Real Excitement | My Sister's Wedding | Keepin' it Real Blog Series | Charleston Lifestyle Family & Child Photographer

This months edition of the "Keepin' it Real" Blog series was quite fitting for a family wedding. So much goes into a wedding day, no matter how small the affair.  There were three main sources of Real Excitement leading up to the wedding (okay...four, if you count the cross-country journey with 3 kids).

Three simple details of a wedding that gave all of us, especially my sister, the bride, [ulcers] a great deal of worry:

The Cake

The day before the wedding, we picked up the cake from the bakery in San Francisco, where the owner promptly told us that the cake did not include a box, because in doing so, it would smash up against the side of the box. He insisted the cake - naked and vulnerable - would be "fine" if we placed it in the TRUNK OF THE CAR...in San Francisco.
If you've been to this lovely city,  you know how spectacular the hills are. The first hill we drove down was accompanied by a shushing sound from the trunk,  followed by the dainty thud of an iced confection. We made a stop for a yoga mat and placed the love-tapped cake on top (to help increase the coefficient of friction.. using our nerd power).  The beautiful, yet imperfect, cake arrived to the rental house in Santa Rosa without any more damage. 

The Flowers 

The morning of the wedding arrived. Flowers that the bride and groom had purchased were starting to bloom in their buckets. It was time to make the bridal bouquet and arrangements. I have SEEN plenty of bridal bouquets and even photographed them, but making them is a completely different art form. My mom, two sisters, and two daughters set to work on these flowers like we knew what we were doing. We were on a mission like a bunch of worker bees, stripping leaves, trimming stems, wrapping wire and taping stems. Slowly but surely,  all of the flowers were set in place. They weren't perfect, but they were beautiful. WE DID IT.

The Rings

The rings were custom-designed by Rosestone Jewelry in San Diego. Since they were insured, the package required a signature upon delivery. So, my sister had them shipped to her office downtown. Or so she thought...
In her haste, she accidentally included her home zip code, so the package was sent back to San Diego. Yup. 
There we were, the day of the wedding with the rings in limbo. A UPS purgatory of sorts.  After few phone calls by the groom and a visit to the UPS pick up site,  the rings finally made it.  
I love the look on my sister's face as she opened the box and the look she gave him afterward. You can tell they are truly in love

It's moments like these that define family: love, trust and when-stuff-hits-the-fan-I'll-be-there-for you.

Our family has grown by one brother and one 16-year-old nephew. Welcome to the family! We love you guys!

Please check out the beautiful take on "Real Excitement" by Caroline Martin, a fabulous family lifestyle photographer serving San Diego.