Laura and Andrew live in Chicago, but this wedding really starts in Guadalajara. Laura's parents are from here, and coming back to this city to get married carried a different weight than simply picking a pretty venue — in a way, it was coming home.
For the ceremony they chose Casa Pedro Loza, an old house in downtown Guadalajara that today works as a boutique hotel and wedding venue — the kind of architecture that already carries its own history, no extra decorating required. The wedding happened on the rooftop, with a view of the city that honestly doesn't need any help looking good in photos.
What I enjoyed most about this day was Laura and Andrew's attitude: they're a couple with a very clear style of their own, a bit unconventional, and from the start they let me play — look for different framings, let the architecture be as much a part of the story as they were. That kind of trust is, to me, the best way to work.
Getting ready, unhurried
Andrew got ready with that slightly introspective quiet of someone who knows the day is about to speed up — glasses, vest, tie still loose, his gaze fixed somewhere that wasn't the camera.
Across the house, Laura got ready surrounded by laughter — the shoes, the dress, that mix of nerves and excitement that almost always shows more in the hands and the laughing than in the face.
A house that already had a story
Casa Pedro Loza doesn't need much to look good on camera — old doors, plants that seem to have been there longer than the hotel itself, light that falls differently in every corner. I used exactly that for a portrait of Laura among the greenery, with the dress and bouquet as the only spots of color.
The ceremony on the rooftop
Laura walked in on her father's arm as the guests stood — already wearing the kind of smile that isn't saved for photos. You could tell she was genuinely happy, not posing to look that way.
In front of the officiant, with the bell towers and rooftops of downtown Guadalajara behind them, Laura and Andrew said their vows between bursts of laughter — the ceremony had that intimate, unhurried tone that only happens when a small wedding feels exactly the right size.
A hug that said more than any speech
With the ring already on, there was a moment that wasn't on any timeline: Laura's father hugged her off to the side of the rooftop, while someone else took a photo on their phone. It wasn't staged, nobody asked for it — it just happened, and that's exactly why it's one of my favorite photos of the whole day.
The party
The celebration moved indoors, under hanging lights, and the rest of the night was exactly what a good party promises: dancing, movement, and the kind of energy that only shows up when guests truly let go.
If anything defined this wedding, it was that mix: a couple with a style all their own, a venue with real history, and an intimate ceremony that lost none of its emotion for being small. That, to me, is exactly the kind of wedding worth documenting with care — the same philosophy I write about in how I document a wedding without directing the scene.
If you're considering Casa Pedro Loza for your own wedding, or just want to talk about your date, you can see packages and pricing directly.
