Kathy and Ian were married in Huntington Beach, California at St. Mary’s by the Sea. The sun shining through the stained glass windows made the cathedral glow. Both families and so many friends came from different parts of the world, to witness the bride and groom as they knelt at the alter and declared their love and commitment to each other, in a beautiful ceremony filled with traditions from the Catholic faith.

Kathy started off the day primping and getting ready at the Hilton Resort with her bridesmaids. It was a hotel room overlooking the beach and the lighting was phenomenal. I loved how the pictures turned out.

Her gown was custom made with such intricate and delicate design.

This classic limousine took the bride to the ceremony.

The classic trim on her vail reminded me of an old hollywood movie star which was fitting because she could have easily passed for one!

Shirvan Floral Design created the stunning flower arrangements. It was a crisp cool green which contrasted perfectly with the yellows and reds of the church.

Kathy and Ian opted to go for a full Catholic Mass, which is much longer than a regular mass, and it really gave me the opportunity to have some fun and get some spectacular shots.

The bride had her father walk her down the aisle.

This portion of the ceremony is called the Lasso and Vail.

Lasso (sometimes called, “lazo”) or rope is placed around the bride and groom’s shoulders (groom’s shoulder’s first) in the form of an “8″ (the infinity symbol) – after they have exchanged their vows – to symbolize their everlasting union.

After the Lasso, the Veil is placed over the shoulders of the Groom and the shoulders or head and shoulders of the Bride. It may have to be pinned in place in order to stay. Thus tied together symbolically, the couple remains kneeling for the prayer.

After the prayer and before either attempts to rise, the Veil and then the Lasso is removed by the same people who put it on.

The church itself has a rule painted above the door that says “Silence is Golden” meaning they don’t really want anyone cheering in the church. Instead of kissing right after the ceremony, all the guests actually exit the church and the bride and groom walk the empty aisles to the doors and once outside they are then pronounced husband and wife and everyone gives a loud cheer.

They set aside about 90 minutes between the ceremony and when the cocktail hour would start to take pictures down by the beach with the entire bridal party. I thought it was excellent planning on their part and it really paid off because as you will see, we got some great shots!

Thanks to Shirvan Floral Design, the table decorations have such rich elements, it made the ballroom look so elegant.

The reception was held at Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort which was literally on the beach, you wake up and you can hear the ocean.

The gorgeous cake was made by the caterers at the Hilton Resort.

After the traditional parent dances, the bride and groom incorporated the “money dance”. As they danced by the guests, the would pin money to their clothes. Not such a bad idea, eh?

After Kathy made Ian swear he wouldn’t get cake on her dress, she took advantage of the moment by shoving cake in his face! And, while I’m not in favor of going back on your word, as a photographer I absolutely loved it because he was in total shock – he did not see it coming at all. It was classic.

Your wedding day was gorgeous and so much fun to photograph, congrats to you both!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 at 2:45 pm and is filed under Catholic, Destination Weddings, Weddings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.