Somewhere along the way, Alton met Andre and they fell in love (: Seeing Alton that happy with someone who clearly loved him with equal amounts of enthusiasm….well that was something that has always put a giant smile on my face. Being in the presence of these two will always put a giant smile on my face. I don’t go on the record about very many things on my blog. But I actually do have ALOT of strong opinions about a lot of things. Perhaps the strongest opinion I have is that gay men and women SHOULD have the right to be married just like everyone else. Who are we to set the rules on who can spend their lives together and who cannot? I’m not going to rant – but there….I’ve put my stake in the ground.

Alton and Andre were actually married years and years ago with an extravagant ceremony atop a Cruise liner Ship in Rio de Janiero. All the guests were asked to wear white. And when it came time for me to get married, well, guess who made the rings? Andre and his Dad have been making jewelry for years out of their family owned Atelier located at the Copa Cabana. Simply Fabulous! I always get compliments on my “stackables”.

Anyway, when Alton and Andre came to town recently…we got together and did what we ALWAYS do. 1. Drink Champagne and 2. Take Pictures of Each other. Only this time, I was strapped with some hefty equipment, and my professional lighting technician, haha.  Nice work Tony on making these guys look EXTRA FLY with the Off-Camera Flash. And big kisses to you A+A – please move to Hollywood soon!

Skip way forward, they’ve known each other five years, they’re traveling back and forth to see each other from SF, to UAE, over to NY, back to respective towns….and FINALLY – the day of marriage….silence….together, finally. Woop – they hop a plane to the Sechelle Isands (widely known as the most romantic place on earth, also exactly on the other side of the world from CA) for their honeymoon, and then directly to the UAE where they will both hang their hats as a family…until they get that itch and just have to hop a plane for the next place! ha, I know exactly who these kids are, they’re just like you and me – except, instead of talking about going all those places, Michelle and Abdulla are actually DOING IT. Nice work you two. Congrats, we love and admire you! And we’re not joking, we’ll see you soon in Abu Dhabi (:

Floral: Grace Street Floral
Catering: Grace Street Catering
Dress: Bridal Galleria
Location: DeYoung Museum

I think that it’s hard to go without noticing the amazing backdrop that Brandon constructed to match theme of his wedding. Bravo Brandon – BRAVo! Such creativity was brought to the table at this event. If you’d like to see more about how B built the backdrop, he talks about it here.

Finally, I’d like to congratulate Kristin and Brandon – even in the extremely short amount of time we had to work with them – it is evident that these are two EXTRAORDINARY people who were clearly put on this earth to find each other and share their love.

While I might hate writing but there are so many things I love about Kristin and Kurt. First, the obvious, they came to us with a wedding they were planing at the The Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. There are a number of reason’s why they chose the Parker (location, attentive staff, impeccable grounds, the list goes on) but perhaps the main reason is that K&K are fellow Adler Enthusiasts. Before we even started, we were a match made in heaven. If you don’t know who Jonathan Adler is, you can get caught up here.

As we got to know Kristin and Kurt, an instant friendship was formed. We immediately respected them for the success they’ve created in each of their businesses …. and found common ground with the way they’ve maintained their long-distance relationship, just as Tony and I did in our first years together. There is something so kind and genuine about Kristin and Kurt, spending the day surrounded by their friends and family as they took their vows was just such a  privilege for us.  Congratulations K+K, we’re so honored to have captured your wedding. What a fun day! (:

Double Bonus Points were given to K&K for picking such a rad group of folks to work with. A special shout to our new friends – Patty at the Parker (contact her for more info on planning your wedding at this fabulous estate), the fabulous Joey of Artisan Events who was responsible for the Event Styling, Floral Design and Every Single Detail of the Day while  April (The Bride and I) coordinated day of….you two are a fabulous duo and we hope to work together again in the near future. Cheers!

Judy has since welocomed her “Berry Sweet” Baby Girl to the World – Leila Rey Valencia – a new addition to the Sacred Heart Hospitol. Haha.