Well..if you read the title of this post you've probably already come to the conclusion that there was a blackout. Here is the story of how the day unfolded: The day started out like any other wedding day. I arrived at Alyssa's hotel room to capture her getting into her dress..of course she was beautiful and so ready to see her groom-to-be Eric for the first time! They had their first look which was so sweet and emotional..I tried my best to hold back my own tears but I couldn't! Then off to the church we went..Eric, his groomsmen, myself, and my awesome assistant Gabriel! When I arrived at the church, I was greeted at the door by Eric. I was all happy and smiles until Eric said "Did the coordinator tell you what happened?" "No" I said in confusion.."what happened?" Apparently, earlier that day someone got into an accident, hit a pole, which then caused a blackout on the ENTIRE block, church included. It wasn't until Eric told me what happened, that I looked up and realized that the church was completely dark and with no air conditioning. Mind you it was one of the hottest weekends of the year so this whole blackout thing couldn't have come at a worse time..well aside from the fact that it happened on Alyssa & Eric's wedding day! For a second I thought "this is terrible!" But I quickly realized that we could make this work and with the help of Alyssa & Eric's AMAZING wedding coordinator Michelle, the ceremony would go on as planned. Now normally, churches do not let you use flash during the ceremony but of course this was an exception and the rules no longer applied here..thank GOD!! I really commend Alyssa & Eric for their ability to just "let go" & enjoy their ceremony despite what had happened. This truly is what the wedding day is all about..letting go and embracing the reason of why everyone was at the church in the first place...to celebrate their love and each other! It really couldn't have been a more special day and I feel TRULY honored to have witnessed this moment in Alyssa & Eric's life. Alyssa & Eric..thank you so much for not only reminding me of what's really important in life & marriage, but also reminding me of why I love what I do! You two are the best and I KNOW that you'll walk through life together conquering all obstacles with a few tears but also with smiles and a lot of laughter!
I LOVED Alyssa's shoes!
Alyssa has such a warm, vivacious smile :-)
During their first look, Alyssa was giggling and smiling as she made her way to Eric..
It wasn't until they saw each other for the first time that she broke down into tears..I was caught completely off guard by this and totally cried too! Sometimes I just can't help myself..it was really such a sweet moment!
I love this series..look at how happy they are!
Okay, so despite the whole blackout thing, there was also the issue of the seriously hot weather! Alyssa & Eric were troopers though and tried to stay happy and dry during the portraits together..thanks guys!!
They really are adorable together :-)
The details Alyssa & Eric planned were INCREDIBLE! Eric is a die-hard Lakers fan so their theme was purple & gold..executed to perfection!
One of the most memorable wedding moments I've ever had in my career. Alyssa & Eric were going to do a "reveal" of the ballroom once everything was set up. There had been some difficulties getting all the uplights to work but the lighting technician finally got all the lights up & running (the irony of the lights not working at the reception as well is not lost on me!). I'm sure Alyssa & Eric were anxious to see all the hard work they had put in during this whole process so once the doors finally opened, Alyssa just burst into tears and exclaimed "everything looks so beautiful!" Eric embraced her and whispered to her something I can only assume was sweet and romantic :-) I'm sure the stress of what had happened earlier in the day had just been pent up inside and just seeing it all come together allowed them to just "let go" and enjoy this moment..I love it! LOL..check out Eric's "Championship" trophy :-)
This picture sums them up in a nutshell :-)
Thanks to the following wedding vendors for going above & beyond to make Alyssa & Eric's wedding magical! Michelle Tortuya from the Charming Little Event Company (seriously..Michelle rocks! I've worked with her several times and everything always come together so beautifully!). Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church - thanks for bending the rules for us! Westin Hotel, Long Beach Rossmoor Pastries Commerce Flowers Cheesy Photobooth Fusion Linens Studio West Video Atmosphere DJ |
