After finishing up with all of the wedding party portraits we headed over to The Summit for the reception. Everyone else took some time to relax and recuperate before the big party got started. I, on the other hand, dove right into photographing all of the lovely details Dayna had put so much though into.
My favorite detail? The cake. And it was delicious too (of course I had been working over 12 hours by the time I got a taste so even those shiny silver edible pearls would have done it for me I think).
Dayna’s fist pump as she made her way into the reception with her new husband made me laugh.
Not the typical favorite “first dance” shot, but I love Daniel’s hand placed gently on her back and the lovely backlighting.
Once the dance floor opened after dinner it never emptied. Dayna’s mom stayed out with the best of them.
Daniel and Dayna made a special request for a photo of Daniel’s dad out dancing, which wasn’t even that tough since he was out enjoying himself the whole night with everyone else!
If you’ve ever been to a Mexican wedding then you know all about the tequila shots.
Money dance time!
Little Dayna and her little mom. Both so sweet together.
Another staple at Mexican weddings? La Vibora de la Mar. The first time I saw this tradition enacted in real life I was mesmerized. The bride and groom form a bridge by standing on some chairs, the music begins, and the groomsmen join hands and run/dive through them and dance throughout the room. It was explained to me that the goal is to make the bride and groom break their connection with each other, which is why you can see Dayna’s mom holding her from behidn to keep her from getting knocked over in all the craziness! The longer the music plays, the faster the men dance.
Of course the new favorite bouquet toss song was used (All the Single Ladies by Beyonce, in case you haven’t been to a wedding lately) but handing out mini veils to all of the women was a new twist on things that I loved.
Daniel’s a pretty smooth guy. He knows how to treat his lady right just before he reaches up her dress in a front of a room full of people. 
Looks like one of the guys got in on the single ladies fun as well?
I’m not sure if I can do this hilarious portion of the evening justice with this description but I’ll do my best. As soon as the garter was caught the bouquet toss catcher was called forward as well. This lovely lady stepped forward to admit that she had been the one to catch the bouquet.
All of the sudden a certain corner of the room erupts in laughter, realizing that, *ahem* the eldest woman in the bouquet toss would soon be dancing with the youngest guy who participated in the garter toss. The extremely obvious age difference was almost too much for these ladies to handle.
Though far from technically perfect, this shot is my favorite from the wedding day.
I love the tradition among photographers of getting a shot with the bride and groom at the end of the night. As a wedding photographer I spend time with two people in love on one of the most important days of their life and we establish a real connection (a good one I hope!). I want a visual record of those relationships to look back on in the future.
Daniel and Dayna, thank you so much for putting your faith and trust in me, giving me my FIRST SOLO WEDDING. What a huge step for me, and I’m so glad you let me hit that milestone at your wedding. I hope you love the finished product as much as I do. You were a pleasure to work with and I wish you the best as you embark on this newest adventure known as married life.
Best,
Jenna
by Jenna
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