Garden Court Hotel Wedding, Palo Alto | Cedric and Christina's Wedding
Nine years of courting culminated in this beautiful Palo Alto wedding. Christina and Cedric held their wedding at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto – a gorgeous building located right off of the main boulevard in Palo Alto, near to Stanford University. This hotel has a unique mix of styles, with quaint little ivy covered nooks, stunning balconies, and elegant décor.
As a wedding photographer, I always like it when the couple and their family are easy-going. So let’s just say that I loved working with Cedric and Christina. Everyone was ready ahead of time, which gave us plenty of time to rearrange the furniture in the suite and take some great photos before family members arrived. The first item on the agenda was a traditional tea ceremony, a perfect opportunity for the bride and groom to not only honor their family, but also for them to receive gifts and congratulations as they enter into marriage.
Photographing in the heart of the Palo Alto downtown was gorgeous, but it came with a unique set of challenges. Being centrally located meant that the location was fairly busy, with a restaurant full of people on the ground floor. As this area was where some of the best shooting spots were, we had to get creative. We played with the columns to stay out of sight of the crowds, and retreated to the outside façade to prevent being accosted with hugs from loved ones arriving for the ceremony.
There were, in fact, so many family members and guests that we had two sessions of family portraits – both equally amazing! However, with so many loved ones to see, tea ceremony to host, and portrait sessions to rock, it was amazing that Cedric and Christina could even walk by the time that they arrived at the reception! Despite all of this busyness, the day was in no way stressful. The crowd was relaxed and ready to party (check out the flip photos at the end of this post!). Congratulations to Christina and Cedric – all the best to you in your marriage!
