I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a man in uniform. So I just loved seeing all the lovely photos from this California wedding. Yesenia and Zachary are such a beautiful couple and had a gorgeous wedding to match. Yesenia was radiant in her romantic gown and he was strikingly handsome in full military dress. The elegant landscaped gardens at the home of Zachary’s commanding officer was the setting for their joyous celebration with family and friends. Enjoy!
Yesenia + Zachary | October 2, 2010 | San Diego, California
How they met
We were both out with friends in San Diego and immediately were drawn to one another. We both went home extremely enthused to have met one another!
The ceremony
Zach was working for the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and he offered us to use the gardens behind his home. The gardens are absolutely breath-taking as they are professionally maintained and used for high-profile official events. We eagerly accepted his gracious offer, and voila, we had the perfect garden setting for the wedding of my dreams!
The reception
It was so nice to have our reception in the same location as the ceremony. This made it possible to take pictures with our wedding party after the ceremony and still make it to our cocktail hour. It was important for us to be there, fully present with our loved ones and enjoy the day with each other and them. The reception was SO much fun! I can honestly say it was the most fun I have had, ever. Some of our guests partied until 4:30 in the morning. I still have so much fun hearing about it from my family and friends.
The moment Yesenia will never forget
The first time we saw each other that day was pretty intense and so intimate. I didn’t think I would cry that day. Oh boy, was I wrong! It just felt so magical to see my future husband, dressed up in his uniform, and know that this is it! I felt so fortunate to have met my soul mate and to begin the rest of forever together.
How Yesenia knew her wedding dress was “The One”
I had been to about 4 wedding gown stores before finally finding my dress at Kleinfeld in N.Y.C. . It was the first dress I tried on at the store and exactly what I had been looking for the whole time. It was a timeless, romantic dress that would be good for any setting, which was key, because at the time, I wasn’t exactly sure where my wedding would take place.
Why she decided to sell her wedding dress
It just didn’t feel right to leave it hanging in my closet or in a box under the bed forever. You think “Maybe my daughter will use it” but you don’t know if you will have a daughter. And if you do, she will probably want the excitement of hunting for her own dress as I did. So, it would make me happy for another bride to wear it and feel beautiful, as I did. The dress is way too gorgeous to not be shared!
