Ivette clutched her brothers’ arms as the lineup of bridesmaids became shorter. She looked straight up at brief intervals, dabbing her eyes in between and waving her hand fan style in front of her face – mostly in defiance of the tears that were pushing through. When everyone had taken their walk and her brothers left to wait for Ivette at the beginning of the aisle where they would escort her towards her husband-to-be, she was alone. When the music changed to her bridal song, she turned to us and asked, “Is it my turn? Is it really my turn?”
I nodded as Christina, her coordinator, replied, “Yes, sweetie. It’s really your turn.”
A deep breath and another pause – one of those brief moments that ticks off 2 seconds in the day but lasts an entire lifetime. She looked up and ascended the stairs to join her brothers.
It was really her turn.
Stefan and Ivette’s wedding was an elegant day with elegant people. Because that’s who and what they really are – elegant. They’re not putting on airs or stuffing themselves into tuxes for this one special occasion. They have a beautiful elegance built into their being. This also means that nothing about them is contrived. There is no guessing or walls or barriers with Stefan and Ivette. They’re as real and authentic as it gets and you know exactly how important their friends are to them and how deeply head over heels they are for each other, which made their classic black tie wedding at The Richard Nixon Library the perfect way to celebrate their love.
A big shout out goes to Christina Logan, who coordinated the events of the day flawlessly, and we began the morning at Stefan and Ivette’s home nearby.
Perfect dress, perfect lace veil, perfect girl!
I loved the long black dresses that the bridesmaids wore – seriously elegant!
How did we get such a GORGEOUS set of girls? Daaaaaaaaaaang.
Ivette is SMOKIN’ HOT. We basically just had to point a camera in her general direction for beautiful photos.
All I can say is WOW. This girl couldn’t be any more beautiful!
The guys totally hammed it up for us in their black and white attire – classy style!
I love the long cocktail hallway flanked by flags and accented in gold.
The moments before the ceremony were both fun and intimate.
The breathless moment before Ivette walked down the aisle. This is when she asked, “Is it really my turn?” I love capturing these moments so that our couples can forever be reminded of the sounds and emotions at these brief seconds.
Such a gorgeous location!
Married!
All of the details, colors, moments, and emotions will continue tomorrow when we feature Part Two of Stefan and Ivette’s black tie wedding at the Richard Nixon Library. You may want to don a bow tie or cocktail dress of your own, because it’s elegance at it’s best!
Hugs,
Erin
Wedding Photography : The Youngrens | Ceremony Location : Nixon Library | Reception Location : Nixon Library | Event Design : Christina Logan Design | Floral Design : Tustin Florist | Cake : Nothing Bundt Cake | Make-Up : 1011 Makeup | DJ : DJ Carlos |
