Mexican/Filipina Fusion Wedding at Desert View | Phoenix, AZ

I had the joy of capturing a Filipino and Mexican-fusion wedding at Desert View. This celebration beautifully blended the bride and groom’s heritages. As a documentary photographer, guest images are some of my favorite images of the day too. The couple at school; Stephen always knew Aaliyah as the girl that was out of his league. After many study dates, he finally got the courage to ask her out. The rest is history!

Aaliyah wore a suite of her grandparents’ jewelry, and her grandpa’s cowboy boots. Stephen got ready with his groomsmen and Aaliyah’s dad in the groom’s suite. I love it when venues have both suites on property. It makes things a lot easier for both the couple and the vendors to have everything onsite.

I love using the time after the bride gets into her dress to snap some bridal portraits. They always capture the anticipation and serenity of the exciting time before the ceremony. Don’t skip out on getting ready photos!

Aaliyah and Stephen opted out of a first look, and decided to do a first touch instead. We positioned them to where they were holding hands, but couldn’t see each other. The two love birds shared some tender moments as they talked about how excited they were to see each other and finally be married.

The ceremony was accompanied by a four-piece mariachi band, playing a nod to Aaliyah’s Mexican background. The band provided a lively atmosphere for guests to arrive at for the ceremony.

As the ceremony started, the laughter died down, as the guests swapped laughs for tears of joy. Look at how happy Stephan looks to finally see his bride! I love it when grooms let their emotions show on wedding day. The couple did not want a big ordeal for the cake cutting, so they opted to not have it announced by the DJ. They cut a little chocolate cake made for two. 

This wedding reminded me of the beauty in blending traditions. It shows that love knows no boundaries. I love love!