July 7, 2015 / Destination Weddings Weddings
Kyle + Hillary | The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel | Orange County Wedding Photography
It’s hard to know where to begin on Kyle + Hillary’s beautiful destination wedding at The Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, California. Hillary found me via one of her friends, who is an upcoming bride this winter (Here’s looking at you, Liz!), and we immediately connected. Hillary’s laid back nature and dry sense of humor immediately endeared her to me, and I knew we could make a great team to create her wedding images. Add in Kyle, who is truly game for anything I could dream up, and you have two of the coolest people I’ve met!
Based in Louisville, Kyle + Hillary met up with me a couple times for shoots before the wedding, and as many of my couples do, we became good friends. Part of the reason I love my job is simply because of the relationship building that goes into it; I get to know my couples, and I really do get quite attached, which is part of the fun. By the time the wedding rolls around, I feel as though I know more of what to look for, when I can expect emotions to possibly play out, and I feel that we have connections that allow me to do my job better, because we’ve grown comfortable with one another. Getting to know Kyle + Hillary, I knew their wedding would be fantastic, fun, and intimate…and that’s just how their day happened!
Meeting up in the morning, Hillary, her mother, sisters, and I discussed the day and planned for the events, then got right into the thick of wedding prep. It was a pleasure to also have the opportunity to work alongside Mike of Happy Kamper Films, who created a fantastic wedding video for Kyle and Hillary of their wedding day. Jayme, and Aubrey from A Good Affair kept things running smoothly and fantastically as wedding coordinators, Brie was a fantastic asset as the special events manager from The Ritz-Carlton, and David from Square Root Designs created some of the most gorgeous wedding floral designs I have ever witnessed. Working with such fantastic fellow vendors made the day wonderful, and I loved seeing Hillary’s dream wedding come together for her.
Hillary chose an absolutely stunning Monique Lhuillier wedding dress that fit like a glove, which she also fantastically showed off at the end of the night by twirling for her nighttime portraits. She paired it beautifully with a pair of Christian Louboutin wedding heels, and topped it off with gorgeous family heirlooms as her jewelry pieces. She was breathtaking, and Kyle’s reaction to her in their first look told the story much better than I ever could!
Throughout the day, I would catch Kyle and Hillary sneaking glances, secret smiles, and just the sweetest of gestures. You can truly tell how in love they are just by watching them, and even Hillary’s mother noted how happy it made her to watch Kyle’s smile when he looked at Hillary. It is a very real, tangible thing; you can see it simply by being in their presence. It was a true joy to be a witness to, and something that simply sticks with you. Their love for one another is beautiful, and I’m truly so very happy they found each other.
Quite frankly, there are not enough superlatives in the world to adequately describe Kyle + Hillary’s fantastic destination wedding overlooking the Pacific Coast. The love, excitement, and support of their families, coupled with the beauty, creativity, and just plain awesome from the vendors that came together to create their day made one amazing wedding day that no one in attendance is going to forget for a long, long time. Congratulations, you two, and I thank you not only for allowing me to be your photographer, but also to be your friend. It’s a joy to have been able to document your day for you, and I look forward to finding new shenanigans to get into with you along your journey in life!
Wow! This is so beautiful.
I am so happy you were there to catch all of our moments! 🙂
I am so happy you entrusted me with your moments! It was a fantastic day! 🙂