As we were talking about doing an engagement party in the meantime, the idea came up that if we were already bringing our people together to celebrate our commitment at an engagement party, why not just do a small ceremony instead?

We wanted to do a couple's boudoir shoot to show not only our vulnerability but also our deep love for each other. There's something very vulnerable about having the person who knows you intimately be there with you. There's nowhere to hide but also, I had my safe person there so it felt comfortable to be more vulnerable.

Not too long after we started dating, I went outside to see that my car had been hit in the middle of the night. I was working on a film set that morning, and couldn't be late for work to deal with it. I called Darius crying, and without skipping a beat, he asked me for the set address and told me that he would meet me there. He showed up, picked up my keys, and I came home to find out that he had handled absolutely everything for me that day. New tires, insurance called...everything. I knew right then that he was a keeper!

Whitney and I love a good craft beer, so when she threw out the idea of getting married in a brewery, I didn’t even ask her which one, I just told her that was the best idea I’d ever heard. Right Proper Brewing Co. was the only venue we visited, because their great Belgian style beers and the industrial-yet-intimate brew house provided us with the perfect wedding vibe we were looking for.

When I dreamt of a wedding, it looked a lot like the royal wedding from one of my favorite movies: “Coming to America.” My dress came pretty close to that “dramatic” and classic effect. Glenn wanted a classic and sharp look in his black tux — and he nailed it!

It’s that time of the year! Here are our favorite real wedding moments from 2018!

Dana and TJ’s ceremony was simply perfect. We laughed and cried during the perfectly decorated ceremony on the lawn of the Brakefield at Riverwalk. After the ceremony, Dana surprised TJ with a custom leather moto jacket that said Alpha Wife For Life as a tribute to TJ’s fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. How chic did she look with the jacket and gown on?!

After meeting and falling in love, Abirami and Dilshan maintained a long-distance relationship. But the distance was simply too much, so Dilshan proposed to Abirami by surprising her at her apartment—on one knee, holding out a beautiful diamond ring. What followed was a magnificent wedding full of vibrancy, vivacity, and colors inspired by their South Indian and Sri Lankan cultures. 

We met at Dore Alley, Folsom Street fair's smaller, gayer, and more local equivalent. I was experimenting with my exhibitionist side, walking around naked and being the social butterfly that I am. Eugene and I passed by each other from afar a couple times, but we didn't talk until the end when he saw me putting my clothes back on and talking to a friend. He came up to me and asked me a little about myself and asked for my number. We took a selfie together for his contact in my phone, and a couple weeks later, I hit him up for our first date.

A lot of the inspiration photos I found for an engagement photo shoot were very rustic, which is cool, but not a fit for a couple like us. I knew I wanted something highly elegant.

I come from a multicultural background — my mom is from Portugal and my dad is from Jamaica, and I was born and raised in Canada. So many of our friends come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. We had everyone there. I thought it was such a beautiful reflection of being a 21st century couple and all the wonderful diversity surrounding us.

English and Sam decided to bring along their two dogs during their session for photos of all of them together as a family. If you know me, you know that I am always happy when my clients bring along their fur babies. English and Samantha's pups, Kerwin and Zoe, wore a matching bandanna and bowtie set, and rocked out their photos with the couple

We chose to have two wedding days that captured who we are and our mixed background; Daniel is Chinese and I am from Sri Lanka. 

We have always wanted a fairytale wedding. Our thing is Peter Pan, so when we found the venue in a secret garden with all these magical lights, we knew we had to stick with it and create our own fairytale in our very own secret garden under the stars. The venue was a total accident. I was looking up photographers and saw the venue as part of a styled shoot, and Sam fell in love. I like navy blue, and I’m not sure how we landed on blush, maroon, and gold, but it worked out very well for our fall wedding.

The couple told me they were looking for a venue with a rustic ranch theme, and found it in the Circle Oak Ranch. They viewed the photos online, and immediately scheduled a visit. They knew instantly that it was the place they were going to get married. 

We’ve known each other since high school without ever officially meeting. Life took us in different directions, although we both knew about each other from mutual friends. In university, we both took a Psychology of Sexuality course and truly met there.

To meet Felix (floral jacket) and Ishak (black jacket) is to meet vibrant electricity in a colorful place. You can't help but to feel happiness and excitement when you're in their presence. We shot in the streets of Havana at 7am and it was nothing short of early morning magic. And even better for them: they got on a plane to Paris later that evening for what would be Felix's first time out of his home country! During the entire shoot all we did was laugh and it was easy to see their genuine love for one another. Their energy was contagious!

Our inspiration for the day was classic and clean, with a white and navy blue color scheme. We wanted to incorporate a lot of natural candle lights, florals and rustic greenery. We didn’t incorporate any cultural or religious traditions. Our best friend was the officiant who added a personal element to our ceremony. We couldn’t have dreamt of another person marrying us. She was truly perfect.

I will tell you the best thing about being married—it literally is like having a sleepover with your best friend every night. Before I met Natalie, there was nothing I hated more than this sleepover saying. I thought it was stupid and inaccurate. I was so wrong. Natalie and I make it a point to always let the other person know that they are appreciated, either through word or deed, and both of us work consciously to make sure the other person’s “love tank” is full (Read the book 5 Love Languages—it’s amazing). Knowing that you have a partner and best friend who is always trying to make you feel loved and secure makes it so easy to give that back to them in return.

Janelle:

William and I met through my aunt at an Olive Garden. We re-connected six days later in San Diego, and in true “US” fashion we met at a favorite taco shop of mine. From there we headed to the Cabrillo monument to soak in the panoramic view overlooking La Jolla/Pacific Beach just as the sun set in the distance. The day flew by as we joined in transparent and authentic conversation about our past, present, and future desires for our lives.