Posts Tagged ‘outdoor ceremony’
Scripps Seaside Forum Wedding, La Jolla
The Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla is such a beautiful place to get married, especially if you want to have your wedding right on the beach! Its modern architecture, incredible textures, and unobstructed ocean views make it the perfect spot for a San Diego Destination Wedding. This was definitely the case for Lindsay & Luke, who actually live in the bay area, but wanted to have their wedding in San Diego where Lindsay grew up! We really loved the bright colors of the bouquets paired with perfect pink bridesmaids dresses. Luke’s khaki suit really made him stand out among his groomsmen.
We started out with getting ready shots at the Empress Hotel in La Jolla Cove before heading over to the Scripps Seaside Forum. This is the kind of inspiring location that we could photograph a hundred times and still have new options for portraits! The grassy ceremony area overlooks the ocean and is backed by a row of giant palm trees, all of which gave it a perfect relaxed San Diego feel.
After the ceremony, we had the opportunity to take them down the beach to the Scripps Pier, which is famous among landscape photographers for it’s clean, symmetrical concrete columns that seem to disappear into an infinity of white over the ocean. We love shooting romantic portraits with couples like Lindsay & Luke… it was so easy to tell that the rest of the world just drops away when they look into each other’s eyes!
One of our favorite wedding trends is when couples incorporate elements from their culture into the details of the day. To celebrate Lindsay’s Japanese heritage, they had 1000 colorful origami cranes (for good luck) hanging on a tree, a Banzai to represent her brother who was there in spirit, and an awesome authentic japanese steel drum performance.
Location: Scripps Seaside Forum
Coordinator: Bliss Events
Catering: Crown Point Catering
Officiant: Bethel Nathan
Ceremony Musician/Reception DJ: Michael Tiernan
Hair & Makeup: Flora Wade
Limo: LJ Transportation
Catamaran Resort Wedding, Bahia Belle Reception
We love being able to give the gift of gorgeous images to our clients, especially when our clients also happen to be friends! Kevin and I have known each other since the very first day we moved into “Camp Snoopy” as freshman at UCSD. We were instant friends and he quickly became someone that I could rely on to help me study, make me laugh, and be there as a shoulder to cry on. When he called me up to say that he had met the woman of his dreams, I was so happy! Ashley is absolutely beautiful, incredibly sweet, and they compliment each other perfectly.
Kevin & Ashley put a lot of hard work wedding, planning the whole thing together and finding ways to compromise along the way. They wanted to stay true to their personalities– classic, and elegant with a casual feel. at the Catamaran couldn’t have been more picture perfect. The morning clouds broke to reveal stunning turquoise skies and azul water, making Ashley’s colorful bouquet even more vibrant. Every detail radiated a sense of carefree elegance – Ashley looked lovely as she tiptoed barefoot down the steps to the ceremony, her lace train trailing behind. After the ceremony and taking photos around the Catamaran, we all boarded the Bahia Belle for a romantic reception on the water!
For these guys, the past year was not what you would expect a typical first year for newlyweds to be like. Kevin was deployed to Iraq while Ashley has been pregnant! They have had to rely on email, skype, and phone calls to be together. We want to thank them and all of our service men/women who sacrifice so much everyday so that we can enjoy our liberties and freedom! We hope to see Kevin come home safely, and can’t wait to meet their baby when the little one arrives!
Dress – Alfred Angelo
Bridesmaid dresses – J crew
Ceremony flowers – Jennifer Bennett My Fair Lady’s Flowers
Cake – Sweet Cheeks
Reception – Bahia Belle
Ceremony – Catamaran Resort
Hair & Make-up – Flora Wade
Coronado Tidelands Park, Star of the Sea Event Center Wedding
One of the best outdoor ceremony locations in San Diego to take advantage of the amazing cityscape is Tidelands Park on Coronado Island. Located a short walk away from the ferry landing, this park is a little oasis of greenery, blue skies, and uninterrupted city views! Bre’s mom also happens to be a planner, and we were blown away by the gorgeous details awaiting us at the Star of the Sea reception. We especially loved the delectable sweets in blue and green, accents of sparkly gems, and the uber-creative custom seating chart featuring images from our Engagement Session!
Congrats Bre and Eddy and thank you to the fantastic vendors who made this wedding such a treat!
Vendors:
Tulum, Mexico Destination Wedding – Traditional Mayan Ceremony
We first met Ashley and Travis while shooting their engagement session here in San Diego. They hadn’t decided on a location for their destination wedding yet, but really loved their engagement photos and wanted us to photograph it wherever they decided to go. Fortunately for us, they chose Tulum, Mexico!
Tulum is a short 2 hr drive south of Cancun, but worlds away from the crazy Spring Break vibe found there. Beyond the tropical foliage that lines the coast are stunning warm turquoise waters, white sand beaches dappled with occasional sunbathers, surfers, yoga retreats and the breathtakingly beautiful Tulum ruins. The whole area evokes a calming peacefulness and spiritual draw that makes it stand out as one of our favorite places in the world.
