Sunday was the much anticipated wedding day of Bethy and Seth. Over the course of the past year I have gotten to know this couple quite well. I shot their engagement shoot last August, a portrait shoot with them and their cute dog Ella and more recently a family shoot with Bethy's family. I love it when I get the chance to know my clients and call them friends. I was so flattered when Seth and Bethy invited me to their rehearsal dinner as a guest!

So as you might imagine, I've been looking forward to this wedding for awhile now. And even though some time has passed, I still remember the first things Bethy and Seth told me in preparation for their wedding photos over a year ago. Bethy warned me in advance that Seth had a habit of blinking at the exact wrong moment resulting in many closed-eye photos. He could also fall victim to the dreaded "fake smile." Then Seth warned me that he quickly loses his patience when it comes to photos. And while I understood they were concerned about these things, I also knew they didn't need to be. I knew exactly what would happen...

Seth would see Bethy for the first time...
He wouldn't blink. He wouldn't want to miss a moment of her.
And any smile that crossed his face would be more real than he'd ever known before.

I was right.

If there was anything I was nervous about, it was trying to take photos between my own laughter. These two are a hoot. They are thrill seekers, sports lovers, and have a fun sarcastic humor.

All laughter aside and any warnings long forgotten, Bethy and Seth said "I do" and in doing so began their next great adrenaline-packed adventure. Marriage. Side by side, smile by real, radiant smile.

The day was amazing thanks in part to a dream-team of vendors:

Planner: Jennifer Thye of Imoni Events
Venue: JW Marriott Desert Ridge
Florist: The Flower Studio
Band: Shining Star Band
Videographer: Princess Bride Video
Hair: Nya Michelle
Make-up: Linda Wagner
Rentals: Tri Rentals & Kool Party Rentals
Drapery: Quest Drape
Linens: Southwick Linens
Ceremony Music: String Serenade
Officiant: Bernie Zahn

I started off the day with Bethy and the girls as they got ready:
Bethy looked amazing:
Seth and Bethy saw each other before the ceremony so we could get some fun portraits of them. Love this one:
The details for this wedding were over the top bright, fun and gorgeous:
Bethy's mom and dad walked her down the aisle:
Yay!! Married!
Check out the reception room - queue jaw dropping:
The centerpieces had flowers submerged IN the water:
They had a candy bar for their favors and it was unbelievable as well:
For the reception Seth and Bethy did a quick clothing change. Then for their first dance they did a ballroom number that was really impressive:
Followed by a choreographed upbeat number that was so fun:
And my favorite thing about Jewish weddings -- the Hora!!
I just love these expressions!
Bethy is super-organized and had a huge binder for everything related to the wedding. But Seth was able to surprise her nonetheless. He had a 4 foot cake flown in from Mike's Amazing Cakes in Washington that was based off of a photo of their dog Ella sitting on a statue of the Florida Gator -- their favorite team. The cake maker added their new little puppy Sophie as well. The cake was so amazing in its detail and clearly Bethy was surprised and pleased. I love Bethy's mom's reaction in this shot as well:
What a great day! If you'd like to see even more photos from this special day, click here to view the slideshow!
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