. The staff was all really nice at the Crystal Marquis in uptown Whittier. Wow and the flowers were absolutely gorgeous! A huge thanks to Fresh Flower Wholesale for the gorgeous bouquets. Plus the stunning cake! I mean look at this gorgeous cake! A thanks to Meechy Cakes in Whittier!
We finally went into grand entrance and right into first dance. Where Allison and Jakob showed off their sweet moves!
After first dance we all took a little break to have dinner and after dinner were the speeches. Now I have heard hundreds and hundreds of speeches and most of the time the maid of honor does a great job and the best man doesn’t. But usually parents beaches are short and uneventful but here the speeches were very eventful. Allison’s parents went first and they recited a little poem that they had written for Allison when she was a baby and in the hospital because Allison spent 3 months in the hospital when she was a baby. It was a poem that took each letter from her first name and attached it to something beautiful and after Allison’s name… Daniel and Janine also did Jakob’s name. I will never forget when they got to B and they said ” b is for belonging, you will always belong to us.” Wow that made Maya and I just choke up with tears. It’s one thing to write a poem about your daughter but another thing altogether to write a poem for your brand new son-in-law. Not that people go around writing poems for their daughters because I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone recite a poem for their daughter at any wedding I’ve ever been to. Nonetheless it was absolutely heartwarming and beautiful. After their speech Jakob’s parents went up joking about how they were not going to sing a poem. They also said some beautiful things about Allison and Jakob. After Jakob’s parents cousin and maid of honor went up and recited a pretty long and beautiful speech for the couple. It really hit home how much people love Allison and Jakob. Last minute chosen best man also gave a small speech but was nonetheless heartwarming.
After speeches uncle and priest went up and did the dinner prayer and Art, the DJ started cutting it up. Everyone was singing songs at their table and dancing and having such a great time. I was truly enjoying all of the music!
xxxThe evening was running a little behind as it normally does at most weddings so we decided to do all of the rest of the formalities back to back when it was time to cut the Cake it was almost a shame because the cake was so beautiful decorated in lilac flowers and cut out of lilac butterflies. Set up against a backdrop of beautiful well lit twinkly light Christmas trees it was absolutely a sight to see.
A huge thank you again to Meechy Cakes for the gorgeous cake!
After cake cutting we went right into parent dances. Father daughter dances always choke me up but this one particularly had me in tears. The mother son dance was also so beautiful and so sweet.
After parent dances we went right into bouquet and garter. Where we finish our beautiful night.
I want to give a huge shout out and thank you to Allison and Jacob for being the most inspiring couple of the decade. I also want to thank Janine and Daniel not only for hiring me for their daughter’s beautiful wedding but for being absolutely the sweetest most darling people I have ever met. You never know they might adopt me!
It takes a village to make a wedding happen and below is a list of everyone that came together to make this a perfect beautiful flawless day for Allison and Jacob there are so much that goes on behind the scenes that people are not aware of and all of these people put in so much work to make this such a beautiful day that went by absolutely flawlessly.
Thank you to Crystal Marquis their amazing customer service went above and beyond! I was truly impressed! IG @crystalmarquis
Garnet and Grace was the boutique that Allison bought her beautiful unique dress IG @garnetandgracebridalboutique
A job beautifully done by Folklore Dress Studio who embroidered Allison’s dress IG @ folklore_dress_studio
A great big hug and Thank you to Kammi and her sweetie hubby who did video for the event. They were just darling and so profession Kammie K Photography IG @kammikphotography_
Honey Petals Charcuterie did a STELLAR job with the charcuterie, the place was dripping in charcuterie!!! IG @honey_petals_charcuterie
The amazing Art was hired through the venue but MAN he really got everyone grooving! He was so much fun and I was digging the music he whole time I was there!
Finally the beautiful flower were just stunning and a huge thank you to IG @Freshflowerwholesale for the gorgeous florals
“whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
Emily Bronte
