This lavish day was the apex of my journey with Brian and Joanna, they choose to customize their Bridal Era to include their proposal, to her graduation, to her boudoir shoot, and finally to their wedding. Their proposal was planned by the talented Party of Two Group; it took place in Orange County California, complete with stunning heart-shaped rose fixtures, a huge “In Every Lifetime” sign and of course the presence of their loved ones. I then had the honor of capturing Joanna‘s graduation, which was monumental because she was the first to graduate in her family, and her stunning boudoir photos. Overall, this couple has opened up their hearts, style and mind to me, and have become dear friends in the process.
It’s my joy as a photographer to ensure that my couples personalities shine through in their gallery. Joanna and Brian are like an OC native KimYe. They have the sweetest souls, and from the minute they walk into any room their love is undeniable. They make a wonderful team adorned with a style that is simple, classic and a little edgy. These sharp, curated styles shine through their fashion choices and their socials, so I really wanted to capture those vibes in the gallery. I used medium format imagery, clean details and editorial influences throughout to do this.
Getting the Day Started
Starting with the details, I intentionally kept the bride’s details minimal to set her style front and center. I also like to incorporate the venue’s unique charm in my detail photos by adding decor or trinkets that are specific to the venue. In these shots I particularly love the vintage lamp and the hutch, pieces that really accentuate the vintage vibe of the casino.
The casino has an almost Mediterranean meets tropical beach vibe. There are a lot of antiques featured throughout the venue contributing to a nostalgic feel that suits this wedding so well. Joanna and Brian‘s wedding day was also planned by the Party of Two Group, who did an amazing job combining the character of the venue with the couples’ vision. I’ve worked alongside the Party of Two Group a number of times and I’m always impressed!
Getting Ready
The groom-to-be arrived at the venue already dressed and ready to go. I got individual shots of him all around the venue. He has a very sophisticated style and is very posh, so I wanted to utilize clean lines to create an editorial, James Bond feel to his portraits – I adore the final product.
In Joanna’s getting ready photos, I wanted to highlight how near and dear her sister and mom are to her. This charming moment had a very Cinderella-like feel that really brought the sentiment of the moment to life. More specifically, I love the photo showcasing Joanna‘s mom’s, and her little sister‘s hands sprucing her up — I just feel like something about the hands are so emotive and timeless. On a more individual note, I wanted to emphasize Joanna‘s softer side on her wedding day in contrast to her usual slightly edgy aesthetic. Her feminine side shone bright throughout the day, and especially in her bridal portraits; They’re soft, editorial and powerful all at the same time *swoon.* Huge shout out to Joanna‘s makeup artist, Glammed By Nayeli, who did wonderful work on Joanna’s look!
This day was full of sweet, familial moments, not the least of which is this moment, captured in the hallway as Brian and Joanna‘s family waited for the beautiful bride to be ready. It’s little anticipatory moments like this that can hold some of the most magic in retrospect.
Lovey Dovey Ceremony
The ceremony space was gorgeous, featuring classic white chairs, babies’ breath, and white roses (Tennis Party Rental & Angels Flowers) coming together to create a clean, airy, and romantic space. Love was in the air and you could feel the personal connections of everyone in attendance. As this whole wedding was very family-oriented, I love the candid emotional moments captured during the ceremony. One of these adorable family moments was when Joanna had Brian‘s nieces hold her veil down the aisle – this is a cute idea for anyone looking to get family more involved on their wedding day! Another sweet stand-out from the ceremony is Joanna’s dad beaming with pride, as well as her grandma, who came all the way from Mexico for the wedding.
I love to photograph the ceremony from different points of view that will really satisfy the eye looking back through the gallery. I like to include shots that are wide, from the side, close-up, and in this gallery, even a shot with the guests in the background. This isn’t possible for every single ceremony but I do love how it turned out for this one.
Show-Stopping Satin
After the ceremony we made our way to family photos during which I also captured the stunning details in everyone’s dresses. There were beautiful black details galore this day such as buttons, bows, satin and stilettos. It was so fun to capture and is a perfect example of how style can set the tone for your day when everyone is elevated and on the same page.
We moved swiftly on to bridal romantics. This part of the day was super free-flowing and easy breezy. I love the lavish leather couch, and how it contrasted beautifully with the satin in Joanna‘s dress. These photos have a really cool, vintage cigar vibe and Brian and Joanna‘s perfect poker faces elevated the photos all the more. We made our way to the beach, which is right across the street from this venue, to just let loose and celebrate their new marriage. This little escapade provided lots of movement and moments of celebration that carried us wistfully into the reception.
Romance-Studded Reception
The day came to a close with romantic candlelight, amazing music, beautiful speeches, and delicious food. The vision for the reception was for the tables to feel like the guests were on a date. I love how this idea heightened the intimacy of this evening. The newlyweds went straight from their grand entrance to a champagne tower – it was super fun and lavish, and totally them! Following the champagne pour were several precious and emotional dances to open the night, and soon after several uplifting speeches. There was one adorable moment when Joanna‘s sister got emotional and Brian’s siblings went up to console her and you could really see how united this whole family is. After speeches was the cake cutting and then the couples made their rounds, ending their perfect night with the best jams and high spirits.
Overall, this wedding had a charming, James Bond feel to it, and was absolutely rich with love from their tight knit family. I’ve loved every moment of my journey with Brian and Joanna and I’m grateful for the new friends and beautiful gallery.
Joanna and Brians Vendor Team ♡
Venue: The Casino San Clemente Wedding
MUA: Glammed by Nayeli
Planner: The Party Of Two Group
Photographer: Tayler Irene Photography
Super 8 Video: Bro Smitty Films
Candle Rentals: Ambiance and Fire
Florist: Angels Flowers
Cake : Patty’s Cakes
Chair rentals: Tennis Party Rental
Rings: The diamond Bank
Crepes: Crepes Bonapart
