At Last: Jonna + Gary, Married! | San Diego Rustic Wedding Photographer
I want you to think about the most romantic story you’ve ever heard. Got it? Great. Now forget it completely because the story I’m about to tell you is going to blow it out of the water.
Gary met Jonna in fourth grade when their class put on a production of South Pacific, in which their characters held hands during the song, “Dites-Moi”. And just like that, it was love. At least, that’s how Gary tells the story.
When they were a bit older, they started dating until Jonna moved to California. They wrote each other romantic letters for three years, until Jonna wrote him a “Dear Gary” letter. There was still love between them, but they were worlds away, and now that they were in high school, neither of them were in a position to bridge that distance.
Fast forward a few decades- Jonna and Gary had both married other people, and had each had three children. Following his divorce, Gary mustered up the courage to reach out to his first love. He didn’t know her current last name, so he found her mom on Facebook and sent her a message inquiring about Jonna’s whereabouts. He recieved no response. Not until two years later, that is. When Jonna’s mother realized she had somehow managed to overlook his attempt to contact her, she promptly got them in contact.
And that brings us here, just a couple years later, to their wedding day. On June 10th, 2017, Jonna and Gary made a vow to spend the rest of their lives together, at long last.
It was the perfect day for a rustic summer wedding, with birds chirping in the trees. I arrived to the venue a little early with my amazing second shooter, Ryan (who took a few of the photos I’ve included), so we could capture some detail shots before the ceremony. When Jonna arrived, she was in a bit of a tizzy, understandably. Once her daughters came to help her get ready, though, the fear and anxiety started to melt away, and the joy began to sink in. Meanwhile, Gary was incredibly excited. Can you guess what song they had playing as the guests arrived? That’s right, “Dites-Moi”.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, and Gary’s vows were the most beautiful I’ve ever heard, saying that he never stopped loving her and that every night since they were kids he would silently wish her goodnight and tell her he loved her. My heart melted.
What followed the ceremony was a night of delicious cake, dancing, and some good ol’-fashioned partying!
