Nicki and Chris party like rockstars in La Jolla

I had barely set foot in the door of Nicki and Chris' house when I realized that this would be a fantastic day.  Nicki and her bridesmaids were so much fun that I almost wished I were a guest rather than their photographer... I did say "almost".  I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on the opportunity to shoot this one.

Nicki and Chris met while playing soccer (how fitting that they should be married during the World Cup) and I understand both are quite good.  We heard stories throughout the day about what an amazing goalie Chris is, and about how impressed he was with Nicki's legs the moment he saw "the new girl" on the field.  We also learned that Nicki and her maid of honor Andrea met through soccer back when they were kids growing up in Virginia.  Several of their friends are also fellow team mates, so as you might guess there was plenty of heckling and ribbing.  But any teasing aside, these people were there for one very good reason: to party.  It is so much fun to be at a wedding where it's so clear that everyone is there to have a great time.  Laughter and silliness took over while everyone's positive energy and good feelings filled the air, surrounding the bride and groom. 

Now I love love love to take photos of beautiful relationships.  In fact, one of my favorite things to do in the whole world is to capture a moment that shows the connection between two people in love.  And there was no shortage of that here.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that this wedding was a pleasure to shoot for the physical beauty of it as well.  Nicki and Chris put together not just a killer party, but also a gorgeous and elegant event.  In fact, the toughest part about this blog post was selecting the photos.  There were so many I wanted to share.

Check out this stunning dress by Demetrios Bride.  The neckline was amazing on Nicki and the way it caught the afternoon sunlight was perfection.

Of course I had to get some photos of Nicki's beautiful shoes, but today we're featuring Baby Maddie's (first) shoes too.

How sweet is that little dress!

There's the happy girl!  At 10 months this little angel just giggled and smiled all day.

 

The other baby girl of the house, Lilly.

... yes, she wore something blue, Dolce & Gabana's Light Blue in fact.

The wedding and reception were held at what is now one of my favorite venues, The Martin Johnson House in La Jolla, California.  As I mentioned in last week's post, this venue is like a blank canvas so it was interesting to see how different it looked as the backdrop for the last two weddings.  For this celebration, the simple house and decks were completely transformed by the incredibly fabulous Arturo of Artquest Floral and Gifts.  The delicious food was provided by UC San Diego Catering and the decadent cake was made by the amazing Shirley the Cake Lady. 

Megan, Stephanie, Andrea, Michelle, Breanne and Joellyn - you ladies are absolutely amazing!  I don't always leave a wedding feeling like I got to know the unique personalities of each bridesmaid, but this time I don't know... maybe it's because you're all so outgoing with such unique traits: edgy, witty, flirty, sweet, sporty and sassy, all tied up in a great big bow of gorgeous!

And don't even get me started on you Nicki - is there such a thing as too much fierceness for one photo?  I think not! 

A camera-shy ring bearer hides in his dad's jacket.

I love the smile when she kisses him.  You really are a rockstar Chris!

Here's that cake I was telling you about.  Not just beautiful, but so good!  By the way, thank you Shirley for the treat.  I know the mini-cake said "for Tony Eisenhower" but he was on a diet that night so I took it home and enjoyed it the next day with friends.  We all LOVED it!  (For the record, Dad did enjoy a piece of the wedding cake below at the reception) 

The ladies show off their silly sides.  Megan displays her mustache tattoo (yes, it's a real tattoo) while Andrea listens to Michelle's well-disguised bump.

Here are some photos taken later in the evening.  DJ Gary B (check him out at www.feelmygroove.com) absolutely won the crowd over... and then some.  In fact, when the evening was over Chris grabbed the mic specifically to thank Gary for such a great party, which says a ton about Gary.

Chris wears his sunglasses at night.

Nicki gets down with Megan and her mom.

Is it just me or does it look like they're having a good time?

Nicki and Chris - It's clear that you really wanted this to be a fantastic party and I'd say that you absolutely hit the mark on that one!  Everyone who was there expected to have a great time and you two delivered.  Side note: speaking of delivery, I should mention that Chris even ordered pizzas so his guests would be sure to leave on a full stomach after partying so hard.    And as for the two of you, it's so much fun just being around you because it's obvious you don't just love each other, but that you're also buddies, and that really is awesome to see.  I just know that as you grow old together you'll continue to have each other's backs.  

 

Congratulations on finding each other.  Happy marriage you two!

To see more photos of Nicki and Chris click HERE for a slideshow!