A wedding at Deer Park Villa will always be one of our favorites. Being surrounded by those giant redwoods makes the whole day feel a little more special, but beyond how beautiful it is, we’ve always loved the people there too. It’s always a good time seeing familiar faces, whether it’s vendors, friends, or people we’ve crossed paths with at past weddings. It brings together two things we love most: nature and weddings.
From the get-go, Laura and Shemuel were so easy to talk to. They were loose, lighthearted, and really just wanted to enjoy the day with their people. We kept that in mind while documenting everything and gave them space to actually experience their wedding instead of constantly pulling them away from it. It also didn’t take long for us to see their personalities come out. During their first look, Laura walked up behind Shemuel and gave him a good smack on the butt, and later during wedding party photos, the two started showing us their dance moves, including one where they put their hands together and swayed their knees side to side. Those little moments really set the tone for the day. They were comfortable being themselves around their loved ones, and we felt like they were just as comfortable being themselves around us.
It made even more sense when we thought back to the notes they shared with us before the wedding. Shemuel described Laura as nice, kind, down to earth, and a jokester. Laura loved Shemuel’s distinct sense of humor, his ability to get really deep, and apparently his ability to eat 4 double doubles at In-N-Out. After spending the day with them, it all made sense, minus the In-N-Out part. We’ll have to see that one for ourselves haha.
That lightheartedness was a big part of the day, but so was family. Shemuel’s dad officiated their ceremony, which made it feel that much more personal. Laura’s dress had also been passed down to her by one of her aunties, and seeing her reaction to Laura wearing it was beautiful. Then came Laura walking down the aisle with her dad, and you could see just how emotional that moment was for her. Throughout the day, we also kept catching Laura’s mom glancing over at her with the biggest smile. It was those little moments between them that really stuck with us. They happen quickly, but they say so much about the people surrounding a couple and the love that brought everyone together that day.
And Laura and Shemuel were definitely surrounded by a lot of love. You could feel it throughout the day, but especially during the speeches. Everyone went from laughing to tearing up, including us behind the cameras. It’s one of our favorite parts of weddings, seeing people from all different parts of someone’s life come together in one place to celebrate them. That joy fills our cup every time. By the time dinner and speeches wrapped up, we were getting close to the end of our coverage, and with about 10 minutes left, they finally hit the dance floor.
Those 10 minutes counted because we had not seen Shemuel bust out that many dance moves all day. Everyone went wild the moment the two hit the floor dancing. It felt like the perfect way to end our time with them, and really, it summed up their whole wedding pretty well. They laughed a lot, stayed present, ate some really good food, surrounded themselves with the people they love, and just let the day happen around them.
That was exactly what they told us they wanted from the beginning, and we’re so glad we got to experience it alongside them.
Thank you again for having us capture your beautiful day.
With love,
Your friends at FJM
