This Downtown LA was a dream to be apart of!

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was a second shooter at this wedding. I was able to tag along with my wonderful friend Arielle who I met through the photo community :)

I just had to blog about this wedding because of how much fun it was. And I think we all need a little bit of light in the times we're having right now.

First off, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. I wasn't given much detail into who the couple was or anything. But let me tell you, these guys are AWESOME! And they were so kind right off the bat. I loved hearing about their love through all of the speeches, stories ,and songs.

I was on duty to shoot the groomsmen and the groom getting ready. So I headed to the spot where they were getting ready to start taking photos.

Deb + Nate got married at this HUGE church in North Hollywood. It had so many different buildings you could definitely get lost while walking around. The guys were located in a room at the bottom of the Worship Center.

Once Nate was ready they all said a prayer together. Then we went outside to take some groomsmen group shots.

These guys.

Let me tell you, they were hilarious! Everything I had them do they did it ONE HUNDRED times better. They were totally comfortable being in front of the camera which was a dream! Most of the time its like I have to coax the goofy out of the groomsmen.

The Ceremony

Then came time for the big moment.

Guys.

This church was BEAUTIFUL. I loved everything about it. The stained glass cross was just breathtaking and it felt so warm and inviting inside.

The ceremony was beautiful to watch. I was honored to be able to take photos of Nate seeing his bride walk down the aisle. Those are my favorite moments to capture honestly. The moment a man watches his forever walk towards him. It definitely makes me cry every single time.

They did a few things during their ceremony that were important and significant to them. It was all so beautiful to watch. Then the best part: the I do's and the kiss.

I love that moment too :)

And then YAY they were married!

The Reception

Of course, they walked down the aisle as husband and wife.They went and cheered with their friends and family and came back in for family photos.

After that I headed to their reception site in the Arts District of Downtown LA to cover their cocktail hour. It was at Seventh Place which was so cute! I never knew it existed. That's what I love about LA and San Diego. They have these little artsy gems located everywhere in random pockets of the city that are perfect event spaces. Props to Deb and Nate for finding this place.

The couple went off with Arielle to take their bridals with their bridal party.

They had the best set up. They even had pizza as a starter because they got married on Pi Day! How clever was that?!

Everyone was so kind while there. I chatted it up with some of their friends and family while I took photos of the important parts of the party.

Then the couple arrived and the party started!

They had a live band for their entertainment and I didn't find out until almost the end of the night that it was DEBS BAND! She actually is a singer! And she's an amazing one! (She has a single on SoundCloud right now you guys and you have to go take a listen!). Her whole family is so talented. Her father even sang to her later on in the night and it was so sweet to watch.

Their MCs were also probably some of the funniest people I've ever encountered. The girl who MC'd was basically my spirit animal. She cracked corny sarcastic jokes all night long and that's exactly the type of person I am haha.

There were so many moments through the night with speeches and first dances that made me tear up. I am such a sucker for these things you guys.

All in all, this wedding was beautiful and so much fun to be at. I loved every second of it.

I love this job and everything it entails. It doesn't even feel like a "job". It's more of something fun I get to do on the side while I hang out with some pretty cool people.

Anway, I think I'll end it here. I'll leave some of my favorite photos from the day below. Also, if you'd like to check out Debs music, shes @debsilog on instagram! Seriously, check out her stuff. It's great!!

Xoxo,

Amanda