planning a wedding takes a lot of time.
so does medical school.
so, how do you plan a wedding while going to medical school (in another state)?
you call for backup.
helping jillian and james was a solid team led by jillian’s mom, diane. she did a lot of the heavy lifting. if i were handing out medals, she would definitely get the gold. (i love the olympics!)
jillian and james’ wedding at the thursday club was absolutely beautiful. it had an intimate, old san diego feel thanks to it’s perfect location in point loma overlooking the pacific, and a ton of diy awesomeness. some of the diy highlights included a handmade “framework” of tree branches and rustic window frames, upon which hung old wedding photos from their family. guests found their seats via tiny tags on herbs in cute little pots that were all hand-painted by diane herself. tables were decorated with lanterns, wooden and ceramic birds, vintage medicine bottles and mason jars filled with colorful flowers. paper goods included handmade wedding programs and fans.
although this wedding was in our hometown, we went into it like it was a destination wedding. having only briefly seen jillian twice before and never meeting james prior to the wedding day, we were unsure what to expect.
things i knew:
1) jillian is super smart and smiles as much as her mom.
2) james has a beard and lives in portland, so he had to be cool.
minutes after arriving at the thursday club and pointing our lenses at jillian and james, everything else we would need to know came into focus. we discovered that james is actually cooler than cool, and jillian is the triple crown of awesome brides (smart, funny, and beautiful). i love our couples… and their bridal parties! the bridesmaids had us crying happy tears and the groomsmen had us crying laughing. it was like buying a package of fun dip and opening it to find you got a pack full of awesome candy stix and none of that sucky powder.
a lot of love was put into this wedding and everyone that attended got to not only see it, but feel it. i adore this wedding for that. i love that we felt like we were part of these families, not simply because we had taken diane and walter’s wedding photos a few years prior, but because everyone that we talked to at this wedding made us feel like we were special. most of them didn’t even know us, but they all shared a laugh or a short story or just a warm smile. everyone shared something. that’s ohana. that’s love.
samir did his part to make sure james was looking as sharp as possible. you can’t do a proper discover america pose with a crooked tie.
we heart jillian’s smile. luckily we got to see it a lot this day.
one of my favorite moments of the day.
chantal was so cute!
no matt, you’re the best.
wait… you gave the rings to jake???
the sisterhood of smiles!
josh’s samir impressions… killed.
so, you have a sister?
diane and walter had some very sweet words, but james’ sister kaitlin wins for best speech! while brushing her hair as a child, shortly after james was born, she asked her parents,”is james adopted? he doesn’t look anything like me.”
classic.
say whip. now say cool whip.
10′s all around for the floor exercise.
samir’s moves were impressive, and jillian did a dead-on fish, but nobody breaks it down like jake.
stay tuned for part 2 of james and jillians awesome wedding and the craziness that could only be captured in the ohana booth.
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special thanks to everyone that chipped in to make james and jillian’s wedding awesome! family, friends, and vendors alike, you all did an amazing job. apologies if i’m leaving anyone out.
ohana – Diane, Walter, Kathleen, Kyle, Tony, Buddy, Chris, Danny
bridesmaids – Shea, Amanda, Julia, Kaitlin, Madeline, and flower girl Chantal
groomsmen – Jacob, Brian, Joshua, Matthew, and Samir (co-founder of america)
officiant - Reverend Michael McFadden
event coordination – Pink Papaya Events
photography – Ohana Photographers
entertainment – Wayne Foster Entertainment
catering – The Marine Room
flowers – San Diego Bay Flower Company
rentals – Flowers by Annette
ice carving – Ice Carvings by James J. Lovejoy
wait staff – Night and Day Productions
rentals – Classic Party Rentals
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My goodness, the soft romantic feel and editing in these really highlight her classic beauty. I wouldn’t change a thing! Beautifully done!
Absolutely stunning!
These photos have such a romantic and sweet vibe to them! Simply stunning!
The colors and the details are amazing! Very romantic and beautifully done!
Gorgeous!
Absolutely gorgeous!!!
wow that moment between bride and mom! loved it! beautiful details!
[...] what could possibly be more fun than pt1 of jillian and james’ wedding at The Thursday Club? [...]
Love the pics you posted on facebook from this wedding! Looked like a lot of fun!
You always tell such a beautiful story in photos too!
Beautiful photographs as always!
My goodness you can really feel the love mom has for her daughter in these photos. So touching and absolutely lovely!
The bride is gorgeous! I’m loving the amazing details and decor. Beautiful wedding all around!
What a gorgeous and fun group! As always love your work!
Stunning bride! I love the emotional moment with mom and daughter, such a touching moment. You photographed this beautifully!
I saw some of the photobooth on your facebook page and had to come look! Love the fun in this wedding and all the smiles you’ve captured! Can’t wait for part 2!
Really Love your works. always creative and artistic!
So gorgeous! You all captured the atmosphere so well.
Always love your Star Wars references! Beautiful photos!
Gorgeous portraits of the couple and the bridal party one’s are fun! The dancing shots are too, looked like everyone was having a blast!
Absolutely gorgeous job! Beautiful wedding all around!
So many laughs and wonderful emotions captured here! The pictures of the couple are beautiful! I love all the details too!
Gorgeous all around!
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