Hannah reached out to me on Instagram just a few months before their wedding, hoping I might still have their date open—and somehow, it all worked out.

They were getting married on a Sunday at the The Alexandria Ballroom in Los Angeles, which ended up being perfect since I was already shooting a wedding at Millwick the day before.

From the start, Hannah and Preston made it really clear they didn’t just want traditional wedding photos. They wanted something that actually felt like them—so we spent time talking through what that would look like and how we could approach the day differently.

I had never photographed at the Alexandria Ballroom before, so I joined them for their final walkthrough. We walked through the space together, talked through lighting, timing, and how everything would flow. It was especially important because they weren’t doing a first look, and the venue was flipping the ballroom right after the ceremony… which meant portraits were going to be tight.

We made a plan and just knew we’d have to be flexible.

The Morning of the Wedding

The morning was honestly really calm.

Nothing rushed, nothing chaotic. Just a steady, grounded start to the day.

Before the ceremony, Hannah, her brother, and her parents gathered together to pray. It was one of those quiet moments that felt really meaningful—simple but heavy in the best way.

When it was time, both of her parents walked her down the aisle to Preston, and her dad actually officiated the ceremony. They also had friends lead a worship song, which made the whole thing feel really personal and centered.

Portraits (and a Little Bit of Chaos)

Portraits were probably the most unpredictable part of the day.

Since the ballroom at the Alexandria Ballroom wedding venue was being flipped right after the ceremony, we had to work quickly and kind of move with whatever was happening around us. Part of it felt a little chaotic, but in a way that forced us to stay present and just go for it.

We ended up shooting a lot of their portraits right there in the ballroom while everything was being reset. The large doors and windows ended up being perfect—they let in just enough light and gave us a really clean backdrop that showed off Hannah’s dress in the best way.

It wasn’t perfectly controlled, but it worked.

The Reception at the Alexandria Ballroom

Once the room reopened, everything shifted.

The space had completely transformed, and the energy picked up right away—one of the things that makes weddings at the Alexandria Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles so unique.

Instead of doing a traditional first dance, they had a friend perform a traditional Korean dance, which was such a cool and meaningful way to start the night.

From there, the live band took over and kept the dance floor full the rest of the night.