Mackenzie and Gavin’s wedding was special and amusing in many ways to us! We did a double take when we first received their photo/video inquiry; Mackenzie’s mom is also named Danielle Hobert (what are the chances!?). Soon Danielle’s husband and our partner/owner of All Because He Asked Wedding Videography Jamie Hobert realized the bride’s dad is Billy Joe Hobert—a former professional football player and sort of a legend in Jamie’s family.

When Jamie was a kid, he and his family watched Mackenzie’s dad play football at Washington and then watched him move onto the NFL. Since Hobert with that spelling is not common, Jamie and his family thought Billy Joe must be a distant cousin. The possibility that a NFL player could be related made watching the games all that much more fun. Jamie did get a chance to chat with Billy Joe at the reception and while the relationship is unlikely, it was still exciting and brought back fun childhood memories for him.

Aside from having a cool last name Mackenzie was a dream bride. She is confident, sweet, and absolutely beautiful! She and Gavin met when they were only 12 years-old (Danielle & Jamie met at 15, but this by far takes the cake). Mackenzie and Gavin’s middle school romance started with awkward flirting via text, and shy encounters during school, all leading up to the girlfriend proposal the summer before high school. The pair were inseparable throughout high school, and a long-distance relationship in college. On their wedding date, just two weeks shy of their ten-year anniversary, Mackenzie and Gavin are still going strong, and crazy in love.  

It seemed fitting to visit the place where it all started, Vista Del Mar Middle school. So, we snuck away after the ceremony to capture some portraits at their old alma mater.  It was fun seeing where their old lockers were and imagining the young love blossoming!

After going down memory lane, we returned to Talega Golf Club in San Clemente—an upscale Spanish colonial wedding venue with sweeping views of the golf course and hillsides of the Telega community. The ceremony is held in their large courtyard with a layout that gazes down the fairways. One of our favorite spots to take the bride and groom is the golf cart tunnel that connects the course. The lights illuminate our couple and provide a unique backdrop.

We had a hard time choosing our favorite photos as there are so many. Mackenzie and Gavin are naturals in front of the camera.  Posing them or asking them to kiss was never difficult, they are comfortable with each other and relaxed.

The reception did not disappoint! In fact, it’s been a long time since we shot a wedding that had the dance floor as packed as this one did. It was a sea of guests, hands in the air, inhabitations to the wind! One of our favorite moments in the night was the anniversary dance. It was amazing how many couples had been together for over 50 years! The winning couple, Mackenzie’s grandparents showed off to the guests that they “still got it” by dancing to “Rock Around the Clock” by Elvis Presley—the first dance at their wedding.

We had a great time meeting Mackenzie and Gavin’s amazing families! We are super excited for them and wish them many years to come. We think in 60 years from now it will be them dancing together at their grandkid’s wedding, showing off what it takes to have the perfect marriage!