After getting ready, we drove off in the sunshine and warmth of the summer heat to meet for the First Look. The First Look is one of my favorite parts of a wedding day so I’m always thrilled when I bride and groom opt to have one. For those who may not know, a First Look is when a bride and groom meet at a secluded location to see each other for the first time on their wedding day. I find it to be one of the most romantic and intimate moments of the day. Vitaliy and I took our “fly on the wall” kind of positions and waited as Claire walked with excitement to reveal herself to her soon to be husband. Matt waited with his back turned to her. His hands relaxed to his sides, but I could see his fingers fluttering with a mixture of excitement and nerves. Surely more excitement than nerves! As she tapped him on the shoulder, both of their faces filled with emotion and happiness. Hiding behind a bush, I tried harder to keep my hands balancing the camera, as I fought back the tears.

After Matt and Claire’s time alone taking pictures, we swept the happy couple off to get married and the day just flowed from there. It was filled with wedding vows that had everyone laughing one moment and in tears the next. As the day moved into the evening, everyone took their seats for dinner. The sun was poking through the trees as Claire began to sing a song to Matt. And that was the start to a beautiful evening celebrating two beautiful people.

Matt and Claire, we had such a blast at your wedding! We love your spunk, your personality, your creativity! We wish you the very, very best for your marriage. Keep making each other laugh!

Love,
V&C

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You can also view Matt and Claire’s slideshow to see more pictures.

I love what this picture makes me feel. I just want to be in a room with my closest girlfriends when I see it.

Effortless beauty.

The First Look

This is not the location where they got married, but it was too cute not to get a picture by it.

Ladies, is Matt lookin’ good or what!

It’s all about the little details. Claire actually made those earrings herself the night before.

We had a little extra time before the reception started for some pictures. The light was gorgeous!

Beautiful flowers created by the sweet Joanna of Floral Ornament. I love the colors!

Yummy, yummy dessert bar by Danielle Steed. And this cute cake was done by Sugar, Butter, Flour.

The First Dance

Best picture to describe Matt and Claire. It speaks for itself. Love you guys!

I’ll end with this because I’m a sucker for romance.

Sarah and Sebastian met each other while working side by side for a missions organization in Lima, Peru. Though the sign had been “no” on the wall for some time, that didn’t prevent Sarah and Sebastian from really getting to see each other for who they really are. They were able to see each others’ strengths and weaknesses as they ministered to the people of Peru. So it didn’t take long before these two developed a deep love for each other. The seeds had been planted years ago and now it was simply time  for them to grow. It would take deep roots of love to get them through the journey they’d face early into their relationship.

A short time after they started dating seriously, Sarah was diagnosed with cancer, a very aggressive cancer that would need surgery and bouts of chemo immediately. Before flying back to the U.S. for treatment, Sebastian asked Sarah if she would marry him. And I don’t think he would have accepted “no” for an answer, if you know what I mean. In reality, they were already living out their wedding vows. For better or for worse. Through sickness and in health.

Sarah came back to that states to battle her cancer. But Sebastian had to stay in Peru and battle immigration. They both fought for each other. And they both won. They’ve proven that their love is strong and will endure. I look forward to watching them continue to live a victorious life together.

Sarah and Sebastian, your love is simply beautiful. It’s courageous and inspiring. It’s all together wonderful and we feel so honored to have had the opportunity to photograph it. We absolutely must continue this friendship! You are two people we definitely want in our life. Congratulations! Our hope is that you will keep making each other smile the way you do in these pictures.

Love, Vitaliy & Candace

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You can also view Sarah and Sebastian’s slideshow.

Kara Diaz did a beautiful job on Sarah’s hair and makeup. She looked gorgeous!

Quite possibly my favorite from the day. Sarah has a quiet inner strength that makes her absolutely beautiful.

Sarah and Sebastian opted for a “first look” and it was such a sweet moment and gave us extra time for pictures.

They were married at the Foothill Covenant Church in Los Altos. Nothing like a father/daughter moment before walking down the aisle.

This was such a sweet idea. They had a live feed of the ceremony for all of their friends and Sebastian’s family in Peru.

Sebastian’s favorite car is a Mini Cooper so a family friend arranged for them to ride off to the reception in one.

