It was an absolute honor to photograph Maribel and Jorge’s big day! I have know the Montanez Family for quite some years now; one of my brothers married his high school sweetheart, Joely, and she has been a part of our family for nearly a decade now- if not more! As you can imagine, our families have gotten to know another over the years. So when I learned her parents Maribel and Jorge asked if I could photograph their wedding I was over the moon!!! These two are like high schoolers themselves! I mean, their engagement session was absolutely adorable and their wedding day just as cute and loving. The love these two share is inspiring and youthful. They may have waited 18 years before ‘officially’ tying the knot with family and friends surrounding them, but the time just gave them more moments to love on one another, make those cherished memories, share laughs, and be there for each other when times are hard. Jorge absolutely made my belly hurt from laughing so much with his playful and loving demeanor, while Maribel is a bit more quite and very affectionate. It’s clear in these photos she is his Queen and he her Night in Shining Armor!
The morning started off at Maribel’s bestie’s home in Waukesha where tons of laughs, coffee, and excitement was shared as the ladies got ready for the big day. I went over to the Waukesha Elk’s Lodge where their ceremony and reception would be taking place to photo some details and Jorge getting ready as he eagerly awaited the arrival of his bride. The room was beautifully decorated with pops of teal and nautical accents everywhere. Maribel and Jorge are both originally from Puerto Rico and wanted to bring their love for the beach and culture into their wedding day and I think they accomplished that quite well! As the minutes crept closer to their ceremony time the room filled with friends and family- many of whom traveled up from Puerto Rico to be a part of their special day! There wasn’t a dry eye in the room (myself included) as Maribel walked down the aisle escorted by her eldest son, Javier; it was such a special and tender moment we all felt as he gave his Dad a hug and handed Mom over to him. They shared a warm ceremony before heading to a local park for some beach photos! Again, I could gush over the light, the location, and thier love for eachother- but I think the photos tell a better story than I could. We got back to the party just in time as several special events unfolded; including their niece singing a handful of beautiful songs, a dedication from Jorge’s Mom, speeches, and LOTS of latino DANCING!!! (Yeah, I totally put the camera down and shook my booty for a couple of songs- how could I not?!)
Overall I have to say I cried about five times throughout the day (overwhelmed with the enormous amount of love bubbling out of every person present), enjoyed the most amazing and authentic Puerto Rican food, had the opportunity to meet even more the the wonderful family my brother married into, enjoy many great laughs and entertainment, and shook what my momma gave me like Shakira (or at least I tried to)! Congrats again Jorge and Maribel!!! Here are a few of my favorites:
