ANDREW & CARISSA (WEDDING RE-POST // SAN DIEGO, CA)

Four years ago tomorrow I was on a plane headed to San Diego, CA. It all came about when a sweet young friend of mine named Carissa emailed me asking if I would be interested in photographing her wedding. I was friends with her fiancé Andrew, a fellow East Coaster, and had met her on a few occasions. Or, as Carissa put it when she wrote me, "enough times for me to not have to introduce myself at the beginning of this email." 

It was my first "get on a plane and fly to shoot a wedding" wedding. I was out of my mind excited. I laugh looking back now because I remember exactly how my mind processed the event. "Flying means I can go anywhere! I can choose wherever I want for my layover! NYC is my favorite, let me stop there first!" But it was my first experience with separate terminals. I full on panicked, "How do I get to my gate!?" I was so little. So naive and cute and, did I mention, out of my mind excited?

Little did I know whose wedding I was photographing. If you're a wedding photographer or a Kinfolk reader, or a art-loving human being on the internet these days you know Andrew and Carissa Gallo. Funny thing is, I didn't even know Carissa was a photographer when I shot her wedding. I don't know what I thought she did but it didn't even occur to me. It embarrasses me looking back but I think it was the kindest thing the Lord could have done for me that day. Because I photographed their wedding in a blissful, happy, completely unaffected way.

To this day it's still one of my very favorite weddings. So, I'm dedicating this re-post to my wonderful friends Andrew and Carissa Gallo on their fourth wedding anniversary. Friends, I'm so happy for your success and how much your hearts and your family have grown in just four years. And I'm glad, so glad, you took took a chance on twenty year old me and flew me out to be the storyteller of your wedding day.

With love, 

Lydia