THE WEEGELS
The Weegels - just knowing this lively, smart, and funny couple playfully created this name for themselves from their last names and you knew their wedding would be full of touches that would resonate with their personalities.
They had even had part of their engagement portrait at the dance studio where they learned to waltz for their wedding. We are always impressed when a couple decides to go that extra bit and learn a special dance- besides it adds a lot to our photo ops!
We knew that Julie had gotten a custom gown in New York and were excited to see it- and it was loaded with bling- our favorite! The bridesmaids dresses, also custom made, were a beautiful shade of blue that was complemented beautifully by the bouquets in shades of orange and red. Those bouquets, the vividness of the bright colors, were another Julie touch of the many that we saw that day.
It was very different and very consistent with this couple that they wanted more photos with their wedding party than they did of themselves. You could see the strong love and loyalty among them all and they had a great time in the Stanford quad doing photos before heading out for the party at the Stanford Barn.
The Stanford Barn (California Café) is a great place for a wedding reception- the food is superb and the space is warm and inviting. Right off we saw another great Julie Charles touch- they had a photo booth from Party Booths and the guests had a great time sitting in the booth mugging for the camera and then decorating the prints with stickers- it was fabulous fun! We know because we did it too!
Their cake, from Beaux Gateaux was really unique, of course- inspired by the design of their wedding rings and incorporating the autumn leaves that were also part of the decor throughout the reception- a perfect autumn leaf on each napkin, stunning displays of autumn foliage in large stands, and leaves among the gorgeous centerpieces.
A light rain came during the reception, and though it did not dampen the party whatsoever it did create a bit of an obstacle for their waltz in the form of a wooden support beam in the middle of the dance floor. They bravely and beautifully adapted and the magic moment when Charles was down on one knee holding Julie’s hand while she circled around him moved at least one photographer and several guests to tears. Next came a total treat- a Cha-Cha lesson by their amazing and gifted dance teacher Diane Surkis from the Starlite Ballroom. Thus began a great set of dancing from a Chicken Dance contest (without a winner- we think everyone won!) to a few Bollywood dances which were wonderfully passionate and surprisingly included a few talented guests obviously well practiced at this style of dance.
Bouquet and garter thrown our couple was off and on their way - to a lifetime of dances together.
It was evident from the playful quality of NIna and Fred’s engagement photos that they shared a wonderful sense of humor as well as a special affection. We were really looking forward to this wedding!
It rained that day , as luck would have it, but we can say that it never affected the festivities. Their wonderful venue, the Stanford Park Hotel, has a lovely indoor facility for weddings and if anything everything had a cozy warm feeling.
Their friends and family had 12 years to prepare for this big event- and we always feel that people who wait a long time to marry really know what it means to exchange those sacred vows.
Visiting both of them while they got ready we were struck by how calm they were, and how much they both looked forward to becoming married. They had decided to meet before their ceremony and we love witnessing that moment when a couple encounters one another and it really sinks in that today really is their wedding day. It is always so moving to behold- and all of our couples who elect to do that are so happy that they do.
Nina’s dress was gorgeous, simple and elegant with just enough bling- it suited her perfectly. She was shining with that special bloom that only brides can claim. As you will see it shows in all of her photos. The artfully designed bouquets by Ah Sam complemented her dress and the birdesmaids perfectly.
We love a harp it adds a special magic to both ceremony and cocktail hour, and Stephanie Janowski added a lyrical beauty to both.
The minister had a wonderful way of tying the Jewish and Christian traditions together and it was a lovely ceremony. Glass broken, first kiss exchanged, their faces as they came down the aisle said everything about their joy at marrying one another at last.
It was fabulous that we had gotten all the family and wedding party photographs done ahead of time as it allows us to proceed right to the party after the ceremony. First, though, we took our bride and groom golf umbrellas and the wedding party out to play a bit. We coaxed our couple to practice their waltz, and I also knew that Nina would be one who would be happy to dance for our camera, twirling and laughing and just glowing!
That turned out to be just the beginning of an evening full of dancing , as once the delicious meal and lavish dessert buffet plus wedding cake were over the dance floor was full and very very active. One of the high points was the almost solemn announcement of a special song for the groom- and then the strains of Baby Got Back filled the air!! Even more fun, the bride’s parents then hit the dance floor and boogied down to everyone’s delight. Fueled by the elegant rocking supervisions of RIch Amooi of Hey Mr. DJ the dance floor was alive up to the very last minute of the evening- which, as ever, came too soon.
