Jillian & Patrick // Maravilla Gardens Wedding

Jillian & Patrick met in college at UC Davis, where both of them played volleyball. They had a lot of mutual friends, and sophomore year they ended up living across the hall from each other, so they started to hang out all the time in a big group with their roommates. Although they were always hanging out just as buddies, Jillian had her eye on Patrick. Jillian is a beautiful, tan, tall mermaid, and since Patrick also tipped the charts at over 6 feet (and also happened to be handsome as heck), she soon developed a crush on him.

As time went on, Jillian made her crush clear, and eventually she decided she just had to know if Patrick was willing to give her a chance, or if she should accept being just friends and move along her merry way. When she offered up the question and it came down to it, Patrick realized he had feelings for Jillian too, and the two started dating!

Well, six years, two college degrees, and a whole lot of adventures later, Patrick took Jillian to the gorgeous El Matador beach in Malibu to ask the big question with their families hidden in tents along the beach. When the time was right, he got down on one knee and asked Jillian to be his wife. Stunned, she said yes, and was soon surprised by family to celebrate!

The couple soon planned the wedding of their dreams at the spectacular Maravilla Gardens. We took their engagement photos, and I promptly put their save the date on my fridge. Unfortunately, as their original 2020 wedding date approached, it was clear that the pandemic would not allow J & P to host the celebration they envisioned—one with both of their large networks of friends and both of their big families. Instead of postponing & waiting a year to wed, the couple got married in an intimate backyard wedding with only their families and very closest friends present. Always wanting to share their day with ALL of their loved ones, Jillian & Patrick decided that one year after their postponed wedding, they’d have a big, beautiful vow renewal wedding party.

September 2021 finally came around, and if you asked anyone in attendance, they’d tell you that the party these two threw was WELL worth the wait. On the sunniest & warmest SoCal day, Jillian got back into her stunning wedding gown & Patrick buttoned himself into a super fun bright blue suit. And then the button exploded off his jacket. And then I sewed it back on.

The couple shared a second-first-look, and their wedding parties all donned matching hilarious sunglasses (an inside joke, I’m on the outside) for group photos. Family & friends happily greeted one another—it seemed like many post-pandemic reunions were goin’ on—and slowly made their way to their seats, ready as heck to celebrate the Goveas.

Jillian’s best friend, along with one of Patrick’s groomsmen, served as the most hilarious “flower people!” Donning rainbow shades and with baskets of rose petals in hand, they showered the aisle (and some guests) with florals in a comical & unique take on the traditional “flower girl.” Later, reading the sweetest personal vows, Jillian and Patrick reflected on a year of marriage and reaffirmed the promises they made to one another a year prior. One of the cutest parts of the day was right after Patrick & Jillian exited their ceremony, when both sets of their parents walked up the aisle behind them, all four of them hand in hand. For a split second, their mothers excitedly laughed & touched foreheads, and I was so grateful to have been in the right place at the right time to capture the moment—it’s my favorite candid pic of the day, I think. :)

At their reception, Jillian & Patrick chose to enter first and then introduce all of their wedding party members individually, as songs of each person’s choosing blared for their entrances. It was SO sweet of the couple to take a moment out of their big day to highlight each of their best friends and give them time to shine (or be embarrassed, depending who you asked). Later in the evening, their dance floor was all the evidence I needed to see that their people came ready & stoked to Party with a capital P. It was clearer than clear that Jillian & Patrick’s friends and family had waited a LONG time to celebrate their love, and they weren’t going to waste a precious moment.

At the end of the night, after several hours of sweaty wild dancing & karaoke, Jillian & Patrick walked through a tunnel of sparklers held by their wedding parties & families to end their perfect day. They were married, (again) (and had the sickest first anniversary party I’ve ever seen) and they finally got to experience the wedding day they always dreamt of. Mr. & Mrs. Govea are the kinda people you just want to be around, and I felt lucky to have scored an invite to their epic wedding 2.0. :)