San Diego Beach Wedding

It has been an enormous gift to learn from Michelle over the last year, and both Beau and I are so grateful for her mentorship and generous spirit.

Maggie and Brooks’ wedding day was one of my favorites. I instantly connected with this sweet couple because their love story largely took place in a city that is very close to my heart…Chicago! Maggie’s family lives in Chicago, and when she moved out to California for work, she met the love of her life, Brooks.

These two did an amazing job representing both of their families and backgrounds through their wedding day. Maggie and her bridesmaids got ready at Brooks’ parent’s house, overlooking the San Clemente State Beach where the ceremony would be held. But even though the wedding was taking place in Brooks’ home town, there were touches of Maggie everywhere!

Each guest received a sample of Garret’s popcorn, the Chicago blend to be exact (this is a true Chicago staple for anyone planning a trip!). And, instead of a traditional wedding cake, Maggie and Brooks had a Gino’s East deep dish pizza shipped out to them, and the couple cut that in place of a wedding cake. The cutest idea!

One thing I didn’t mention is that Michelle was actually pregnant with her beautiful daughter Sage. Things had been going really well all day, but just after the ceremony, Michelle started presenting some symptoms that her doctor deemed serious enough to go on bed rest for the remainder of the evening. Things became real for me really quickly. This meant that suddenly I had to step into the role of second shooter, something I didn’t expect. Michelle would now be relying on my images for the bride and groom’s final gallery, not just for my own portfolio.