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Maria + Genaro: El Paso Wedding

Posted on August 11, 2009

On Saturday, Roz and I finally got to photograph Maria and Genaro’s wedding! We’ve been looking forward to this one for over a year; Maria is one of the sweetest people we’ve had the chance to work with in a very long time, and Genaro’s always right there, quiet, but helping and supporting her.

The day started out quietly, with Maria at Tresses Salon in El Paso. Tresses just moved to their new digs on Gateway East; the salon was still having some finishing touches added, but that didn’t seem to affect the outcome – Maria’s hair came out looking great! Then it was off to the mall, where the ladies at the MAC counter helped her and Jasmine apply their makeup. Roz and I grabbed some lunch after they were finished, and then we all went to the hotel, where Kara, the wedding coordinator, was waiting for us with the rest of the bridal party, Maria’s mom, and the dress!

I took off right after Maria got a gift of jewelry from Genaro; I had to cross I-10 to get to the hotel where the guys were getting dressed. The room was cool after the heat outside, and so were the guys – everyone was mostly ready to go (early!) when I got there, so I delivered the silver USB drive Maria got Genaro (engraved with “World’s Greatest Husband”), we did some images of the poker chip cuff-links Maria found for the guys in Las Vegas, and then we headed to the church.

As we headed down Zaragosa towards Ysletta and Mt. Carmel, we ran into a water main break, which forced us to detour. We might have gotten lost if Roz hadn’t spotted the dome on the Old Mission Church! We made it in plenty of time, but the ceremony got off to a late start anyway, as guests got caught in the traffic jam that resulted from the road closure. It was a pleasure working with the Father again; he remembered us from Armida’s wedding at the Mission, almost a year ago!

After her maids walked down the aisle, Maria appeared, and Genaro’s face lit up. She was radiant; Roz had to wipe tears away (after she got the photo of Genaro’s face, of course!) The ceremony included many Latin touches, and the painted alter area provided a perfect backdrop. Mariachis provided traditional musical accompaniment to the ceremony, and afterward, they played in the plaza while the guests danced and we shot formals.

En route to the Lancer’s club for the reception, we all got stuck in traffic around the broken pipes again – but we got to the hall in plenty of time for the main events of the evening! The stunning main wedding cake was complemented by a groom’s cake, which resembled a pile of poker chips. After dinner, DJ Ivan announced the toasts and cake cutting, and then the party got started with the bouquet and garter toss!

Ivan handled the pre-bouquet-toss conga line perfectly – and it’s easy to let the party go on to long, or to cut it too short, and leave the guests hanging. The bouquet toss went off perfectly. Then it was Genaro’s turn – and he put on an impromptu strip tease for Maria, strutting his stuff, throwing his vest to her, and having a great time.

When Ivan called the young couple who caught the garter and bouquet out onto the floor, I was worried – we’ve seen a few fairly awkward situations arise at this point. Once again, I was shocked. I’m still not sure if it was planned or not, but Ivan threw on MC Hammer, and the couple transformed instantly from awkward teens into two of the hottest dancers I’ve ever seen! When they were done tearing up the floor, the rest of the guests came out – and the party went up another notch. Ivan kept the dance floor hot all night, a feat which is amazingly rare down here. Never once did he clear everyone off with a poor song selection; the crowd was having as much fun as he was. And wow, could they DANCE! Admittedly, I’m a white guy – but there were quite literally toddlers out on that floor that could dance circles around me.

After we shot more (incredible) dance images than I’ve ever gotten at a single wedding, Roz and I packed it up and headed home. Maria and Genaro, we met some fun people, and generally had a blast spending the day with both of you! Have fun on your honeymoon; we’ll have images ready when you get back!

Jason

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