Wedding: Knute & Jessica | San Diego Courthouse, CA | Analisa Joy Photography | San Diego, CA Photographer

I am so excited to introduce my brother-in-law, Knute and his beautiful new wife, Jessica! Knute and Jess have been dating since 2006 and even though marriage has always been a hot topic of conversation they could never find that perfect date within their chaotic schedules. In between moving, new jobs, school, and their two daughters they struggled trying to find a date that worked for everyone along with a central venue location. When they moved to Nor Cal the idea of a wedding only became more complicated because they wanted both families to be a part of their special day. They knew the distance would make them have to choose which side would be in the majority of attendance and they did not want to be the cause of any hurt feelings. Not wanting to wait any longer, Knute and Jess decided that they were going to do a secret courthouse wedding in San Diego and they contacted me to photograph their big day.

I am excited to brag about my new sister-in-law Jess. Words that I would use to describe her are– humble, loving, composed, beautiful, kind-hearted, gentle, faithful, and supermom. Jess is always putting others before herself and on her wedding day I wanted Jess to feel out of her element by making the day all about her. Knute was on full baby duty while I surprised Jess with a day full of visits from my favorite wedding vendors. She was pampered by my favorite makeup artist, Shelby McElroy and she was taken to the salon to be beautified by my favorite hairstylist, Margarita Fitzgerald. When she arrived to the courthouse she was welcomed with the most beautiful flower arrangement created by Trendee Flowers. Trendee Flowers and I were featured in The Knot magazine together and she is my go-to florist. I only gave her a few days notice and like always she went above and beyond and put together the perfect bouquet and headpiece for Jess. If you are in the midst of wedding planning these ladies are the ultimate dream team!

Since Knute and Jess recently welcome their second baby girl the task of pulling them away for an entire day seemed almost impossible. When they arrived for their week long visit they practically had every day planned out with daily activities and family dinners. Not wanting to take advantage of their short visit, everyone put their schedules aside so they could squeeze in as much time as they could with Knute, Jess, and the two little ones. When their wedding day arrived everyone was confused why Knute and Jess wanted a whole day to themselves during their short stay. I don’t know how we kept the secret or managed to get away, but with stealth we all sneaked down to the San Diego Courthouse. I am so thankful for my husband Trent who assisted me and for being our designated baby wrangler. It is because of Trent that we were able to explore all around the courthouse and capture some amazing photographs! My favorite moment during Knute and Jessica’s photos was when we walked across the street and came across the Hornblower. The tours to get on and explore the boat were $20+ a person, but when the owners saw their wedding attire they let us on board for free. We practically had the boat to ourselves!

Overall, Knute and Jessica’s wedding day was amazing! I have photographed a variety of weddings that range in size and budget and I have learned that the wedding day should not be centered around the flowers, the venue, and all the glitz and glam that come with weddings. The day should be focused on the couple and the celebration of a lifelong commitment to one another. It was an intimate and emotional day and I am so thankful I was able to be a part of it. We ended the day with a cell phone family photo that was sent out to all of their family and friends. The texts and phone calls came rushing in and everyone was thrilled that Knute and Jess finally tied the knot. Families could not wait to express their love for this amazing couple and both sides have been able to celebrate (and they are still celebrating) with showers, dinners, and get togethers. Congrats to my awesome brother-in-law, my beautiful new sister-in-law, and to the cutest nieces that an Auntie could have. Love you guys!!

One of my favorite makeup artists, Shelby McElroy.
She makes house calls and her magical power is making brides look flawless! 

Our second stop was to Shear Illusions to visit my favorite hair stylist, Margarita Fitzgerald.
Margarita is the best. Check out those voluptuous curls! 

Amazing florals created by Trendee Flowers. She always goes above and beyond!

I cannot get over that head piece. Gorgeous! 

Check out my handsome brother-in-law! 

She looks like she walked off the cover of a bridal magazine! 

After an hours worth of photos we decided to head back and check on the baby wrangler.
He had his hands full, but he lived up to his super uncle expectations.

My sweet niece, Kambria!