Garden Pavilion Wedding Sonoma | Michelle + Thomas

I knew these two were a unique and special couple from the moment we Skyped each other for the first time last year. We didn’t get to do an engagement shoot together so I hadn’t had much of a chance to get to know them beforehand. I did however get a great insight into these two, as individuals and as a couple, during their rehearsal dinner in San Francisco the night before their Sonoma Garden Pavilion wedding. There was universal agreement amongst those who spoke, and by the reactions their anecdotes provoked from everyone present, that Michelle and Thomas are undeniably made for each other. They are as kind, fun loving, crazy and whacky as each other and from their first date to announcing their engagement, and to the wedding itself, they always inject some fun in to the proceedings. As I saw how proudly members of their family talked about them the night before, I knew the next day would be emotional in all the right ways.

You’ll see plenty of laughs and smiles in this wedding. The first dance was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while, seeing them seamlessly transition from “Fly Me To The Moon” to “The Birdie Song” had everyone in stitches.  Thomas and his mum then rolled out the most awesome mother-son dance I’ve seen. Through all the portraits there were smiles and silly faces and the evening was simply hilarious.

You’ll also see a few tears, well maybe more than a few. It started in the first hour as Michelle and her mum danced together in a show of joy or maybe just a display of togetherness to calm the nerves.  How it started or why isn’t important, but the moment predictably gave way to the emotions of the day. Thomas made cheese cake for Michelle’s gift (to prove to her he could) complete with video evidence of his maiden baking journey, all recorded on an iPad. Then there was the 1st look. Michelle’s face when Thomas turns around is a photo I keep looking at over and over. Seeing Michelle walk down the aisle with her dad towards Thomas standing alongside the two generations of his family was a moment I won’t forget, and is a series of images I am so proud of. The hug Michelle gave her dad at the end of that walk is priceless and Michelle’s expression of sheer happiness as they walk over the bridge as a married couple…. well I think that captures who they are more than anything else.

Oh, and then there were the speeches…