A Hotel Domestique Wedding (in a hurricane!)
My first impression of Fernando was not through a DM or a contact form as a groom-to-be, but as a standup guy and friend. A few years ago, my husband Ryan unexpectedly had to drive across the country to Arizona to retrieve a family member, who couldn't fly, from the hospital. I was worried about him taking on this days-long road trip alone, but Ryan reassured me he would be okay. His co-worker Fernando was volunteering to come with him, to help share the driving load and keep him company during a stressful time. Everyone should be so fortunate to have such supportive colleagues -- we were incredibly grateful to Fernando. So when he and Camilla reached out to us about photographing their wedding a few years later, the answer was OF COURSE before they had even finished the sentence!
When I tell you it rained on Camilla and Fernando's wedding day, that doesn't begin to paint the picture. These two finished saying their vows and dancing the night away just hours before Hurricane Helene tore through the upstate - and all of the rain preceding the system was definitely present all day on their wedding day. (It's good luck, right? RIGHT?)
Fortunately, Hotel Domestique came through with a beautiful clear tent that covers the entire courtyard area, and the worst of the winds and flooding held off until after the party. It's so crucial to make sure your wedding venue has a solid rain / weather plan, because you never know what your day is going to bring -- and experienced vendors who can work under any conditions. Every one of Camilla and Fernando's wedding team from the planners to the florist to the DJ worked together to weather the storm and create a beautiful day for this couple. I think we can all agree that Hotel Domestique's elegant, European vibe shone through, even on a stormy day.
And of course, the couple themselves deserve a big hand for focusing on what really mattered on this rainy day - the love they share and the support of their families and guests who travelled from around the globe to be here with them. I love a wedding that brings together multiple traditions. and Camilla and Fernando's Brazilian-Swedish-Turkish-American celebration was full of culture and life.
Congratulations, Camilla and Fernando! Ryan and I are so grateful to know you and to have been trusted to capture your wedding day. We wish you the happiest of lives together!
The Vendors
