I’m still thinking about this wedding. Julie and Ryan are one of those couples who exude togetherness. To anyone around, its quite obvious that they’re meant for each other. It’s hard to explain, but they just fit. It’s romantic and sappy perhaps, but I believe there is true love and I’ll go on the record as saying these two are going to be together forever.
We hit it off with this couple right away. Ryan is a space geek and we couldn’t stop talking about NASA and telescopes and planets, etc. Julie and I both go to the same college. We couldn’t have made a better connection with a couple in the short time we had before their wedding. When they said they wanted to shoot their engagement session at Griffith Observatory, I was beside myself. A 2 hour session turned into 5 and I was ready to stay. That night we looked through a few telescopes (one belonging to Tuvoc for you nerds out there) and saw a pass of the International Space Station.
If a great fit and an amazing e-session wasn’t enough, they got married at Le Chene. My wife has been telling me about Le Chene for 15 years, but for whatever reason, life probably, we never made it there for dinner. She’s told me over and over again how good the French cuisine is there. They say that its the best food in northern Los Angeles County and is the oldest building in the area. I don’t know about the history, but I can confirm that the food was phenomenal.
From the gorgeous ceremony outside in the garden, to the grapevines, to the accommodating staff, Le Chene really impresses. I’ve never been fed so well fed photographing a wedding or any other job. Though working a little and dining a little, I’ve seldom had a better meal in my lifetime when I was sitting down and I was on my feet. The staff there took special care of me, seeing to it that I was fed and hydrated throughout the night. I can’t see why more Antelope Valley brides choose this great location. While other venues might be more extravagant, Le Chene delivers a fine experience, even if you’re just the photographer.
This wedding had an amazing vitality that surrounded it. The day, the couple, the venue, were all amazing and I was fortunate to be along for the ride. Once again, I was allowed to live my dream and take photographs for a living. Not everyone can do what they love for a living and that’s a privilege I don’t take lightly. I wish Ryan & Julie happiness and contentment forever and Ill never in that time be able to thank them enough for having me.
Tom Varden 