April 26, 2008

Toni + Mike: Wedding at Falkner Winery

Wedding

Okay, I can’t keep writing novels when I post pictures! I’m so eager to tell the story and share that I write way too much, obsess over the collages, and it takes me way too long to post!

I’m going to try to be better. I’m going to backtrack so that I can share a wedding that I shot last month with the wonderful Julie of Julie Cheshire Photography. Check it out!

Sheesh! I have never taken as many pictures as I did at the wedding of Toni and Mike. Perhaps it was the pretty and laid-back bride, Toni, or maybe it was the fabulous setting of Falkner Winery, or maybe it was just that SoCal sun! Whatever the reason, Julie and I filled up over 30GB of cards and could have shot more.

In the spirit of being concise, I’ll just throw in little tidbits of the day.

Falkner Winery is located in Temecula, California, which is about 90 miles south of Los Angeles. (And yes, we drove there and back.) More than once I was told that Temecula is SoCal’s version of wine country – they are very proud of the area and they should be – it was beautiful. Unfortunately the grapevines weren’t full but the winery and the grounds were so pretty. The main building has this great ivy all over it and the dining hall is located in this spectacular red semi-circle modernish building. The ceremony site has a great view of the surrounding hills and their ceremony happened right before sunset so it was really impressive.

Okay, I must pause to tell you about the candle-lighting portion of the ceremony. Toni and Mike walked up to light their candles and Adam Sandler’s “Grow Old With You” came on and everyone was cracking up. It was another playful and personal little touch that made the wedding day so memorable.

We took the couple out to shoot a few pictures of them alone and made use of this fabulous Italian wall outside of the reception area. I want one of these walls on my house – I could have taken pictures here all day.

The reception area – note the huge windows that look down on the ceremony site and out to the hills.

Before their first dance, Toni and Mike’s flower girl surprised the couple with a speech and a song! It was so sweet. I was warned beforehand that it would happen and was told to take pictures of Toni because she would definitely cry.

And their first dance… Check out the candlelit ambience – just perfect!

The party was bumping late into the night. I’ve mentioned him before, but Hector Duron knows how to get people moving. It was definitely a fun crowd.

Congratulations Toni & Mike!

I wanna make you smile whenever you’re sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All I wanna do is grow old with you

I’ll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you

I’ll miss you
Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold

Need you
Feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control

So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed if you’ve had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you
Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer

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