5 Moments That Made Khristian and Cheyanne's Wedding in Laguna Beach Unforgettable
Photographed on film and digital at Crossline Community Church and the Woman's Club of Laguna Beach
Wedding
As a Laguna Beach wedding photographer, I walk into every wedding hoping for two things — good light and two people who are genuinely happy to be there. Khristian and Cheyanne gave me both. Surrounded by family and friends who clearly love them, their day unfolded at Crossline Community Church and the Woman's Club of Laguna Beach, and we captured all of it on film and digital. Here are the five moments I keep coming back to.
1.The First Look That Belonged a Father and His Daughter
Before the ceremony, Cheyanne shared a first look with her dad — just the two of them, before the doors opened, before the music started, before any of it. He stood with his back to her. When she touched his shoulder and he turned around, I watched a father see his daughter as a bride for the first time.
Father-daughter first looks hit differently every time. There's no performance in them. It's a dad trying to hold it together and almost always losing that battle. Cheyanne's dad was no different — and honestly, neither was I behind the camera.
It also meant that when Cheyanne walked down the aisle toward Khristian, it was the first time he saw her all day. Saving that moment for the ceremony made everything that followed feel even more earned.
2.What Your Laguna Beach Wedding Photographer Saw at the Ceremony
Crossline Community Church in Laguna Beach is one of those ceremony spaces that does the heavy lifting for you. High ceilings, warm natural light.
"The ceremony at Crossline is one of those spaces where you have to earn every shot — it's intimate, and you feel the weight of the room. Shooting on film here forces you to slow down and be deliberate about every frame. But that also means when you get the shot you're after, it really means something. Khristian and Cheyanne made it easy."
— Photographer's Note, Let's Make a Memory
Shooting here requires moving quietly and constantly reading the room. Every frame from this part of the day — film and digital both — is one I'd print and keep.
3.The Moment Khristian Saw Her for the First Time
When Cheyanne walked down the aisle, Khristian's reaction said everything. He did not look away once. Their vows were personal — no borrowed lines, just honest words from two people who mean what they say.
Because there was no first look between them, the aisle moment was Kristian's first time seeing Cheyanne in her dress. That is the kind of moment you position for early, hold your breath, and hope you're in the right spot when it happens. You do not get a second chance at it.
He turned, and his face just changed. Not dramatically — quietly. The kind of reaction that is easy to miss if you're not watching for it. But that's exactly where I was watching. It lasted only a few seconds before the room filled with noise and movement again, but those few seconds are some of the best frames from the entire day.
This is one of the reasons I always recommend skipping the couple's first look if you want to preserve that raw, unguarded reaction for good. The trade-off is real — you get fewer portrait minutes — but you also get something no amount of posing can recreate. For Khristian and Cheyanne, it was absolutely worth it.
Weighing first look vs. no first look for your own wedding? Martha Stewart Weddings breaks down the pros and cons — worth a read before you decide.
4.Portraits at Crossline Church - Where the Best Light Already Was
We had time between the ceremony and the reception, and we used it well. Three locations — the room where Cheyanne got ready, just outside the front of the church, and around the back. No dramatic scenery. Just whatever the building gave us.
Inside I shot digital. Outside is where I switched to film. In open shade, film holds highlight detail differently — there's a quality to the light that digital can replicate, but it never quite settles in the same way. The exterior of Crossline gave us exactly the kind of light that makes that choice easy.
By this point in the day, Khristian and Cheyanne were relaxed. The formal part was done. They moved naturally, talked to each other, and occasionally forgot I was there. Those are always the best frames — the ones where nobody is performing for the camera.
5.The Reception at the Woman's Club of Laguna Beach
The Woman's Club of Laguna Beach does not need much decoration — the architecture and setting handle most of it. The reception room felt warm and full without being loud, which matched this couple completely.
Their first dance was slow and close. No choreography, just two people who had waited all day for a quiet moment together in the middle of a room full of everyone they love. It's one of the frames I keep coming back to from this day.
The toasts were personal and funny and, in a few moments, genuinely moving. By the time the dancing started, no one was sitting down. Watch the dance floor at any reception, and you'll know right away whether the day was a success. This one was. If you are looking for a wedding photographer in Orange County, we would love to be part of your day.
Planning a Wedding in Laguna Beach or Orange County?
Let's Make a Memory photographs weddings throughout Laguna Beach, Orange County, and the greater Los Angeles area — on film, digital, or both. Whether you're planning a church ceremony, a private estate event, or something in between, reach out and let's talk about what you're envisioning.