Casanova Photography Blog

I’ve waited quite a while to write this post. I have to admit it was tough one to sit down and describe with words. Weddings are a big deal, no matter how you plan them. And I don’t just mean the actual party, I mean all of the changes that come with the wedding. A marriage expands a family and there are so many emotions that come with the changes. I think what was so overwhelming about Andrew and Marisol’s wedding is that basically a year’s worth of emotions were packed into a weekend. It was a whirlwind to say the least.

One Friday morning in April my brother Andrew called me up to ask me if I knew of any wedding photographers in Los Angeles. When I said maybe and further inquired as to why he was asking, he let me know that he and his girlfriend, Marisol, were getting married on Saturday…..as in the NEXT day. My first response was, “Is she pregnant?!”…..Nope……”Does she need a Visa?!” (Marisol is on a Student’s Visa)….Nope….”Well then, why the rush?!”……..”It’s the way we want to do it.” Alright then.

So later that day we jumped into our car en route to Culver City. We spent the night in San Luis Obispo, picked up a bouquet & boutonniere at my favorite florist in SLO, Open Air Flowers, and then headed down to meet up with Bride and Groom.

This wedding was purely about Family. I was constantly being surprised each time the doorbell rang….I just never knew who was going to come through the door. It was such an amazing, totally spontaneous, family reunion. Leave it to my brother to pull something like this off. He’s always had such tender spot in his heart for our family (the WHOLE crew) and I can only imagine how much pride he must have felt to introduce his family to Marisol’s. This was his shining moment.

So my family is crazy and constantly surprising (or shocking) me. But once all the dust settled from the excitement of the weekend, I was left with a happy, content feeling. My family has been through it all…really we have….and it’s comforting to realize that throughout the crushing breaks and moments of bliss there is always love. This family might be crazy, but at the core of the chaos is that love, which I couldn’t imagine living without.

My Grandpa Don was on Cloud Nine. He was beaming with pride for his grandson.

Marisol’s family was so appreciative for the effort my family made in coming to the wedding on such short notice.

It was sweet seeing my Grandpa, the head of our family, extend an open invitation to Marisol’s father to visit and stay with him.

Marisol handled the stress of planning a wedding overnight with so much grace. She was just glowing on her wedding day.

The night before the wedding, while I was in San Luis Obispo, I stopped at Open Air Flowers on the off chance that they might be able to put together a bouquet for Marisol. Literally, I showed up 15 minutes before they closed. What a wonderful help they were! They took down the colors I was looking for and told me it would be ready first thing in the morning. I just couldn’t let my future sis-in-law walk down the aisle without a beautiful bouquet. She deserved it.

Beautiful portraits can happen anywhere. This was taken along the side walk near an apartment complex. I positioned Marisol so that the waning sun could illuminate her face and shot at a very wide aperture. But really it’s Marisol’s smile that makes the image memorable.

This was a rent-by-the-hour Chapel, definitely similar to something you might see in Las Vegas. Well, my mom managed to lose her way over to the wedding, so my brother had to begrudgingly throw down more money. I love this image….it takes me right back to that evening and how crazy/funny/wonderful, everything was.

And this is Marisol with her father, hopefully laughing at all the festivities.

I caught this moment right before they both noticed me and my camera. Not sure what they are talking about, but I just love the way they are connecting.

Grayson loved being the Ring Bearer and I am sure Lanea enjoyed the title of Flower Girl. They won the cuteness award. On a side note, I have to give my sister some grief for wearing denim. Really Krissy?

Andrew did something during the ceremony that I have never seen done before. Plus it got a collective “ahhhhhh” from everyone. After he placed the ring on Marisol’s finger, he bent down and kissed her hand. Who knew my brother could be so chivalrous?