Nicole and Kevin were married on September 2nd, with a ceremony at Wayfarer’s Chapel and a reception at Point Vicente Interpretive Center. It was the perfect California Destination Wedding!
I first met Nicole’s wonderful family when her parents, Sera and David, asked me to their home in Hendersonville, NC, so I could take family photos for them while their daughter, Amanda, was visiting with her family. Nicole saw the pictures from that session and loved them, so she hired me for her California wedding!
Before the wedding, I had been invited to the rehearsal dinner, so I came along and took some pictures at Scholb Brewery in Torrance, CA. There was a taco truck there, too—and everyone had a great time drinking, eating tacos, and just being around each other!
It was obvious that Nicole and Kevin were incredibly close to their families. Nicole’s sister, Amanda, was her maid of honor, and Kevin’s brother, Brendan, was his best man. Nicole and Amanda are clearly best friends, and that dynamic was so fun to capture as they got ready at the AirBnb home on Redondo Beach before heading off to Wayfarers to put on the dress.
The chapel itself was stunning, and one of my favorite images was of their kiss just after they were married, with all the guests watching on. The new environment of this destination wedding was nothing short of inspiring, and I loved the scenery of the images I was able to get! I also love the image with the lighthouse in the background when the wind picked up Nicole’s veil—it really captured the beauty of not only this venue but the wedding itself!
The two of them walked down the aisle to Hozier’s “Work Song,” which has a special meaning to Nicole and Kevin. It was a surprise to Kevin to hear the song playing during the procession, and I got emotional behind the camera seeing both of them get emotional!
After the ceremony, the guests went to Terranea Resort for cocktail hour, and then the wedding party went to Point Vincente Interpretive Center for pictures before the reception. Nicole’s family is Italian, so we had a family-style Italian dinner that was absolutely amazing. The wine was also wonderful—which was to be expected, seeing as Kevin and Nicole have their own wine distribution company called Rapp Distributing Company.
The speeches were probably one of the most touching moments of the whole day. Amanda spoke about her sister and how big her heart is and how she would do anything for the people she loves, including helping Amanda through hard times. All of their family members spoke, even Nicole and Kevin themselves, and everyone there couldn’t help but be touched. I especially loved seeing Kevin and his mom, Cathy, laughing and connecting during the reception.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to photograph Nicole & Kevin’s wedding in Palos Verdes, California. I love traveling and had a great time being inspired by new scenery. It was an absolute pleasure to see Sera, Amanda, Alex, and the boys again and to meet Kevin & Nicole! I would love to have more opportunities to be a Destination Wedding Photographer!
