Photographer (me) was a surprise gift to the wedding couple. The bride and groom planned a thrifty wedding. They started out by borrowing a relative’s house in Simi Valley. But the parents provided them with the wedding vendors as surprise gifts.

I’ve been talking to the groom’s mother and brother for a few months about this wedding. I was told to show up at the wedding right before the wedding ceremony started (for a surprise effect). I had to insist that I would arrive at the wedding site way before the wedding ceremony so I would take pictures of the bride getting ready.

Everyone wore beach attire for the wedding. It was very hot in Simi Valley today.  Only the wedding officiant and I were wearing suit and tie.  I wear a suit during the ceremony only, so I am OK with a little bit of heat for a short time.  I prefer to look formal for my customers.

I thought I knew the wedding DJ from somewhere.  We kept picking our brains to figure out where we met.  Later I realized he was Mike Breul.  We’ve been talking online for several years.  But we’ve never met in person.  DJ was good.  There were a lot of dancing.  I should email him before I forget.

This wedding was one of those “flawless” weddings.  I didn’t see any accidents or dramas.  Maybe it’s because the wedding couple expected a thrifty wedding at the beginning (?) I don’t know.

Also, there were a lot of dancing.  You can usually tell how successful the wedding was by amount of dancing going on at the wedding reception.  At some weddings I see not much people dancing at the expensive wedding site.  But at this wedding at Simi Valley? there was a lot of dancing.  This backyard wedding was a success.