Ashley and Travis scored a gorgeous private villa large enough to house all of their closest friends and family in one location! They embraced the local culture and traditions of the Mayan Riviera by having an actual Shaman marry them in a traditional Mayan ceremony, emphasizing harmonious interaction with mother nature. Our favorite part of the ceremony was when everyone raised their hands over the couple to signify their support and blessings as the Shaman blew a conch shell invoking the gods to bear witness to the couple’s eternal union. The ceremony built to a crescendo as strong winds mysteriously rose around us. Our senses were overwhelmed by the touch of sand, wind, and waves crashing as we watched the couple seal their union with a kiss punctuated by the resounding call of the conch shell. SUPER-ROMANTIC, right?!?
Following the ceremony was an awesome outdoor reception that featured some of the most incredible entertainment we have ever seen at a wedding! A local world-beat fusion band played an eclectic mix of exotic instruments and songs so energetic that everyone (including grandma) couldn’t resist dancing their butts off! As they played, various band members jumped out on the dance floor to perform… at one point the lead singer (a dutch expatriate) rocked a traditional African dance to perfection. It was WILD! The crowd parted as fire dancers, stilt walkers, and capoeira dancers emerged to perform… it was like being on stage at a private showing of Cirque du Soleil! I remember walking over to Jen and saying “Can you believe we are getting to photograph THIS?!?”
Special thanks to Ashley & Travis for planning such an incredibly unique wedding and having us come along to capture all the fun!
Estancia Hotel, La Jolla Wedding
Estancia La Jolla is definitely one of our favorite locations to photograph a wedding in San Diego. It has a timeless feel that reflects casual elegance in such a seemingly effortless way that you can’t help but get caught up in its beauty. The grounds are perfectly designed with weddings in mind, as there are many hallways with columns that create dramatic natural light, wonderfully landscaped gardens, and beautiful mission styled architecture. In short, it is a photographer’s dream!
Not that any of this was necessary to make our awesome couple Ala & Uly look good- they certainly do that all on their own! They really worked it for the camera and had a great sense of humor, too. With help from their very talented wedding planner/coordinator Alexandra (from AR Affairs), they created a unique nature theme with bird’s nest accents, moss and twig center pieces, and excellent uplighting. They were able to turn what would have been a somewhat non-descript wall into a stunning backdrop that created a very romantic ambiance for their reception. Another fun detail that really stood out to us was the ice cream bar – JUST LIKE COLD STONE (!) – where guests picked their flavor and toppings and had their tasty treat blended on a stone slab as they watched. We’d also like to give a shout out to Pink Star Design for their perfectly elegant menus and place cards which added a very stylish touch!
It truly was a pleasure to shoot for Ala & Uly and to work with all of their excellent vendors!!!
Coordinator: AR Affairs
Cake: Sweet Cheeks Baking Company
Menus/Place Cards: Pink Star Design
Flowers: Artistic Florals
DJ: DJ Cito C
Linens: Concept Event Design
Catering & Venue: Estancia Hotel, La Jolla
Rock the Dress – Destination Wedding Moab UT & Arches
One of the most beautiful and otherworldly places in the United States is Arches National Park located near Moab, UT. Incredible rock formations soar thousands of feet out of the ground forming natural towers, bridges, and arches — a landscape that is truly awe inspiring. Years ago, Shane and I camped and hiked throughout the park and always hoped for an opportunity to come back and photograph it with clients. When Lynn and Peter contacted us and asked us to travel to photograph both their destination wedding AND a Rock the Dress Session here, we were floored!
The day after their amazing wedding was held in a natural canyon just outside Moab, we headed back out with the goal of creating some incredibly unique bridal images in Arches National Park. Weather moves quickly across this state, and the perfect blue sky day quickly became tumultuous and stormy as we drove through the entrance gates. We had originally envisioned landscapes with full sun and vivid colors, but the soft light and cloud cover revealed a romantic and unexpected glow that we find to be captivating.
Hotel Del Coronado & Breakers Beach San Diego Wedding
You know that feeling when you first dating someone that you really like? You get butterflies in your stomach, you light up when you hear their voice on the phone, and you just can’t wait see them again… Well, that is what Tiffany & Alan are like ALL THE TIME! They have this fresh, sweet, joyful way about their affection toward one another… you can’t help but get caught up in the romance of it!
We started out at the Hotel Del Coronado for getting ready, family, and romantic portraits. After that, the bridal party hopped in a classic Old Town Wedding Trolley and rode over to Breaker’s Beach for the ceremony and reception. We loved how (instead of holding the ceremony on the deck) they invited guests to kick off their shoes and relax so-cal style for the gorgeous beach ceremony– now that’s how we do it in San Diego! Subtle details like the seashell lined aisle, beautiful candy bar, and bright color palette all came together so well to perfectly match the light breeze coming off the ocean.
