Wayfarers Chapel + Cabrillo Marina | Vanessa + Shaun

Wayfarers Chapel Wedding Amy Theilig Photography

Last November, I had the privilege of capturing Vanessa and Shaun’s late Fall wedding in San Pedro, California. We shot at some really great locations, including The Doubletree Hotel San Pedro, The Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes and The Plaza at Cabrillo Marina.

Kicking Off at The Doubletree Hotel San Pedro

Vanessa and Shaun are such a sweet couple. When you see Shaun look at Vanessa, you can tell he is totally smitten with her. Both love Japanese culture and actually went to Tokyo for their honeymoon. It was really cool, because for their wedding gifts, they signed up for an app that allowed guests to buy them experiences on their honeymoon trip to Japan. What an awesome idea in lieu of traditional wedding presents!

We started the day out at The Doubletree while Vanessa got ready. Both Vanessa and Shaun are super close with their families, so it was only natural that Vanessa would fly her aunt out to do her hair for her big day. Vanessa’s wedding gown looked so stunning on her and we couldn’t have asked for better shots of the morning.

A Wayfarers Chapel Wedding | Amy Theilig Photographic

The Wayfarers Chapel started as an idea from the mind of Elizabeth Schellenberg, a member of the Swedenborgian Church who lived in Palos Verdes during the late 1920’s. She dreamed of a place that looked out over the Pacific Ocean where wayfarers could stop to rest, meditate and give thanks for the beauty of creation. Sadly, the Wayfarers Chapel’s development was delayed during the 1930’s due to The Great Depression and WWII. But, soon after the war, the incredible architect Lloyd Wright, son of renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was urged to help finish the creation. What resulted was a beautiful mixture of modern and organic architecture that could only be described as a California paradise.

This wedding ceremony was gorgeous. The Flower Girl, Josie, was so sweet! She was adorable as she handed out flowers while walking down the aisle. Vanessa bought Josie an embroidered handkerchief to commemorate the occasion, it was incredibly touching. And Vanessa was a true beauty as she walked down the aisle towards Shaun. You could really feel the love and emotion in the air.

The DIY Reception | The Plaza at Cabrillo Marina

There was a lot of DIY involved with making this wedding possible. Vanessa and Shaun designed, printed and cut out their own invitation using a Cricket machine. It was an actual cut out of their wedding chapel, which I thought was super neat! Vanessa made her own bouquet for the wedding and Shaun’s mom made the cakes. It all turned out amazing!

I think The Plaza at Cabrillo Marina is a great venue option, I love how Vanessa and Shaun did their reception outside with a tent to really take advantage of the beautiful view and the sea breeze. I'm from San Pedro originally so it's a little taste of home every time I work there. Plus, since I knew the area, I was able to steal the bride and groom away for a few photos at the Pointe Vicente Interpretive Center.

All in all, this wedding went off without a hitch. The wedding venues were the perfect locations for the perfect couple. Thank you, Shaun and Vanessa for letting me be a part of your special day and I wish you all of the very best moving forward in your new lives together! Congrats, you two.

I’d also like to thank my second shooter, Rachel, for helping me get some awesome detail shots and helping to make the wedding day run as smoothly as possible.