Just love you guys!

If we had to pick only one picture from the day to post, it would be this one. Vitaliy has gone back and looked at this picture so many times. It’s one of his favorite he’s ever taken.

This was the speech I referenced above. Hilarious!

The mother and father of the bride had their own wedding reception at this same location (Sunnyvale Community Center) 20+ year ago. I love this moment!

And we’ll end with this because it makes me smile and I hope it will do the same for you.

As I’m celebrating the return of the love of my life, I thought what better way to celebrate it on the blog than with a sneak peek of Matt and Claire’s day of love.

I went through their images trying to find the perfect sneak peek. I came across the following picture and fell head over heals in love. Vitaliy took this and I absolutely love the way he placed them in the curve of the tree. I love a million other things about this image, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. I’ll let you find the things you love about it.

And because I know Claire, I knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with just one. So here’s a bonus just for you Claire!

Here’s a taste of what’s to come.

Happy Monday!

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Over the years, whether in different parts of the country or in different parts of the world, Callie and I have continued to walk through life together. We have carried each others burdens and rejoiced in each others success. Needless to say, when Callie told me she was engaged, I couldn’t wait to celebrate this next chapter of her life. Little did I know that I’d be celebrating up close and personal as one of her bridesmaids and with Vitaliy as her wedding photographer. I felt completely honored to be such a special part of her wedding day. I will never forget what it felt like when they opened the doors and out walked Callie as a bride. An absolutely stunning bride!

In that moment, everything changed. When I talked with Callie this past year, I could see how Brady’s love was changing her into an even better person than she already was. But as I watched them say their vows and put on their rings, I finally was able to see it with my own eyes. I can’t wait to walk through a completely new phase of life with Callie. She is going to be an incredible wife, and from what I could tell in the short time I spent with Brady, he is going to be an incredible husband.

Brady and Callie — never stop encouraging each other to be better people than you were the day before. Continue to love each other more than you did yesterday. And make sure that each day is filled with a healthy dose of laughter together. Vitaliy and I are so stinkin’ happy for the two of you! My only requirement for the future of our friendship is that we get to vacation together. Congratulations! We love you guys!

~Vitaliy and Candace

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You can also view Brady and Callie’s wedding slideshow.

I’ve always thought that Callie has the prettiest smile.

Callie is an artist of all kinds including photography. She actually took the image you see above in our header. So they opted for a “First Look” so that we’d have plenty of picture taking time.

Brady and Callie were married on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, MO. It is a gorgeous campus and the church is unbelievably beautiful. The light was perfect!

I’m pretty sure this is my favorite of the day.

We took them outside for some pictures and a storm was blowing in. Most brides would be in a panic, not Callie. She is always optimistic and never lets anything get her down. Especially not on her wedding day!

And this was a serious storm! Check out that church! If I have my story right, this is the oldest church in America. It was built in England, but taken apart and brought to America and rebuilt. Breathtaking inside and outside.

But it was a good Midwest storm and blew right through the town. We were back outside in no time for more pictures.

Oh, this moment! It tugs at the heart every time.

Mr. and Mrs!

We had a few extra minutes for some pictures in the garden. I’m so happy because these are some of my favorites! Brady was workin’ it all day for the camera.

Ok, then again, so was Callie!

Do I look like this when Vitaliy caresses my face? I can only hope.

And this is precisely why these two people will be an incredible husband and wife team — they love to serve. They cut and served their cake to all the guests. Their reason, “We want to start our marriage off serving others.”

I’ll end with this picture of their first dance as husband and wife.

Photo booths are crazy fun and I now recommend them for all weddings. These were taken at Tim and Christine’s beautiful wedding at Kohl Mansion. Can you tell we enjoyed it?

Beautiful because their love makes you smile. I smiled as I watched the joy and happiness across the faces of their wedding party throughout the day. I could see the beauty of their love through the tears of an aunt as she watched her nephew grow up before her eyes the minute he said “I Do”.  As I listened to their friends and family toast them to a future filled with love and happiness, I could hear the beauty of their love.

