Garza Wedding

For this blog, I will affectionately refer to my bride, Kelli, as the “chillest bride ever.”  She has been on a mission to make it so & I have to say, she has been.  Out of the 26 weddings I have shot this year, she was the first to offer me a mimosa, ask if I’d like to “sit down & take a load off” after literally walking in the door to start my work day.  With this being my first destination wedding, Kelli & Patrick both went above & beyond to make sure that Derrick & I were taken care of.  Them, their families & friends graciously accepted us in as one of their own which made everything all the better.  From the time we arrived they made a point to include us in every activity, meal & party.  And these people like to party. They even went as far to put name cards on the dinner table for us to join them at dinner during the wedding.  I also can’t forget about the massage they gifted both Derrick & myself.  Did I mention how lucky I am to have the very BEST #jkcouples?

We started our Saturday around noon at the beautiful Paradisus Punta Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic.  It was the perfect mixture of sunny & cloudy, which just so happens to be my absolute favorite weather shooting scenario.  Since we had been on the resort a few days, scouting for locations was a breeze.  Really, the options were endless.  My eyes were going crazy at all the pretty things to take photos of!  After details, getting ready & wedding party portraits we made our way to get ready for first look.  Watching Patrick & Kelli walk towards one another for the first time on their wedding day made Derrick & I both tear up.   I am so honored to be able to witness & capture such special moments in their lives!

The ceremony was beautiful & was just like you would expect it to be.  The couple read their own written vows to one another in front of their closest friends & family.  After the ceremony, everyone walked back down the isle to be greeted with a glass of champagne that followed with a beach front toast!

After the wedding was over, Kelli INSISTED that Derrick & I put away our gear & come to hang out with the gang.  As we were all sipping champagne on the beach, a round of toasts started.  Before long my name was shouted to say a few words about the couple!  Talking about Patrick & Kelli is really easy, as anyone who knows them could probably say the same thing.  I told them that having them as my first destination wedding couple made my job a breeze & that working for people like them is the reason why I do what I do.  Thank you Patrick & Kelli for trusting me to travel across the ocean to celebrate the bond that you have created.  Enjoy some of my favorites & there are so many more!  This blog post could of gone on & on but I had to stop it somewhere.  And a big CONGRATS to the brand new Uncle Pat Pat & Aunt Kelli!  XOXO