Nancy and John met each other in college at UC Santa Cruz when they both went to school together.  We revisited UC Santa Cruz for their engagement session (see their engagement session here).

Shortly before their wedding, Nancy and I got together for a coffee date at Philz in Palo Alto a few days prior to their wedding to discuss all the the last details before their wedding.  Since she had attended one of her best friends’ weddings the weekend prior, we revised the timeline a bit, and discussed “what-if’s” and potential situations and solutions.  Based upon Nancy + John’s relationship and our friendship, I knew these two would have a great time during their wedding, because these two love each other so much BUT…

Unfortunately, sometimes not everything goes right on the wedding day.  I won’t mention the exact details, but starting with the pouring rain, moving the ceremony indoors, traffic all across the bay area causing guests to run behind schedule and pushes the entire wedding timeline behind (around an hour pushing portrait sessions behind), and a few power outages during the reception, and… well, I won’t name the rest.  These situations are sometimes what couples plan to avoid when planning their big day, but sometimes we can’t predict the weather, or what slippery slope will come next.    Even I had an “UH-OH” situation, because we had time allotted for portraits prior to the ceremony, but due to a makeup mishap, I chose to help Nancy  with her makeup because I’d rather have her look stunning when she’s walking down the aisle than to cram in a few more photos.

Everyone had to use their problem-solving skills because the day didn’t stick to the plan.  Ever so happily, Nancy and John remained calm and positive throughout the entire day because they kept in mind that they were there for each other – it was their wedding day.  We were also able to get a lot of portraits taken later on in the evening before and during sunset, and all because of their love and positive energy, it kept a million smiles on everyone’s faces.

Nobody plans for the un-planned.  When situations like these come up, continuously checking in with my brides and grooms to ensure they’re still doing okay is a must.  The day is about them and for their union together and I’m there to capture their beautiful day.  As I meet and get to know my brides and grooms from the very beginning, a special friendship always grows and all I care about is ensuring everyone has a great memorable time.  Nancy + John surely had just that, as well as the rest of their family and friends.

Thank you Nancy + John for having us on your special day.  You two are one special couple, and I’m happy for you both!!!