Krissy & Marshall // Ponte Winery Temecula Wedding
Getting to photograph the weddings of people I know & love is the biggest privilege of this job, and being a part of Marshall & Krissy’s was pure magic.
My memory of this fantastic couple begins ten years ago when a group of our high school friends reunited over a holiday break. We sat around on couches & bean bag chairs in Marshall’s back shed as he told us about a special girl he met at school. He explained how the day before their first semester at UT Austin, a mutual friend asked both him & Krissy to join them for a tour around campus. Marshall arrived early, and soon, he heard Krissy arrive and say hi to his friend through the wall. He jokingly said “Oh, she sounds cute.”
When he saw her for the first time, he was immediately and absolutely smitten. In his vows, he admitted that he still remembered what she was wearing that day: a navy colored tank top with sailboats on it, shorts, and tennis shoes. The two proceeded to hit it off and chat all day while walking around campus, but the afternoon ended with Krissy revealing that she currently had a boyfriend.
On that December evening, as we all gathered around Marshall and hung on to every word (as if he were Papa Elf and we were little elves getting our bedtime story), we all encouraged him to wait it out. If it were meant to be, she’d soon be single and the pieces would all fall into place. Marshall has always been a hopeless romantic, and we were rooting for him to get his dream gal.
6 months after they met, Marshall was finally able to ask Krissy out. The next time he came home for a holiday break, he brought his beautiful girlfriend with him, and held a “Prom” party for her since she never made it to her high school dance. We all fell in love with her pretty instantly, as she was crowned our Prom queen.
10 years later, it was an enormous honor to photograph this sweet couple’s wedding at Ponte Winery in Temecula. The day was a wonderful reunion, and getting to hang with a few dozen of my favorite pals from high school was such a treat. It felt like a huge throwback and a warm hug. :’)
I looked so forward to Marshall & Krissy’s wedding day since the moment I put it in my calendar because the two of them are the wittiest, silliest, most entertaining people I’ve ever met, and being around them just makes you HAPPY. Together, they are a powerhouse of hilarity and an unstoppable comedy duo, but beneath all the laughter, they are the truest soulmates. When their day finally arrived, Marshall & Krissy’s wedding went above & beyond all of my wildest expectations—it was filled with overwhelming emotion, constant laughter, and unbridled joy.
The getting-ready process was a group effort, as a few of Marshall’s friends attempted again and again to tie his tie in a way that made it the correct length. After 10-20 tries, I ended up just cutting part of it off with scissors. And that’s teamwork. Over in the girl’s room, bridesmaids were teaching moms how to “floss” (the dance) and singing karaoke while Krissy got ready, wearing her famous crocs all the while. The whole morning was so lighthearted, and the energy in both rooms was electric.
From the moment Marshall saw Krissy during their first look, I don’t think he stopped crying the entire afternoon. When they turned towards one another, both seemed to be frozen in time—realizing they were actually about to get married. I remember the first thing out of Krissy’s mouth: she yelled “HEY LOVER!!!!” before hugging Marshall. They looked each other up and down and put their hands over their faces, giggling and crying. Once they dried their eyes, they realized they REALLY missed each other all day because they’d been apart, so they had to catch up!!! They chatted about their mornings and about how everything suddenly felt real. After they floated back down to earth, Krissy’s dad & all of the groomsmen greeted the bride and complimented her stunning gown (I was obsessed… she looked straight out of a movie). Marshall stood off to the side and leaned into group hugs, with eyes leaking like a faucet and a heart overflowing.
Their ceremony was incredibly personal and extremely emotional. A very close friend officiated, and he retold the story of that fateful night in the shed where we all first heard about Krissy. Listening to his POV, I couldn’t help but feel so lucky to have been there too, and to now be witnessing the culmination of such a long-time love story. With tender handwritten vows, Marshall and Krissy’s words made literally every guest in attendance cry. That is not hyperbole. I saw it with my own eyes. Their love for one another is so vivid, and they were able to describe the joys and nuances of spending a decade together in such elucidatory and poetic writing.
When the ceremony concluded, guests mingled at cocktail hour and we took family & couple photos in the most gorgeous orange sunset light. Some of my favorite photos are the ones where I challenged the couple to be in “a Photo Booth” while counting down again and again as they struck ABSURD poses that highlight their undeniably quirky personalities. After all was said and done, my face hurt from laughing, and it was so much fun to be working with two friends who trusted me to capture their day.
Later on, in a gorgeous ballroom accented with delicate florals and HANDMADE LEGO TABLE NUMBERS made by the couple (legendary), guests enjoyed a tasty dinner and listened to heartwarming toasts before watching the traditional first & parent dances. When the formal events & happenings concluded, the Kistner reception became a giant and insanely energetic dance party. Everyone enjoyed fresh churros (I had MANY), an ice cream man, and a custom-Kistner-wedding-t-shirt toss (iconic). As a perfect conclusion to their legendary celebration, the couple’s friend’s hoisted them up hora-style on chairs during the last song. Afterwards, the newlyweds ran through a glow-wand grand exit tunnel and their favorite people sent them off with enthusiasm and love.
Looking back on it all, this day just felt like a gift. A big fat high school reunion… and a gift.
Congratulations, Kistners! Thanks for the Evite ily.
