I arrived alone with a map in my hand, bypassing the few wandering tourists.
When I saw the mission in the distance, I felt I had just uncovered a secret treasure, a majestic desert sanctuary weathered by nature and time.
400 years would be bridged by Melissa and Adam who, in their quest for authenticity and mindfulness, chose to commit to each other, just the two of them, right here in this 17th century adobe church, built by rugged Spanish monks one brick at a time.
I set my camera bag down on the dusty path and took it all in awe. I realized this adventure would be all about intuition, the silence of the desert, the whispers within the stones, the intensity in their eyes, the pauses in their words, their body language.
The mission immediately embraced us in its chilled, dark, yet soft breath. The scene for a ceremony filled with joy and imagination was set: Melissa, in her watercolor wedding dress holding the tinted cornhusk bouquet handmade by her groom, seemed to be the main character of a period painting. Adam, carefully treading in his ‘vans old skool’, lovingly watching over his bride.. and Alex, the park ranger who, upon being called from his bench under the trees, happily agreed to partake in this scene, standing as witness and signing the marriage license.
The whole celebration was in complete alignment with the couple’s deep desire to “be” vs to “show”. Purity and harmony vibrated within the original mission bricks, filling us with reverence and awe. Capturing this day was a rare photographic experience.
