A romantic vintage wedding.
It has taken me a while to write this blog for Eliza and Nick's wedding, and I think it's because I'm not sure I will ever find the words to really describe how special this day was. Let me start from the beginning... Last year when I first received a message from Eliza asking about photographing their wedding we chatted about how Nick and Eliza met and what moments they were most looking forward to on their wedding day. Eliza told me about how she had lost her father when she was younger and planned the day in a way that she could honor him and feel that his love and memory was a part of the day. I immediately felt this extra level of care to documenting this day. As if I was given a task to protect something precious, and I took that responsibility very seriously.
Last summer we met for their engagement session at the beautiful Laguna Gloria, which is not only a stunning venue but Nick also had some memories of taking art classes there when he was younger. (If you haven't had the chance to read the blog about their engagement session, you should check it out HERE.) Their vibe was elegant with a hint of vintage and it didn't take us long to start laughing and chatting about life as if we were old friends. We took a moment to get close ups of the engagement ring like I always like to do during engagement sessions and that is when Eliza told me the story of her ring, being her mother's ring from her father. Spending this time with Eliza and Nick I started to understand the importance of family, traditions, and memories were to the two of them.
Time felt like it really flew between meeting them at their engagement session and their wedding day. I was so excited for this day. I had even brought on an extra set of hands, not just my wonderful fiance as my second photographer, to ensure the special moments of the day were covered. It wasn't until I arrived at the house Eliza was getting ready in that I felt (and this is another moment that is hard to put into words) this strong connection to the day. I received such a warm welcome the moment I walked into the house from all of her lovely bridesmaids and her mother. It was wonderful seeing Eliza again, when I popped in to see how she was feeling and how hair and makeup was going. From that moment on I kept learning about all ways and details in which Eliza and Nick included family and her father into this special day. The house Eliza was getting ready in was not only her childhood home, but also her father's childhood home. The wonderful man doing her hair and makeup did her mother's wedding hair and makeup years ago. Eliza was wearing her mother's wedding dress. Her father, William, was a big part of the Episcopal Church of Reconciliation and had his name engraved on a stone in the church's courtyard. The metal coop glasses Eliza and Nick were drinking out of during the reception were glasses from Eliza's parents wedding. It had their wedding date engraved on the top, so Eliza and Nick also engraved their date on the base of the glasses. Eliza's father's best friend also gave a toast on William's behalf quoting from a note he had written before his passing. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Even thinking about the day as I write out all of these amazing and special moments is making me tear up all over again. And even though they didn't end up getting the exact send off they wanted at the end of the evening, the day felt perfect. The love they have for each other, the strength of their family bonds, being surrounded by the people that mean the most to them. It was beautiful, and it was just perfect.
