It wasn’t supposed to rain. And it definitely wasn’t supposed to downpour like it did. And maybe going down to the beach with a metal sword in the middle of a thunderstorm wasn’t the wisest idea, but it was worth it.

When we pushed our way through the heavy wooden doors of the church after the ceremony, the air felt different than it had that morning. The breeze was picking up, the sky was quickly darkening, and it smelled like rain. A quick check of the radar let us know that a sudden massive thunderstorm was making its way toward us, and fast too. So when we checked with Eric and Lily how they were feeling about our original plans for portraits out at the Old Mission lighthouse, we would have fully understand if they were no longer interested. But, these two have the most adventurous hearts and were absolutely down for photos in the rain.

So off we drove, our windshield wipers going furiously, and thunder that shook the road, until we made our way to the lighthouse parking lot. From there it was a mad dash under our tiny umbrellas and by the time we were done, we were all soaked to the bone. But nothing could wipe the smile from Eric and Lily’s faces. They were reveling in that just married feeling!!

And then, just as quickly, as soon as we arrived to their reception, the sun began to peek back out for a festive evening of tiramisu, caricatures, and dancing.

Looking back, I remember talking to Lily on the phone during our discovery call. When I asked her about her wedding vision, she shared that for the most part, her and Eric were pretty untraditional and it was important that their wedding felt like them. I think it’s pretty safe to say that was a success: their wedding day was so uniquely Eric and Lily and that made it all the more special to witness and capture.