It was six weeks before Kristal Garcia’s (soon-to-be Hernandez) wedding. Everything was coming together perfectly, and she couldn’t wait to marry Rene, her long-time boyfriend and love of her life.
Then, within one quick phone call, her dreams of a fairytale wedding came crashing down…
Kristal discovered the venue that was to host her wedding suddenly closed, without any notice to future brides. The owner of the venue — gone without a trace with the money everyone had already invested.
Naturally, Kristal was devastated, and scrambling trying to figure out what to do. She soon found out that there were other brides whose weddings were affected by the closing of the venue. Local media outlets got word and tried to uncover the truth.
The news stories stirred rumors about what could have happened. But it also encouraged people in the community to come to the aide of the displaced brides. Everyone from venue owners to bakers to makeup artists rushed in to offer their services for free.
I first hear about Kristal’s situation through a Facebook group I am part of, and I wanted to lend a helping hand. I remember the first phone call I had with the bride-to-be. She started crying when I told her I wanted to help out; which, of course, made me start crying too!
From that day, we stayed in touch as her dream wedding once again started to take shape. I even attended her bridal shower, which was a blast! I met her future hubby and all their crazy friends and family. It was just a small preview of how fun their big day was going to be.
Given the previous wedding disaster, I think Kristal was a little hesitant to believe that everything would come together. But the day of the wedding, all her fears disappear as her beautiful wedding unfolded without a hitch.
The setting: a private garden off of a golf course at sunset. The crowd: Kristal and Rene’s closest family and friends. The reception: a beautiful ballroom that did not lack in dancing or good food!
I’ve never seen a bride and groom happier to become husband and wife than Kristal and Rene on their wedding day. As for me, I felt like less of a photographer and more of a family friend who was celebrating their genuine love with them.
To the community who stepped up to help brides in need — you all are amazing! And as a reminder to everyone else — if you have the ability to help someone, DO IT. The world needs more tender hearts and more acts of kindness.
Thanks for reading, friends!
-B
Want to know more about Bethany?
Meet the owner of BB Photography AZ here.
