The Wedding Day of
Vanessa & Luis
SEPTEMBER 16, 2023
FALLBROOK, BONSALL & OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA - The wedding day finally arrived for the lovebirds known as Vanessa and Luis. The morning had a frosty feel to it, but there wasn't a cloud in sight, despite the constant cloudy days we've been having this year. The warmth of the sun against your skin, combined with the chilly wind flowing from the nearby mountains, soothed you simultaneously. It was a beautiful day for a white wedding, as Billy Idol so eloquently put it.
Pre-Ceremony
We arrived at the apartments where Vanessa lived in Oceanside. She greeted us at the parking lot and guided us through the maze of pathways and walkways to reach her home. Her mom greeted us, and our friend Celeste welcomed us as she worked on Vanessa's mom. Celeste was hired to do Hair and Makeup for the women in the family.
After assisting my wife and co-photographer, Maria, I headed to San Diego to meet up with Luis. I drove through the lively barrio-like neighborhood. The morning Mexican restaurants were opening, and lines of workers were starting their day by waiting for champurrados, tamales, and mole. I wanted to stop myself, but I had to reach my groom who awaited me in his garage. We walked up to a two-story house where the life inside seemed to mirror the bustling life outside. Full of happiness and activity, with mothers attending to kids and breakfast, cousins and nephews getting dressed and searching for combs. Meanwhile, Luis remained calm and composed, as most grooms tend to be.
Ceremony
Walking into a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, you are always guaranteed to be greeted with a smile by one of the local members of the congregation, followed by the laughter of children or someone who has just heard the latest joke. But all of that seems to have no effect on the nervousness that a husband-to-be experiences as he waits, the clock ticking down on his single life before entering the bliss of marriage.
The Wedding Portraits
Now comes the time where art meets love. This is my favorite part.
It's party time!
Now that the first drop of the roller coaster of emotions from the wedding day has passed, the reception is where the fun begins, and we are right there to capture it all.
