This image was captured in 2012 in Palos Verdes, California at the Terranea Resort. It was an outdoor wedding on a beautiful cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Right before I left for the afternoon, the bridesmaids encouraged the bride to toss her bouquet. The only ladies to participate were the six bridesmaids and another guest in a white dress. Ever since I fell in love with documentary photography, inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s famous expression “the decisive moment,” I have breathed that phrase like a mantra whenever I photograph weddings. This image is the closest I feel I’ve ever come to perfection! Many elements of composition came together magically for this split second capture! Your eye goes directly to the bouquet in the air because of the outstretched arms of the bridesmaids, the direction of the their faces, including the bride and flower girl, and even the fingertips of the bride’s left hand point you toward the bouquet of flowers. I love that the flower girl is framed by the bride’s arms and wedding dress. I love the setting with the vast Pacific Ocean horizon behind the scene and the clouds in the sky.  It’s as if the bouquet for this split moment is one with them. But what puts me in awe of the moment, something I did not realize was happening when capturing it, is how the lady in white is perfectly in the center of the bridesmaids as they all are reaching up to catch the bouquet. Her face is the only one in the crowd not blocked by outstretched arms. With the bouquet directly over her, you get the impression, that no doubt, the bouquet will land in her arms…(and it did!).