Maria + Matt // Long Beach, CA
I absolutely love it when couples and their families decide to get ready in one location. I met Maria and Matt at their 20's Long Beach craftsman-turned-Air BnB and despite no air conditioning, one bathroom for 20 guests in the 2 bedroom bungalow, and irrational neighbors in the overpopulated, high-end neighborhood, Matt + Maria displayed a calmness and collective coolness that mimicked the 85-degree breeze wafting through the windows.
As Matt + Maria entertained their two sons through the home, playing with Incredibles toys and pretending to put on makeup with the bridesmaids getting ready, other family members dined on tortilla roll-ups and mimosas, watching 80’s music videos and discussing their love for the Beatles. Their calmness and joy throughout the wedding day made working with them that much more enjoyable.
Matt chose to embrace traditional values and refused to see Maria's dress before the wedding. He took that time to drink Newcastle with the guys, put on some "snazzy" (as one random woman later described them - and I have to agree with her) navy blue Converse high-tops, and get ready with his best man and two sons.
I'm not sure if it was the lingering scent of marijuana wafting through the air, Snoop Dogg serenading us over the harbor, or the relaxed vibe at Maria+Matt's wedding, but Long Beach has stolen my heart.