Cafe Del Rey Wedding | Cindy & Douglas
Cindy & Douglas got married in beautiful Marina Del Rey at the restaurant Cafe Del Rey! I absolutely love the Marina. It's one of those places that is picture perfect, so I was super excited to be shooting this wedding! And it did not disappoint! I was a little nervous before arriving to the hotel where Cindy was getting ready. You see I normally do engagement sessions with my couples, but Cindy & Douglas had only found me a month before the wedding and didn't have the time to do an engagement shoot. I like to know my couples well by their wedding day, to feel like we are already friends. So going into this after only having one quick meeting was a little nerve wracking. Lucky for me, I felt like I became fast friends with Cindy & Douglas. They are so easy going and warm. And when I saw how caring and nurturing they were with each other, well, my nerves didn't last long! :)One of the most fun parts of the day for me was shooting the couples shots. We had been walking around the Marina hoping that we'd see someone who'd let us shoot on their boat. At first it seemed unlikely. Then, we saw a man on the LA County Fire Boat. So Cindy very kindly asked if we could snap a few pics on the boat, and the Fire Dept Crew was kind enough to oblige. HUGE Thank You to them!! I loved how the shots we got there turned out...and in fact I'd love to go back and shoot more! It was that cool!Cindy & Douglas had a beautifully intimate wedding affair. Just their closest family and friends came to witness their union, and to share a celebratory gourmet dinner with them at the delightful Cafe Del Rey. Their wedding really touched me because it was exactly what a wedding should be-- a declaration of love surrounded by your nearest and dearest. I know sometimes weddings can make us all go crazy and it is easy to get caught up and forget the real focus-- the real focus is that at the end of the day you are married to the one you love more than anything. So it was really heartwarming to be at a wedding where it was really all about two people committing to each other forever. And what's even better is that Cindy & Douglas were so giddy happy, so in love, so full of joy! I could really see how special the day was for them, and that it would be a memory they would cherish for eternity!And I got to capture the memories, with Jenn King as my trusty second shooter by my side! How crazy cool is that?! Below are a few of my favorite shots from the day and of course even more pics are in the SLIDESHOW.
Cindy's bouquet was wrapped in her grandmother's handkerchief. It was such a meaningful touch. I love the delicate lace trim. Just beautiful!
I love how happy Cindy looks here! I think she had that realization "I'm getting married today!!"
I really love first looks. It is always such an emotional filled moment, which makes for some of the most moving photos of the day. And what makes first looks even cooler is that it leaves so much more time for pictures, and makes the wedding timeline much less stressful. I think all brides should highly consider doing first looks. And take it from me, a newlywed, they don't make the walk down the aisle any less special!
I love this photo of Cindy and her Dad. It's so sweet. She gave him a gift and then started to cry. Then I cried behind the camera. Shooting and tearing up. Yup that's me. I'm a daddy's girl so I guess I'm kinda a sucker for sweet father-daughter moments!
Cindy & Douglas - Thank you so much for trusting me with your treasured memories! I loved capturing your joy and your love. You two are a beautiful couple and I wish you all the best! Please stay in touch!