Yolanda + Hanson’s Wedding: 11/20/2010 – This day, these moments, the memories…it’s been over two years in the making for me. Back in November of 2008, I had the pleasure and honor of photographing Allison and Josh’s wedding (thank you guys beyond words for everything); at that wedding, a very sweet girl came up to me at the end of the evening and said some kind words about my photography. Then she told me that when she gets married, that she’d like me to photograph her wedding :). Well, that girl was none other than Yolanda.
Fast forward to about a year ago, when I got a Facebook instant message from Yolanda. So after bugging her several dozen times about whether or not she’s engaged yet (poor Hanson!), finally, finally…Yolanda told me that in fact Hanson had proposed to her the night before. Yes, THE NIGHT BEFORE. I was so honored to be one of the first people Yolanda contacted. At that point, I was beyond excited to not wonder if I’ll get to photograph their wedding, but rather when their big day will be. Yolanda and Hanson were so kind to work around my schedule, and after bouncing back a few dates, we decided on 11/20/10.
Now fast forward again, but to this past Saturday. Their wedding was to take place at a gorgeous winery in Santa Ynez followed by a beautiful reception a few miles away in Solvang. The day before, the weather decided not to cooperate with us and it started to rain pretty hard. Knowing Yolanda and Hanson, they would be a bit bummed out if it did rain on their wedding day, but would still be happier than ever to celebrate their new life together. As for me, and I’m sure all nearly 200 guests that were going to the wedding, prayed and prayed for the rain to go away and the sun to beam down for such an amazing couple. Yolanda and Hanson are two of the most genuine and loving individuals I’ve ever met and they deserved nothing but the very best on their day.
As it turns out, our prayers were in fact answered. The weather was absolutely breathtaking on Saturday. Nearly hours before the start of the ceremony, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the ever-so-radiant sun beamed down from above. It’s safe to say I’ve never seen or experienced this before, but during the ceremony, as I was crouching near the front and taking photos, I noticed the sun was directly behind Yolanda and Hanson. Not on the side, top, or elsewhere, but directly behind. This created these unreal beams of light that flowed from the sky and around Yolanda and Hanson, as if the heavens from above had cast them, causing them to glow. It was truly magical and am not sure if I’ll ever witness something like that again.
The only thing that was more awesome than being a part of Yolanda and Hanson’s big day was sharing it with my favorite vendor friends, or as Yolanda would call it, friendors :). None other than the ever-amazing Trini Randazzo of NOZZA Studio planned, set up, and coordinated the wedding to perfection. I’ll let Trini share photos of what she did on her blog, but wow the entire day was executed beautifully! In addition, Deanne Ragusa of Bella Fiore did all the floral arrangements and Raul Mora of R&R Entertainment DJ/MC’ed the night away. To top it off, one of my best photographer friends William Kim drove up with me from LA to shoot the wedding. This is the first time (but hopefully not last) I’ve worked with all my closest wedding vendor friends. Combine an AWESOME couple in Yolanda and Hanson with just as AWESOME vendors = KICK ARSE wedding.
Sorry for the long intro, but I just can’t say enough about these two. Words or photos can’t describe how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know Yolanda and Hanson and now photographing their wedding. They’ve played such a positive part in my life the past few years, and for that I’m forever grateful and happy for them. To Yolanda and Hanson, I hope you know how much I value our friendship and how it means the world to me that you’ve let me into your lives. Congratulations; I know this is just the beginning for all of us.
Ceremony location: Gainey Vineyard in Santa Ynez, CA
Reception location: Hotel Corque in Solvang, CA
Planner, coordinator, and stationery: NOZZA Studio
Officiant: Brian Bixler
Make-up artist and hair stylist: Team Hair and Makeup
Florist: Bella Fiore
Videographer: Walter Pawluk
Cake and pastries: Enjoy Cupcakes
DJ and MC: R&R Entertainment
Music: Mariachi Alejandro Flores
Entertainment: Northern Shaolim Kung Fu Dancers
