Liz and Kyle are seriously cool. For starters, they are constantly chill and happy and loving towards everyone around them. They also gave us a ton of time for portraits, which included a moment when Liz asked (THE BRIDE ASKED!) if she could lay down on the ground, in her dress, all for the sake of an awesome shot. They’re also both all sorts of talented, and put on a guitar performance for all their guests at the reception, followed by a surprise song Kyle performed for Liz :)

I was also especially excited to shoot their wedding because it took place at the Higashi Honganji Temple in Little Tokyo, a place I used to frequent twice a week for taiko practice. It was so wonderful witnessing a beautiful Buddhist ceremony inside the gold-laden temple, and seeing so many of the other cultural elements Liz & Kyle tied into their wedding!

I could see it from our first meeting over cucumber mint lemonades… the way Craig looks at Myesha. And Myesha looks at Craig. There is so much love between these two. Expressed in a bouquet of white roses delivered to Myesha that morning, a tearful first look, heartfelt vows (and a fist bump!) during the ceremony. They met 4 years ago while both working on the Obama campaign, and it seems to be fitting that they’re getting married just when elections are rolling around again :)

Both Myesha and Craig are full of style {as evidenced by their engagement session!} and I adored the urban elegance and bright colors that filled this day. They also incorporated bits of Myesha’s Jamaican heritage into the wedding, with little jars of rum as favors and a cake that was brought in straight from Jamaica!

A special thank you to Emily at Cafe Pinot and Alex of Sterling Engagements for taking such wonderful care of us and ensuring the day flowed perfectly – good coordinators make all the difference!

I sometimes feel there is an extra special dynamic between couples who have been doing long distance during the span of their relationship. When they’re together, and perhaps especially on their wedding day, you can almost feel them treasure every single moment, you can see the excitement of being reunited, you can sense the appreciation and enjoyment of having their favorite person by their side. To witness it is a reminder for all of us – that to be able to hold the hand of the one you love, to see the way their face breaks into a smile, or find the way your head fits perfectly on their shoulder, are beautiful things never to be taken for granted.

For much of their relationship Harnnull had been in Seattle while Kristy was in LA, and I couldn’t be happier for them to both be together now here! They are seriously some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and their wedding day was brimming with the sort of joy and gratitude I described – I caught them more than a few times expressing “I love you” to each other when few others could hear :)

To top it off, it all came together at one of my favorite city venues, Cafe Pinot, and we had a complete dream team of vendors – Sassy Girl Weddings coordinating everything perfectly, and Bunch Studio creating all the lovely blooms. And not to be forgotten – Coolhaus providing dessert! :)

I love this tradition! I’ve seen a few different unity or sand ceremonies at weddings, but this has to be one of my favorites. Kristy and Harnnull each wrote each other letters and sealed them up in this box along with a bottle of wine, to share with each other come their one year anniversary :)