Being an Orange County wedding photographer we have the great opportunity to work at some amazing wedding venues with some incredible clients. This fall we had the privilege to capture two beautiful weddings at Padua Hills Theatrein Claremont and both were truly special to us. When I reflect on past weddings, I often think of the journey that those two people were on that led up to their wedding day. Some stories are completely random whereas other stories it was a long development. Though often times we hear of the roles friends played in bringing our bride and groom together. Such was the case for Matt and Abby. Check out how they first met and how Matt popped the question on their Orange County engagement session blog.
When I look back at Matt & Abby’s Padua Hills Theatre wedding I am touched because the genuine joy I saw on Matt & Abby’s faces throughout the day was something special. I often joke with my clients asking them if they think the other person will cry. To be honest our couples don’t always cry. But as someone who considers our clients’ friends, it was so great seeing these two so overwhelmed with joy and emotion. For us capturing wedding photos is all about capturing the beautiful moments of the day and there is no more beautiful moment than when a groom sees his bride-to-be dressed in a lovely white dress with eyes locked on him. Truly I can’t help but smile when I look at these photos and I hope you feel the same way.
Our friends at Prive Beauty did a fantastic job with Abby and all the bridesmaids’ hair and makeup.
We love surprises! Abby told us prior to the wedding she had a card and a special gift for her dad. The moment was truly perfect!
Prior to their first look, Matt & Abby sent gifts and handwritten letters to each other.
The groomsmen of course had some fun with Matt before the first look.
The bride and bridesmaids were absolutely stunning and their bouquets from Carol’s Secret Garden were simply perfect.
Before the ceremony, Matt and Abby decided to have a first look. It truly such a special moment seeing these two filled with so much love for each other.
Prior to Matt & Abby’s Padua Hills Theatre wedding, I did have the chance to ask them a few fun questions:
1) As you approach the wedding day, what have you both enjoyed most about the wedding planning process?
Making decisions and seeing everything come together has been our favorite part of the planning process, it is a lot more stressful than we expected.
2) What has been the hardest part about planning your wedding?
The hardest part has been trying to plan everything from out of state. We have had to make so many trips back and forth and cram a million stops into each trip to get everything done.
3) Why did you choose your particular wedding and reception venue?
We love the rustic yet elegant feel of Padua Hills Theatre. Walking up to it for the first time, we fell in love with all of the brick and beautiful landscaping.
4) Where did you draw some of your inspiration for your wedding day?
Having our wedding in the fall, the warmer colors of fall were an inspiration. We are having several gold accents that remind me of the color of changing leaves, even though there aren’t too many leaves changing or fall colors where we live in AZ or in southern CA, fall is still our favorite time of year.
5) Where are you going for the honeymoon? Are you excited? Why did you choose that destination?
Jamaica!! We are so excited to relax in a beautiful place! We wanted to go somewhere tropical and feel spoiled the whole time but still have activities available. We decided to go to Sandals Ochi because it is such a large resort that we will never run out of things to do and they have a ton of restaurant options but it is still a Sandals so it has that honeymoon feel. We leave the day after the wedding.
A Special thanks to our amazing Padua Hills Theatre wedding vendor team:
WEDDING VENUE | Padua Hills Theatre
DRESS | Wedding Belles Bridal
GROOM’S SUIT | Le Sueur Tuxedos
CATERING | Chantrelles Catering
FLORIST | Carol’s Secret Garden
MAKEUP & HAIR | Prive Beauty – Vanessa
DJ | Entertainment Express – Shawn & Heather
PHOTOGRAPHY | Three16 Photography
VIDEOGRAPHY | Three16 Photography
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About the Author:
Jerrick O’Connor is the owner of Three16 Photography and has 15 years of experience in the world of photography. He specializes in Weddings, Engagements, Family and Corporate photography and loves connecting small business owners with other small business owners in hopes they can benefit each other’s production. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife Josie, playing board games or just spending time with his many friends.
