Ebell Long Beach Wedding : Cindy + Jelani

Her neighbors stood in their driveway and cheered as she descended into the limo. She kissed her father goodbye, reminded her aunt to pack the steamer, and shrieked once the door was closed. I'm getting MARRIED today!! Cindy's wedding day was a long time coming because, afterall, Jelani was her first real crush. A successful man she met at church, and a person who made her stomach drop at the simple sight of his car. Oh, how she loves his Mini Cooper. The bridesmaids held hands as prayed on their way to the Ebell Club and, once finished, Cindy softly chewed on a piece of green gum. Then shrieked again.

She saw him from a distance. Jelani descended the limo with a nervous smile and quickly put on his suit jacket. Cindy peeked from the upstairs window and laughed. A slightly nervous laugh. As Jelani made his way upstairs to see his bride-to-be, he stood in the hallway and the couldn't help the tears from falling. She's precious. That's how he described Cindy and in that moment, it was easy to see how overcome he was to know that such preciousness would be around him for the rest of his life.

Together in front of their family and friends, Jelani and Cindy made a solemn and tearful oath to love, honor, and cherish. They promised to remain by each other's sides come what may, and put God in the center of their relationship. When it was time for their first kiss, they laughed. A slightly nervous laugh…then proceeded to seal with bond with a kiss.

Cindy and Jelani, I'm SO happy for you!! I speak not as your wedding photographer, but as your friend. Being able to witness your relationship grow has been such an awesome thing and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you both. Thank you for the honor of documenting your love and I hope you're having a blast in Maui! Please toast to a great marriage over shaved ice and spam! 😉 Much Love and Appreciation…j*

Cindy made a truly stunning bride…with many thanks to the amazing crew at Design Visage

I love Jelani. I really mean this. We've been friends for almost seven years and he's as great as they come. We met at church and bonded over studying for the LSAT and getting into law school. He's such a smarty and works at a fancy law firm in Los Angeles…and I….well, I became his wedding photographer! 🙂

Cindy and Jelani opted to see each other before the ceremony and I couldn't have been happier. Because it was a winter wedding, and the sun falls before 5pm in Southern California, they decided to prioritize their wedding photos. I couldn't be happier!

The look on Jelani's look alone makes me know opting for a First Look is incredibly valuable…

I love this photo JD captured…

I loved the classic, old school vibe of the wedding day…

We ventured outside for a few minutes and JD captured this photo…Jelani, you look so regal! (p.s. You owe me dinner for making you look so good!) 😉

They were radiant all day long…

We were in a pinch, so we went back indoors to shoot and had a little fun…

Their ceremony was perfection…

Jelani and Cindy were lucky enough to be given his great-grandparents Peruvian wedding rings, and it was such a nice touch to the ceremony…

As one of their first acts as husband and wife, they had communion together…

The First Dance…

And they partied the night away….

To see more of their Ebell Long Beach Wedding, CLICK HERE for a slideshow!