Larisa and Ian said officially said “I do” during their intimate wedding at the historic Longwood Community Building. Situated in the heart of downtown Longwood, the iconic light blue building is both a piece of history and where history is made.
You may remember my couple from their family engagement session in downtown Winter Park off of Park Ave. From grabbing ice cream to walking together through Central Park, it was clear as day how close nit they are. During our engagement, I found out that Larisa and Ian met one another back in the Fall of 2013 while both attending chiropractic school at Palmer Chiropractic College in Port Orange. Larisa was paired up with Ian to mentor him as a newer student, from which a friendship grew out of class colleagues, and after two years, a romance began.
It is the way that Ian is Larisa’s “calm and constant,” which makes her melt every time she looks into his eyes. She feeling of knowing she had found the one, the one who would be her rock for forever, is what made her fall in love. Of course his endless sense of humor and uncanny ability to always make her smile couldn’t be looked over either. Ian fell in love with Larisa’s “Gemini spirit” and (laughing as I write this) “Asian persuasion!” Truly he loves “her fiery spirit and her ability to know exactly what I need.” It is the give and take to their relationship that has built such a beautiful foundation for their love to grow upon. Supporting one another, laughing with one another, and understanding one another has truly been monumental in their love as a couple and family.
Roughly a year after the two began dating and the exact date of February 12, 2016, Ian told Larisa that they were going to Winter Park for dinner. Unexpected, but excited, Larisa knew something was up because he had told her that he bought her something just a week earlier. Of course, just to be prepared for the in case possibility, Larisa had her nails done and dressed up for the occasion. During dinner she was sure he would pop the question, but he didn’t. She figured that maybe he was going to wait a little longer and didn’t think much of it the rest of the night. After dinner the two headed back to the car to drop off their left overs before heading back to Larisa’s favorite ice cream shop, Rome Flavors. Fumbling around the car, Larisa was waiting for Ian to unlock the door and little confused by what he was doing. Well, Ian was attempting to fit a very large ring box into his pocket, which just wasn’t working out. He had planned to take it with them on a walk, but instead decided that their was no better moment than the moment of just being together. Right there in the parking lot, Ian asked for Larisa to marry him. She of course said “yes” and the two headed off to celebrate with a “sweet” scoop of ice cream.
I knew that their wedding day would be filled with many more celebratory “sweet” moments. Arriving early, I found Larisa and her girls getting ready upstairs with hair and makeup from M3. Larisa truly looked nothing short of stunning in her timeless lace dress. Before jumping in to her gown, we grabbed a few quick shots of silly moments with her mom and my favorite, the trio of generations that include Larisa, her mom, and her daughter Evelyn.
Of course, we could not forget the guys and after grabbing a few shots of our GQ crew, we headed downstairs to capture the ceremony and reception spot pre-guests. Waiting for our newlyweds to walk down the aisle, I was completely surprised when Ian and his groomsmen came out with lightsabers – nice silly touch that is true to their silly style!
As Larisa walked down the aisle to her beau, it was truly like capturing a modeling walking the runway. Everyone’s eyes lit up seeing our darling bride as her dad Sam (great name Dad!) walked with her on his arm. One of my favorite moments though had to be when Evelyn and Ethan were brought up to join in on a family prayer uniting the four as one unit. It was symbolic of how amazing a family can be when brought together during such a beautiful moment to start their journey through life together.
A rainy day didn’t stop us from grabbing beautiful newlywed and wedding party portraits outside after finishing up with silly family photos inside. Taking a moment along while everyone headed inside to enjoy cocktail hour, was the perfect little escape for Larisa and Ian to soak in that they were finally married.
Reception dining and dancing took place after formal portraits with a fun bubble send off at the end of the night. Wishing these four an amazing bright and silly life together!
Venue: Longwood Community Building
Videographer: Corner House Photography
Makeup: M3 Makeup Artists
