A Gold and Wine Lutheran Wedding in Los Altos, CA: Alexis + Tasha
/Alexis: "When I came across Tasha’s profile on Match.com, I knew I had to become a full paid member so I could reach out to her and start a conversation! That was the day both of our futures changed forever. I was drawn to Tasha both by what I read, and her amazing eyes and smile."
Tasha: "I had been on the site for several months not having much luck before this, and when we met, I was adamant about only looking for friends. Still, I was willing to schedule a meet-up. Our first date was at Mizu Sushi restaurant in San Jose, and we had great conversation. I learned later that Alexis was so nervous that she was sweating like crazy, but I was cool as a cucumber."
Alexis: "The fact that I was sweating shows how nervous I was to be sitting across from such a beautiful and confident woman! We pretty much hung out every opportunity we could after that."
Tasha: "We got married at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Los Altos, California. We chose this location because of its beautiful sanctuary and the love we were shown by the day-of coordinator. We both have a strong relationship with God, and know that a lot of Christian churches are not as willing or open to support same-sex marriages, but Immanuel Lutheran opened their doors to us with the upmost respect and love."
Alexis: "Well said, my love! Amen! We chose the location of our reception space and portrait locations based on the lush greenery and touches of natural wood accents. Redwood trees, which are native to this region of California, could be seen at each of the three locations we used that day. The reception venue showcased an awesome redwood deck just outside the floor to ceiling windows of the reception and dance area.
The church needed minimal décor, as it had beautiful stained glass windows behind the alter that matched our wedding colors well and exposed wood across the entire ceiling that went with our wood theme. We added green eucalyptus leaves wrapped in wine and gold ribbon to the end of each pew and a simple runner. The entrance to the ceremony was decorated with photos of us.”
Tasha: “We did a unity candle ceremony with a twist. It began with two individual candles lit by our mothers (with Alexis’ aunt in place of her mother who passed shortly after we met) symbolizing God creating two individual lives putting them in the hands of those who would nurture us and help us grow. Next, the candles were passed to our first best friends (our sisters), who then passed them to Alexis and I. We used our candles to light the large unity candle to represent us joining our lives to create our new family. We also did the broom jumping ceremony after we said ‘I do,’ which is common in African American wedding tradition.
My aunt also said a prayer for me and my ‘bridesmates’ prior to the ceremony, and Tasha’s uncle said a prayer for her prior to the ceremony.
For my wedding gown, I went to Trudy’s Bridal in Campbell and went with a Maggie Sottero champagne dress with light gold lace. Our florist created a simple bouquet of deep wine calla lilies — just the one flower, bound together with sparkly gold ribbon and a navy brooch my grandmother wore when she was alive. We used white calla lilies for Alexis’ boutonniere to symbolize simple beauty, and wine color roses for the ‘bridesmates’ boutonnieres."
Alexis: "For my suit I went to Park Place Vintage in Willow Glen and ordered from Statement Italy. My suit was expertly tailored, and in a rich wine color."
Words by Alexis and Tasha, the brides, as told to Amber Marlow. Photos by Apollo Fotografie.
VENDORS
Photography | Apollo Fotografie
Venue | University Club of Palo Alto
Decor | Blueprint Studios
Tasha’s dress | Trudy's
Suit | Park Place Vintage
Transportation | First Impression Transportation
Live Music | No Water After Midnight
APOLLO FOTOGRAFIE
Apollo Fotografie focuses on fine-art, natural light wedding photography. We take a candid, storytelling approach to capturing every moment of your day. We like to mix a documentary style, photo-journalistic perspective as well as more structured, curated portrait sessions. We love making photo magic with our clients, and preserving the day for eternity!
