It was a beautiful Saturday for Robin and Michael’s wedding at the Lakewood Country Club. This was our first Lakewood Country Club Wedding and it was such a beautiful location and golf course. It was also our first wedding working with the spectacularly awesome wedding planner Kathryn Herring of Embrace Bliss.
Once we parked, we headed up the stairs of the country club walked to Robin's bridal suite. We found Robin surrounded by friends and family, with bridal party dresses, makeup, champagne and wonderful black glitter Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and the gorgeous wedding dress. Robin’s Converse shoes were such a personal touch and we were so excited to see them, they were truly Robin.
Robin’s Gown was a beautiful white gown with perfect accents of beading, lace and satin. The look was further escalated by the black bedazzled Converse and a lovely blue heart necklace Mike had given Robin for Valentine’s Day.
While Robin and the Bridal party were getting ready, we were able to head downstairs to capture Michael the Groom and his groomsmen.
It was great to see the love Mike had for all his groomsmen and how excited each one of them was for Mike and Robin. Both of Mike’s brothers were groomsmen and the love and excitement they had for him were infectious and heartwarming to be witness to.
We were given the rings by the best man for pictures and were also handed a handkerchief that was given to Mike from Robin. It was such a creative gift as the handkerchief had a sewn handwritten message from Robin for Mike on it. It was such a personal touch and made for beautiful photographs next to the rings!
Mike and the groomsmen migrated outside to have their boutonnières pinned on them by Kathryn of Embrace Bliss and it was the perfect opportunity to grab some more portraits.
After the greetings of the friends, family and arriving guests, we were able to gather up Mike and the boys for some more group shots. They all had a touch of Reservoir Dogs and a hint of The Godfather swagger and I feel it certainly came out during the shots.
It was so special to see the relationship Robin has with the children she takes care of. It was clear to see how much they all loved Robin and how excited they all were to be involved in the wedding!
Back at the Bridal Suite, the bridesmaids and the mothers of the Bride and Groom were almost finished getting ready. We took advantage of the beautiful day for some quick portraits to capture their beautiful dresses and finished hair and make up.
Finally it was Robin’s turn to put on her spectacular gown and it was a beautiful, smile filled and emotional transformation from stepping into her dress, having her mother zip up the back, and slipping on the rockin’ Chucks.
Now that everyone was ready, it was time to kick everything up a notch, light the candle and get the beautiful wedding started! The ceremony was fantastic, everyone was so happy and excited to see Mike, the Bridal party, the children and Robin. The ring bearer was the symbol of calm and poise and did a great handoff to the Best Man.
Soon Robin began to descend the stairs from the Bridal Suite to the ceremony, Mike was waiting eagerly with anticipation. (Her Chucks sparkled fantastically in the sun by the way) When the two locked eyes, seeing their reactions made everyone else at the ceremony fade away and it was such a touching moment.
The ceremony was personal, emotional, and filled with love. Robin and Mike exchanged vows, rings and their hearts to each other. The kiss was heart-felt and elegant and the two joined arm in arm and walked back down the aisle as husband and wife.
We then began to capture the family portraits while guests walked over to the reception area. It was inside the Lakewood Country Club and had been closed off to make sure no one went inside too early. However, this didn’t stop a select few from trying to sneak a peak.
The reception was in the grand hall with wonderful accents of navy, pink and white. The flowers were gorgeous and there were so many small personal touches that really brought everything together.
Right next to the cake and guest book was a memorial to Robin’s late father, it was so special to see a framed portrait of him and his black tie next to the guest book. It was a fitting tribute and gentle reminder that he is there in spirit.
While their families were enjoying the cocktail hour, we were able to steal Robin and Mike away for some newlywed portraits. It was so exciting to capture their first moments alone after becoming newlyweds.
Everyone was waiting excitedly for the Bridal party and Mike and Robin’s entrances. Robin and Mike burst onto the dance floor and went straight into their 1st dance. It was fantastic to feel the outpouring of love everyone had for the newly married couple.
After the dance, the speeches and toasts began! Mike’s brother gave a fantastic speech followed by one of Robin’s bridesmaids. Robin’s uncle brought it home with a great speech giving sound advice to the married couple. Robin and Mike welcomed and thanked everyone for attending and Mike grabbed his mother and Robin grabbed her uncle for an emotional dance together.
Robin and Mike moved over to cut the cake and share a champagne toast together. I’m really proud of them, they were very kind to each other and did not smash cake into each others faces.
The DJ gathered up all of the single ladies for the Bouquet toss. Robin’s good friend was the lucky winner!
During the garter toss, the garter hit a little snag! When Mike launched it, the garter actually went up, hit the drapes in ceiling and dropped straight down. Most were stunned, but one "man" knew what to do. He dove and slid for it, and captured it. The proud winner of the garter was Slater, a 7 year old baseball superstar who was quoted as saying “I did a baseball slide and was able to grab it before anyone else”
Then the dancing began!
After Robin and Mike's gorgeous reception was over, we all hopped in golf carts for final wedding portraits before Robin and Mike went to their wedding after party. (it was all of our 1st times driving golf carts so it was a fun and harrowing experience!)
Robin and Mike drove off into the sunset together and to their afterparty. We packed up all of our gear and left Lakewood Country Club with smiles on our faces. We feel so thankful, blessed and happy to have been Robin and Mike’s wedding photographers for their special day. We are so excited to see the future that Robin and Mike will create together. Also a big shout out and thank you again to Kathryn Herring of Embrace Bliss. She’s seriously a rock star, her calm, poise, professionalism and creativity are second to none!
Congratulations again Robin and Mike! Stay Tuned for images from their newlywed portrait shoot!
-Daniel and Rebecca of Daniel Doty Photography
Your premiere Southern California Wedding Photographers, proudly serving the south bay, SoCal and all over the country!
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