LGBTQ Micro-Wedding on a Yacht in Los Angeles
Yasmin and Kaitlyn were the very first couple I ever worked with and I thank my lucky stars everyday that I got to meet them and celebrate their love. If you’re interested in a little backstory, it all began in November 2019, when I plucked up enough courage to make a Facebook post, asking if any couples might be interested in a free couples’/engagement session to help me start up my portfolio. Yasmin responded enthusiastically, and we set up a day later that week to shoot in Venice Beach by the Pride lifeguard tower, a month after they had gotten engaged. Our little encounter on Facebook led to a friendship I will forever cherish.
Y+K had initially planned a large wedding at a venue in Malibu, only to later realize that a big traditional wedding wasn’t their thing, and hence decided to downsize to a small wedding instead. Plan B was to elope in Big Sur with their closest family and friends, some of whom might be traveling from Brazil, where Yasmin is originally from. I immediately started researching locations for their micro-wedding, and even took a trip up to Big Sur myself to scout the locations in person. We discussed plans and sub-plans, and sub-sub-plans because the pandemic was throwing us a wrench from every direction.
Ultimately, due to COVID and all the uncertainties of whether travel to Big Sur might be impacted or not, they pivoted to Plan C - a micro-wedding in Los Angeles, close to home. Kaitlyn’s family flew in from Georgia, while Yasmin’s best friend made the trip out from Brazil. The pandemic certainly threw a huge curveball in their plans, but these two were incredible at rolling with the punches and pivoting as needed, even on the day of!
Yasmin and Kaitlyn had gotten engaged while on a boat on their visit to San Diego. So while having their wedding on a yacht might have been Plan C, it does feel like they had come full circle; and since boats were a big part of their relationship, perhaps this was always meant to be. ;)
The Importance of Plan B’s, and Rolling with the Punches
Nothing quite went according to plan on Y+K’s wedding day. We had originally planned to have their private first look at the hotel where Y+K were staying at for the night. Then we’d head over to the park nearby where they’d exchange their vows in front of their immediate family & wedding party, and finally ending the day with a 3-hour yacht charter in Marina Del Rey for their reception celebration with their family, wedding party, and a few more close friends.
Here’s what actually happened: We were 20-minutes behind schedule during their getting ready portion of the day, so we scrapped the hotel location for their first look and decided to head straight to the park. Despite the presence of many onlookers, Yasmin & Kaitlyn shared a very sweet first look, undeterred by all the extra attention. ;)
While waiting for a few members of their family and wedding party to arrive, we decided to use the time we had to grab some portraits, as well as formal photos with the people who were present. Time was ticking, and by the time everyone did arrive, it was nearly time to check in for the yacht. Y+K then decided to scrap the idea of exchanging their vows in the park, and to find a way to do it on the yacht itself. (The challenge was that the “outdoor” space on the yacht could only accommodate up to 12 people, so there were many people who would be present on the yacht that would not be able to “attend” the ceremony.)
We headed over to the docks in Fisherman’s Village and prepared to board the yacht, when we realized that the wrong yacht had been reserved and prepped for their wedding! So more time was spent switching everything over to the new yacht (which thankfully was available!), just as their caterer showed up with the food - even they had gotten the wrong time and arrived an hour late. In a way, it was almost a blessing in disguise that the wrong yacht had been prepped.
Finally, when everything was settled, I was allowed to meet them both on the yacht, where I caught them slow dancing inside the cabin. It was such a sweet moment to witness :’) We took a few portraits while we had the yacht to ourselves, before the captain opened its doors to the rest of the guests. Despite everything being pushed an hour, everyone was in high spirits and so excited to celebrate with the happy couple. (And yes, we figured out how to make the ceremony work on the yacht!)
I think the pandemic showed us that we can plan and plan and plan, but expecting the unexpected, having plan B’s (even if they’re half baked ones), and being able to roll with the punches is key to success. It was a timely, even if harsh, reminder that there will always be things beyond our control, and learning to let go and pivot while embracing the storm is incredibly important and more often than not, will always make a great story.
I am a huge believer that things happen for a reason. Our Plan A’s may not always work out, but sometimes, our Plan Cs and Ds may lead us right back to where we began in an almost “meant to be” way.
Dress: Floravere
Florist: Wild Stems LA
Caterer: Critics Choice Events
Venue: Tiki Mermaid
Makeup Artist: Haus of Misfits
Videographer: Forever Memories Films
