The weekend was amazing. Amazingly busy and amazingly fun. Amazingly beautiful and amazingly emotional! Thats a lot to fit into one weekend, but being on the close side of all the planning and excitement really adds up and lends to the making of many many well AMAZING memories! Really it was about 2 weeks leading upto the big date 6-7-8, which made the moment even more spectacular. I cry.. I admit it.. at every ceremony. Luckily I have this huge bulk of plastic and metal and glass to hide behind. But this one was more of an incredible happiness and release of energy for which I felt so happy to be a part of the moment and the whole creation of the day. The wedding drew in floks from all over the country. I think there might have been more out of state guests than CA peeps. We had the wonderful help of friend and family in the days leading up to the wedding. Which is where my most loved and remembered and cherished moment stems from. On Friday, the day before the wedding, as the clock was racing toward the deadline to leave my house and head for the Hotel.... I got this feeling. It was a feeling of completeness and incredible happiness. I was standing in my kitchen rolling out the last of the fondont for Erin's cake. In the room with me were about 4 other people helping in each thier own way with various last minute tasks. In the living room just steps away from me was crying from my little nephew, Devyn, and our good friends son, Jared... but not upset or sad just the kind of making noise to let those around know they were there cry. My two little ones were running around the house, my brother, his girlfriend, my hubby, my baby sis her friend ... all were fussing around the house - packing the cars-- among other things. THE HOUSE WAS LOUD if you don't yet get the picture. For a minute I just stopped and stood there listening and looking.. at all the love and all the life inside my house. All the people who were helping to make My sisters wedding happen in so many kind and selfless ways. The LIFE moving and breathing and crying and running and working... in my house. This was .. this IS the moment I love most about the wedding.
For your viewing pleasure, some getting ready details:
Dress design was done by Erin and put together by my genuis mother Nancy Johnston who mad eit from scratch! She also made her own dress in 1975 and mine in 2002.. Who's next you say? Anyway she is slowing being pushed (by me and others) into the full time seamstress position that she always should have held. Hey why not.. my friends and family did it to me and now I do what I LOVE everyday of my life!
Erin and Adrian were married at hill top ceremony in Dana Point CA at Heritage Prak. An intimate group of 75 close friends and family gathered. I coulnd not have pulled off the whole wedding photographer / matron of honor gig if it weren't for the rockin Mr. Will Parris of Parris Studios.
The 3 beautiful flower girls: Aleese (our awesome friends from Washington), Kayti (our cousin who will one day make a movie called 27 flower girl dresses!) and my little baby, Susie (no comment needed)
Adrian's huge grin @ first sight of his future wife:
Erin being walked down the aisle by her dad:
Kissin mom on her way to Adrian:
Everyone is laughing here because Erin and Adrian almost kissed! It had been a long day (as all wedding days are) and I think they were more than ready to seal the deal.. that's why everyone in the picture is laughing!
I had a front row seat for this shot.... So cute is that erin realized they could pour together and instead I heard her sweet voice "a little bit of yours.. little bit of mine.. little bit of yours little bit of mine"
The official kiss... with permission this time!
here is the non-ring-bearer.. I say this because he would not go the right direction.. instead he ran back up these steps. Geez.. who kid is this? Why was he allowed in the wedding party?
Now some yummy portraits of my baby sis and her husband.
Heater and Rob flew in from Texas to be here for thier best friends wedding in beautiful California.
gotta throw a cute picture of my little nephew, Devyn. A cute wedding tux bib that my mom also made....
Delicious flowers created by YOURS TRULY :) - put together with love from many.. Thanks to Tina and Heather and of course ERIN!
Turns out.. the sweet little band across the beach from us was a bit louder than our music system. So they invited Erin + Adrian over for a first dance to the live music!
And my fab ring shot: which is kind of a great description of who I am .. A bunch of nerds in a big cup just hanging out with pretty wedding rings! (just read that and well... i gotta do it LOL)
A shot to finsh off with, a picture I never get to shoot.. the 1st full day of honeymooning-- How cute are they!
A wedding: not just the few moments where you stand in front of the people who love you and declare a lifetime of love and devotion for the one you love.. but the time and the love and the effort you put into this day and this few moments. That is a wedding. Planning and deciding and stressing over details that sometimes only you acknowledge are completely justified when you have all those memories of completing them and enjoying them . The hours spent not sleeping and the countless numbers of gluesticks and favor making in the middle of the night or early morning....with your bridemaids and friends.. this is what a wedding is. another wonderful sandra salisbury photography wedding
the roof the structure:
