Val + Kelvin are the most relaxed, fun couple to be around! Val was a waitress with me at my first job, and was kind of like a second mom to me when I was in my early teens. As you can imagine, with the history we had, when she asked me to shoot her 20 person wedding a few miles down Highway 1 from where we first met, I was all in!
Valerie and Kelvin’s day was the ultimate exemplification of who they are as a couple, but before I tell you about how the day turned out, I have to tell you how it started…
We are 40 hours away from their wedding, and I am driving to SFO to pick up my friend Emily who was flying in the spend four days with me, and was going to be my second shooter for their wedding. I am about to pull into SFO when Val calls, holding back tears, and goes “I know this is crazy, but it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow and the entire day is going to be outside, what if we just get married today instead.. I would have to make some other phone calls, but can you come?” with 39 hours to go until their original wedding, they decided to have it a day earlier.
I picked up Emily, filled her in on the situation, and drove back to my house in Petaluma to finish the bridal bouquet and boutonnieres… oh yeah, did I mention I was also their florist? We get home, and I instantly throw all my gear on it’s chargers and start working away at their florals. Val calls again, “Can you get to the hotel around 2 and we will meet you there for getting ready photos?” Absolutely I can, mind you, it is now 12 and the venue is an hours drive.
Emily and I load everything up, get to the wedding, and cannot find anyone anywhere, I call Val for the third time that morning. “We are coming over the hill, we will be there soon.” Kelvin pulls up with his groomsmen minutes after, and I get all the florals situated in the Bridal Suite. Val pulls in 20 minutes later and we are off to the races.
Funnily enough, their entire day went off without a hitch. Everyone made it for the ceremony, Val’s made of honor did her makeup, while I did her hair, and all the guys got ready on time. The thing about wedding days is that almost nothing ever goes according to the original plan or schedule. Val and Kelvin moved their wedding to being a full 30 hours earlier than planned, and every single detail of the day flowed so smoothly and beautifully.
From their ceremony on the beach, to their sunset photos, their rooftop bonfire reception – at an airbnb that was gifted to them for a night by a stranger we met on the beach while wrapping up their photos – cake cutting in the airbnb living room at 10pm, and every person that showed up for their big day with less than 8 hours of notice, they could not have planned it to be more flawless if they had planned it for months!
Life is funny in that way, usually the most unexpected things are the most beautiful!
