When Marissa first reached out to me over a year ago for her L.A. wedding, we clicked pretty instantly. In between paragraphs about logistics for their wedding weekend, we shared back and forth about faith, love, and the joy of waiting for God’s timing. I was looking forward to their late December wedding all year and it was such a wonderful end to my 2024 wedding season!

Marissa and Brian have a beautiful love story that only God could have written (as cliche as that might sound, it is completely true). Their long-distance relationship with thousands of airline miles racked up culminated in their glorious wedding in L.A. I arrived the Thursday after Christmas to photograph their Welcome Party and then Rehearsal Dinner on Friday before the big day on Saturday. This the first time I’ve been hired to document an entire wedding weekend and it was so special to get extra time with the bride and groom and their families and wedding party before we even got to the wedding day!

Before the rehearsal on Friday, I spent the afternoon driving along the coast in Palos Verdes, CA to scout out potential locations for their portraits. I knew we would have limited time before the sun set but the two of them and I had our hopes set on cliffside sunset portraits. All day on Thursday and Friday it was overcast and incredibly foggy to the point that you really couldn’t see much of a view. It was also chilly and rainy which made the ground wet and muddy.

However, God outdid himself and the fog and rain disappeared on Saturday and the sun came out during their ceremony causing the most beautiful rays to fall on them from the stained glass windows. Miraculously, the sun stayed out and we got the epic, dreamy, cliffside sunset photos that we were all hoping for. I’ve shot a few weddings out on the West Coast at this point, but this was the first wedding that we planned to do their portraits on the actual coast and it did not disappoint. The ground had also dried enough that Marissa could walk along the cliffs without ruining her dress! This blog post is definitely pretty heavy on the portraits but as you scroll down, I think you’ll understand why!

Their reception was at the Shade Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA. The third floor held their open-air cocktail hour which was timed as the sun was setting which meant it was filled with creamy golden light making a pretty gorgeous backdrop. On the floor below was the main reception room which had been transformed into a candlelit black and white winter wedding dream. There are also quite a few reception detail photos in this post, and you will also understand why once you’ve seen them.

Marissa’s mom is a New Orleans native and I loved that they brought a taste of her culture by opening the dance floor with a traditional NOLA second line. A second line never fails to get the dance floor going! Marissa and Brian chose to have a mix of live music and a DJ which I haven’t experienced before but was seriously so fun. The live musicians mingled out on the dance floor joining into the DJ’s music and it was a blast!

Marissa and Brian, it was such a huge honor to be your photographer and I hope this post brings you so much joy as you get to relive your day!

Xoxo,

Mary Kate

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A huge thank you to all the other vendors who came together to make this day possible!

CHURCH  // St Margaret Mary Catholic Church

VENUE  // Shade Hotel Redondo Beach

SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER // Bibi Hernandez Photo

VIDEOGRAPHER // Joseph Hardin Films

FLOWERS // Freckles & Bloom 

DJ // Second Song

CAKE // Torrance Bakery

RECEPTION SIGNAGE // Marina Sarkis | Events & Signage

DRESS // Mon Amie Bridal Salon – Justin Alexander

HAIR & MUA // Aubrey Laine Artistry

BRIDESMAIDS // Birdy Grey

GROOMSMEN // The Black Tux