Victoria Chrystal Photography Blog: Anastasiya + Victor

I'm so excited to finally share Anastasiya and Victor's beautiful Temecula wedding! We photographed their special day back in June, and I've been champing at the bit to blog it! What started off as a day of uncertainty and potential chaos, turned out to be one of the most spectacular celebrations of love I have witnessed thus far. June 4, 2016 was the day of all the Temecula fires. Not only was it one of the hottest days of the year, but traffic was bumper to bumper the entire commute and roads were closed left and right. What's worse, I got word from the bride that the venue was covered in smoke! I assured her that, not only would we make it there on time, we would do our very best to work with the elements to create some beautiful images for her and Victor. My mind, of course, was racing with visions of formal portraits with flames in the background lol! But I was impressed by the level of calmness that Anastasiya demonstrated. She stayed cool and said she'd make the best of it no matter what. I think I prayed the whole way there.

Thankfully, by the time the ceremony started, the fires had been tamed, the skies cleared up and every guest made it on time. I think it was good karma for the positive attitude Anastasiya had the whole time. And what a wonderful day this turned out to be! Taking place on the glorious grounds of Callaway Vineard & Winery, this day was filled with personal touches and details throughout. This half Russian, half Mexican wedding was fabulous to its core. The mother of the bride, who is a makeup artist, did her daughter's makeup. The groom's son, was the best man. There wasn't a single guest that didn't have either a huge smile or a tear on their face. It was so cool to be surrounded by so much love, well wishes and good vibes. Victor could hardly keep his eyes off his stunning bride. He kept looking over at her and shouting "Can you believe we're married?!". That's what weddings are really about. A celebration of two people's love and commitment to one another. Everything else, as they say, is icing on the cake. And I do love cake!

Venue: Callway Vineyard & Winery
DJ: Joe Ace DJ
Bakery: Cakes to Celebrate
Florist: Sweet Petals
Makeup Liana Mirzadeh
Hair: Ruby Tan
Photography: Victoria Chrystal Photography