Sheila + Marcos [The Villa Banquet Wedding]

WESTMINISTER WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Three alarms. One on the cell phone, two on the bedside clock. Each dialed in about 15 minutes apart.

That's my routine for A.M. weddings. I'm not a morning person. I've tried to be, but it's just not in the cards. So this sort of redundancy puts me at ease, even though I've always been awake well before any of the alarms have had a chance to chirp. A wedding on the mind, you know, tends to be enough of a jump start.

The big perk of a morning wedding is that everyone's energy is at a high. The air is crisp and caffinated, the waking sun shines bright. On this particular morning cars, still damp with dew, cozed up to the home of Sheila's parents, guests streaming into their living room to share in the union of Sheila and Marcos as one. A large family portrait of the bride, her parents, and brother -- taken from some time in past, I imagine -- hung proudly on the wall and bore witness to the ceremony taking place. And as I was snapping images of my own, I'm reminded of just how important pictures play in marking the chapters of our lives.

Marcos is Japanese... and Sheila, Vietnamese, making for a rich hybrid of heritages. Sheila gleamed in her traditional ao dai dress, and the color red (associated with good luck) punctuated the day, seen in the many gifts and foods bestowed upon the couple.

Their reception was held at the The Villa Banquet in Westminster. Lots of respect and admiration for Marcos, who brought along his guitar and serenaded Sheila in the presence of friends and family. Both of you guys are such a class act, and I feel really lucky to have had the chance to collaborate with you on your wedding!