Background:
We have all dealt with the pressures of the media and our families to maintain the traditions that society has upheld, many of which born from thoughts, ideas and opinions that are outdated, frankly don’t make any sense, and are downright exclusionary and offensive.
We’ve all had to deal with those people who just don’t get it, those people who constantly obsess about beautifying and perfecting their outsides while completely ignoring and neglecting the beauty, authenticity and happiness of their insides.
If you ask me, they’ve got it all wrong! All of these things have led me to the career and path I have chosen. I specialize in authentic and radiant lifestyle and boudoir photography for women so that they can finally see themselves in a new light and love who they are from the inside out. I also photograph weddings and beginning with this as my first, I’d be honored to continue documenting the honest and authentic love of same sex couples. This entire experience has been eye opening for me.
Even though I consider myself familiar with the inequalities same sex couples face in the world, it wasn’t until I chatted with Jaimee our officiant (who you’ll read more about later), that I learned more about the crazy challenges they face navigating the world of the wedding industry. Being born and raised in the Bay Area, a place I’ve always viewed as one of the most free spirited, diverse and accepting places in the world, same sex couples are still having a hard time finding wedding professionals who are open and willing to be a part of and support same sex love. It’s appalling. It’s ridiculous. It’s disgusting really.
Our latest photoshoot began marinating in my brain about a year ago and my team and myself began planning and coordination about 4 months before the big day. The thing that started it all was stumbling across an old fashioned wedding dress from the 80’s that someone set out on the curb as garbage down the street from my house. I had already been on the hunt to create a “trash the dress” photoshoot and when I stumbled upon that wedding gown keepsake box which indeed housed a wedding dress that I could trash, I was really excited! The brainstorming begin…
In my mind, it quickly became a same sex themed wedding shoot telling a very special love story. I decided not to trash the dress after all because that would become distracting to the story which became much more significant. It was about breaking tradition, finding your true love, following your heart, being truly happy and expressing all of these truths that everyone deserves to experience freely.
Setting the scene:
We’d see a bride wearing this dramatic and super traditional 80’s wedding gown as she’s holding hands with a male groom in a traditional black tux. They’re walking towards a traditional white church. She stops, they look at each other and she runs away because she realizes he’s not her true love and leaves her traditional bouquet behind. Instead of following her heart she has been following the traditions her parents have been preaching to her about all of her life. She has been fighting who she really is, what makes her happy and has been denying who she is truly in love with.
We cut to a new location she has ran to where she ditches the white wedding gown. Here she begins preparing for something big. She’s still anonymous by this point, then we witness the first look where she meets her true love who is a woman, they are both revealed and she’s now wearing a black dress. She’s holding a voluptuous wild and free bouquet that later breaks apart into two separate bouquets representing giving her partner a piece of herself. They get eloped. They follow their hearts, discover and honor what and who truly makes them happy, they break tradition and show the world that’s it’s ok, they represent being truly free and are an example for us all as we all can relate to these themes in some way.
It’s such an incredible love story in which I’m sure many same sex couples (or even heterosexual couples and individuals of any sort for that matter) can relate to. My goal is simply to share this story with the world, to create impact in someone’s life, to give someone hope, to make someone smile, to change someone’s world, to help someone live an authentic life, to honor those who have been through so much and to share a story that has the potential to touch so many in some way, these intentions are endless and I hope that you can help me share this story.
Now, you may have noticed this is only part one, which means there’s much more to come! Including the much anticipated reveal of Andy & Kylie’s wedding proposal and elopement, plus the film that puts it all together!
Read part two: The Proposal and on the Spot Elopement
The Team: Photography: Angie Capri Photography // Direction, Coordination, Wardrobe styling, Concept Creation and Location Scout: Angie Capri Photography // Videography: Different Cloud Imagery // Event Designer, Prop Sourcing and Stylist: Candy Crush Events // Table linens: Candy Crush Shop // Hair and Makeup: Makeup by Sarah Dean // Florist and Officiant: Jaimee Leigh Events // Calligraphy: Steele My Heart // Cake Pops and Oreo Cookie Desserts: Maskipops by Adri // Bridal Accessories: Something Treasured // Tassel Banner and Tassel Balloon: Love Garlands // Cake Topper: Modern Blooms // “Love” Glitter Banner and “Mrs” & “Mrs” Chair Signs: Kansas Pink Antlers // Location: The Lighthouse, Vallejo, CA