Hannah Sons Photography: ::Partida Wedding:: {Riverside, Mission Inn Wedding Photographer}

It was a rainy, cold day in March. The wedding ceremony was supposed to be held outside in the oriental garden at the Mission Inn, but due to the weather it was moved to inside the chapel. I knew Anya was bummed that things weren't going as planned. She had been talking about the Oriental garden for the last 15 months as she prepared and planned for this gorgeous day. Luckily for her, she has some ah-mazing wedding planners from Le Jour Parfait. Dorian and Dan are wonderful people to work with. They made Becky and I feel so comfortable and made our job so much easier. Shooting a wedding at the Mission Inn for the first time can be a tad overwhelming, especially in the rain when you can’t use the venue to it fullest potential. Dorian and Dan made us feel much better about the day and I know they also made Anya feel much better too. Once she knew Ray was in the building I could tell she was more relieved. The two of them make an awesome team. At the end of the day it didn’t matter to Anya if it were sunny, raining, snowing or hailing, she was just happy she was marrying the love of her life.

For the last 15 months I have taken many photos of Ray, Anya, and Kaleb, I feel as if they were family. I felt so honored to be a part of this incredible day in their lives and to witness it first hand. I told myself I wouldn't get emotional, but it happened, more than once!

As the night went on the rain got worse and worse. When Becky and I were taking pictures after the ceremony with our lovely newlyweds I felt like we were playing a game of cat and mouse running through the Mission Inn trying to stay dry, keep Ray and Anya dry and also get the best pictures possible. Once we felt we had enough pictures that is when the party began. Their DJ was great. I felt as if I were in High School with all of the old school jams, and caught myself “moving” to the beat several times. If you ever see this in action you will quickly realize I have no rhythm, none, not even a little.

Everything about this wedding was amazing and beautiful. The colors, details and all the lit candles were superb. Even though several plans had to be changed due to the weather everything turned out perfect. Anya did a super, fantastic job planning every little detail about this day.

Ray and Anya looked stunning. I am so excited to see this next chapter of their lives begin. they are truly lucky to have each other.