Brandon & Allison | Married in Carmel, Ca

 

I met Brandon in Germany on a trip where I was photographing a tour of CUI’s orchestra and choir. This is a guy who is instantly relatable, funny, generous and a wickedly talented singer. I watched him sing in giant cathedrals and we shared giant steins of beer together. If our path had never crossed again, what a cool memory that would be already.  Fast forward a year, I meet Allison in Mexico while I was photographing a small group of CUI students partnering with a cross-border ministry. This is a girl who is incredibly joyful, caring, radiates peace and is ALSO a wickedly singer. I watched her love on tons of kids and we shared street tacos together. Again, if our paths had never crossed after that, what special memories from a quick weekend in Mexico.

Fast forward again. These two are dating and have even started a worship band together *shout out Tribe & Tongue! Brandon reaches out to me and we hatch a scheme to have a mock-photoshoot for them that Allison thinks she won during a contest I rigged on my instagram. She “wins” and we go take some photos of them for the band, and all along there is a diamond ring in Brandon’s pocket. Brandon proposes to her on a cliff in Laguna Beach just over the ocean. She cries, he cries, it’s wonderful and we even manage to have two giant waves crash into those cliffs and soak us all during it all.

They planned to have a big 2020 wedding at their church in Redwood City in front of hundreds of their family and friends. The world changed, and so did their wedding date. Another year later Brandon and Allison finally become husband and wife in Carmel Valley at a giant Italian villa in front of only 20 of just their closest crew. Let me tell you, it was such a beautiful, special, glorious tearjerker of a day. From the perfect weather, to Brandon’s gift to Allison of a song that he performed during their first look, to exploring the oceanside of Carmel with the wedding party, to more singing and tears during the ceremony, to the Chinese tea ceremony, to the perfect dinner at dusk and then finishing off the night with an epic dance party.

It’s been so fun to be a part of these core moments in all sorts of towns, landscapes and across oceans. You two are a shining light light to the world of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Thank you for having me along to bask in just some of that radiance.  🙂