My Wedding Day Part Two – The Ceremony
It was so much fun sharing my wedding morning with you last week! Today I’m reminiscing on my wedding ceremony at my all-time favorite wedding chapel, Corona Del Mar Community Church right at the Newport Coast! The funny thing is that Justin didn’t even see it (or our reception venue) until the day of our rehearsal. I tried bringing him out to show him, but it just didn’t work out. I kind of enjoyed it all being a surprise to him, and so did he! I did choose everything based on his taste (mostly) anyways!
If you missed my Getting Ready With My Girls post you can catch up here!
When we arrived to the chapel, it started to sprinkle! Thanks to my mom, I had a cute clear bubble umbrella, so we incorporated it into a few photos, and then the rain let up, so we did some without as well. Justin and I love the rain, and now it always reminds us of our wedding day!
We got some great photos of me and my girls, and then I got in a ton of family portraits before the ceremony, to make it an easier transition into bride and groom portraits! We did siblings photos, me and my mom, etc. all before I saw Justin, and it was great! He did the same. He even got in some photos with his family who flew in from all over the world and portraits with each of his grannies before the ceremony started. I’m so happy they got to come early and he had a little bit more time to greet them.
After I finished group photos, Rachel took some bridal portraits of me in the church, and she did the same type of groom portraits with Justin. I have to say my favorite photos of the day were in the chapel!
I am obsessed with window light!! Look at how handsome my husband is!
Justin also got a few nice groomsmen group shots in front of the church to match my bridesmaid photos (always great for an album someday!). I love the ones of them goofing around!
Doing a good chunk of family portraits before the ceremony allows time to be stress free and get extra cute moments like this one! We would just not have had time for all these extra special memories if we tried to pack them all into an hour. I’m so grateful to have had an early start to the day and enjoyed every moment of it without being rushed!
Guests started to arrive, and we all got some time to pray before the ceremony – me with my ladies and Justin with his groomsmen.
He also got to sneak away and read the little letter I wrote him that morning. I don’t even remember what it said, and we don’t know where it went, but I’m glad I have photos of him reading it with that smile on his face!
And then it began!!! PS… I LOVED this welcome sign that Carla did! She not only was the most amazing florist, but she also did all the calligraphy for my wedding, and then gifted me this lovely frame! She blessed us beyond words on our big day, and I’ll always be so grateful to her!
Though I was very sad that my dad couldn’t walk me down the aisle do to our family losing him when I was 18, nothing filled my heart more than having my oldest brother escort me in his place. For him to even be able to make it to my wedding was an honor. With him serving our country and constantly being deployed to keep us safe, I tried not to get my hopes up that he would be present. Having him there was more than I could have asked for.
We’re married!
After the ceremony, the wedding party and family gathered in the back room of the church to celebrate while the rest of our guests cleared the inside of the chapel and headed to the reception.
People getting all emotional… haha!
I love this one of Justin showing all the guys his ring!
We came outside for the last of our family photos. Our list literally consisted of TWO group shots! His side, my side, DONE!
We got all the kiddos in one and off they went! Can you see how much they loved photos?!! Haha!
I love all of our wedding party photos! So many of our favorite people all together at once!!!
This one is my favorite!!!
And then back into the chapel for bride and groom portraits! We absolutely love these ones… because… WINDOW LIGHT!!!
After photos, we all headed over to the hotel for our reception!!! Next week I share my very last of memories from my wedding before I wrap up a final post of How Being A Bride Impacted My Career. Thank you to all who have been following along and leaving comments! I love to hear from you and how my series has helped you with planning or interacting with clients!
– – –
To catch up on the rest of the series, follow the links below:
Week 1: How I Asked My Bridesmaids
Week 2: The Two Most Important Words of Wedding Planning
Week 3: Finding A Wedding Venue
Week 4: Choosing My Vendors
Week 5: I Thought Planning My Engagement Session Would Be Easy!
Week 6: 8 Little Wedding To-Do’s That Weren’t So Little (…for me
Week 7: Effective Wedding Communication Changes Everything
Week 8: How I Set Up My Wedding Photos For Success
Week 9: My Wedding Day – Getting Ready With My Girls
Vendor Love:
Ceremony Venue: Corona Del Mar Community Church
Ceremony Music: Marck McKay, Lindsey Cargill, Jullian Hernandez
Officiant: Steve Salomon
Reception Venue: The Wyndham Hotel Irvine
My Wedding Photos: Rachel Jay of France Photographers
Day-of Coordination: KC Designs
Styling, Florals, Calligraphy: Carla Kayes Floral Design
Bridal Hair: Jessie Kenney
Bridal Makeup: Raeleen B. & Co.
Groom’s Hair: Erin Heck
Tuxedos: Friar Tux
Bridesmaid Gowns: Rent The Runway
Custom Wedding Gown: Jennifer Sitchler of Eden Couture
Cake: Have Your Cake and Eat It
Cupcakes: Kiandra Chun
Donuts!: Krispy Kreme
DJ: Daniel Caban
Cinematography: Nearly North Visuals
[…] I Set Up My Wedding Photos For Success Week 9: My Wedding Day Part 1 – Getting Ready Week 10: My Wedding Day Part 2 – The Ceremony Week 11: My Wedding Day Part 3 – The […]