Their love is not only beautiful but it’s luxurious. You can see it in the way they look at each other. As Tim held Christine for their first dance and sang the words of the song into her ear, you could see the elegance of their love. It’s written into the words they speak to one another and it’s felt by the way they touch one another.

Tim and Christine, we are so happy for the two of you! Thank you for giving us the honor to photograph your special day. It was a pleasure on so many levels. We hope that your future is filled with even more love then you share today. And lots and lots of laughter! We love you guys!

~Vitaliy and Candace

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You can also view Tim and Christine’s wedding slideshow.

Edgar Mag­ana who works for M.A.C. did Christine’s makeup. He’s the same person who did our sister’s makeup for her senior pictures. I was so happy when she took my recommendation because he is phenomenal!

I loved this shot of Christine arriving to the venue and seeing all of the planning she has done over the months finally come together.

Toast and Classic Party Rentals did an awesome job.

Tim and the boys worked it for the camera.

I love the perspective.

They’re married!

Beautiful, just beautiful!

Definitely a favorite from the day.

But I’m totally in love with it from this perspective too! What do you think?

Kohl Mansion is such a beautiful location to get married at and all of the staff is wonderful.

By the way, I loved, loved Christine’s flowers! Joy from The Prim Petal created some beautiful arrangements for the day.

I’ve gotta add a picture of the ladies! They were too cute in their J. Crew bridesmaid dresses. And I loved the pearls!

First Dance. This picture is just magical to me! Vitaliy totally outdid himself on this one!

They had a photo booth and it was crazy fun!

And they lived happily ever after!

Happy Friday everyone!

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Candace

Just an hour before her wedding day, when most brides are in a panic rushing around to put on the finishing touches, Beth was cuddled up next to her grandma on the couch. There seemed to be a twinkle in her grandfather’s eyes as he realized his little Beth was all grown up and now a bride. Looking back on the day, it makes perfect sense that this is how the day would start because Beth and Roger’s wedding was all about family.

From the start of the day, Beth chatting with her grandparents, to the end of the day, a dance floor with every generation on display, this was a day of celebrating not only the love between Beth and Roger, but also the love of family. This is how a family starts — two people falling in love and getting married. And then it grows which was witnessed by all of Beth and Roger’s nieces and nephews running around that day. And once you have children, you want to make memories for them which we got to hear about during the Father of the Bride’s speech. He shared wonderful stories of the family road trips Beth’s family used to go on when she was a child. I wish every wedding could have only 30 guests because the level of intimacy shared at this wedding was unlike anything we’ve experienced before.

Beth and Roger, thank you so much for giving us the special privilege of photographing your wedding day. You and your family made us feel like more than just your wedding photographers, you made us feel like we were a part of your family. You are truly blessed to be surrounded by people who genuinely love you and will support you in this next chapter you have embarked on. We look forward to seeing your family grow in the future as well and hope that you’ll be making your on road trip memories one day.

Love,
Vitaliy and Candace

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You can also view Beth & Roger’s wedding slideshow. Do not miss this one! It brought tears to my eyes.

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Beth’s shoes went so perfectly with her dress. I was in love and wanted to get married all over again.

When I walked in and saw Roger and that hair, I knew we were going to be in picture taking heaven that day.

I had so much fun with Beth’s mom and sister. I’m pretty sure they need to move to California!

Find inspiration! I got the idea for this picture the night before the wedding while looking at a fashion magazine and I just LOVE how it turned out.

One of Vitaliy’s favorites.

Beth got married at her Uncle’s church St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas, CA. I recently found out John Steinbeck, one of our favorite authors, used to attend this church as a child.

I love this moment!

Beth and Roger’s reception took place at the beautiful Hahn Estate Winery in Soledad, CA This was the view from their reception.

This was a little gem Vitaliy took during family portraits. Is this hilarious or what? I crack up every time I look at it.

This picture makes me smile. It’s such a fun one!

No ladies, he’s a married man!

Roger, I can see why you can’t keep your eyes off of her.

Oh, Beth, you are just too beautiful for words.

This is the same ivy from Beth’s mom’s wedding bouquet. They grew it and used it in her sister’s bouquet also. What a great idea!

I’m not kidding you, these kids rocked the party!

With a view like that, we had to get a few sunset pictures.