Special thanks to all the vendors who made this beautiful wedding happen:
- Wedding coordinator: Yvonne Prout with California Party Divas
- Minister: Rev. Alan Ernst
- Ceremony Music: Russ Zinser
- Florist: Haydee’s Creative Flowers
- Reception Music: Primo DJs
- Catering: Navy Catering
- Cake: Sylvia’s Cakes
- Hair & make-up: Flora Wade
- Videographer: Jensen Studios
- Dress: The Bustle
Rock the Dress at Huntington Botanical Gardens & Leo Carrillo State Park
In the last ten or so years, there has been an awesome phenomenon in wedding photography called a “trash the dress” photo shoot. Brides all over the world have donned their wedding dress for a second time and modeled for a photographer while literally destroying their dresses. The theory behind this type of a shoot is that the wedding is over and the bride won’t ever wear the dress again. So why not trash it while making beautiful images instead of letting it collect moths in a closet? We think it is a fantastic idea, but what about all the brides who aren’t so eager to part with their most cherished of keepsakes?!?
We present to you: the Rock the Dress session! Rather than going for the shock value of a trash the dress session, give your (likely expensive) dress the respect it deserves by modeling it in a full-fledged fashion shoot. This is your opportunity to get breath-taking shots in incredible locations that would otherwise be difficult to achieve within the constraints of a wedding day. Afterward, you might need to get the dress dry-cleaned, which you should plan on doing after the wedding anyway! Who says you can’t have your wedding cake and eat it too?
This Rock the Dress session was sooooo much fun! We started out at the historic Huntington Botanical Gardens, where a kind groundskeeper drove us around on a golf cart so we could shoot in all of the best spots. For the second location, we drove out to Leo Carillo State Park (where the groom originally proposed to the bride), and were able to capture some really romantic moments during sunset.
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Banyon Court Wedding & Regatta Pavillion Reception
We had so much fun shooting Jen & Brian’s wedding!!! These guys have great style and weren’t afraid to break a couple “rules” at their wedding! Brian and his groomsmen wore teal and purple Nike kicks along with their tuxes to match the wedding colors while Jen’s wedding dress was downright glamorous. They knew when to keep it simple, and when to add a little something extra. For example, they kept the bridesmaids’ dresses a chic gun-metal gray while having the girls wear bright purple heels– elegant, yet sassy! Throughout the wedding decor, they incorporated a mix of modern luxury with a hint of casual fun to compliment their personalities.
We were amazed at the sheer number of friends and family who absolutely adore Jen & Brian. How on earth anyone can make the time to be such good friends with so many people is somewhat mind boggling, and very inspiring to see!
The Mission Bay Hyatt is a great location to have your wedding, especially if you have a lot of people arriving from out of town. They have beautiful rooms, pristine grounds, and the location on Mission Bay couldn’t be better. We loved how the sunset light came through the trees at the Banyon Court during the ceremony, and the luxurious white fabric ceiling & lighting in the Regatta Pavillion created a romantic setting for the reception.
We also had the pleasure of working with the guys from 4120 Weddings… they are very professional and super-creative!
Anyway, thanks to Jen & Brian for being such wonderful clients! You can add us to the long list of people who adore you ;)
Location & Catering: Hyatt Regency Mission Bay
Videographers: 4120 Weddings
Officiant: Jelynn Rodriguez (check out her new music video!)
Dress: St. Patrick Babieca from Bridal and Veil Mission Valley
Hair: Erin Fong
Make-Up: Jenny Cortez
Cake: The French Gourmet Wedding Cakes
Acqua Photo Wedding featured on Exquisite Weddings!
Sunshine & Eric’s gorgeous Coronado wedding is featured as a Real Wedding on the Exquisite Weddings website!
Check it out! Sunshine&Eric
To see the full blog with tons more pics, click here: Suni&Eric Blog
Thanks to the fantastic vendors who made this day possible:
Coordinator: ARAffairs.com
Location: Breaker’s Beach
Florist: Lotus Flowers
Rock’n'Roll Wedding at Marvimon in Los Angeles
In this business, there is no doubt that we get the pleasure of meeting some really amazing and interesting people. I can say unequivocally that Johnnie and Ralf are some of the most talented and inspiring people we have ever met! They are both rock musicians who have had successful careers following their passion and traveling all over the world to perform. When the rest of us are just going to bed, these guys are just getting started!
Johnnie & Ralf knew that their timeline was going to be long, and they wanted to be sure that they had photography coverage for the whole wedding. So they decided to book us for the unlimited coverage. It’s a good thing they did because we started shooting at about 11:30 am and continued until after their exit at about 1:30 am!!! We love unlimited weddings because it gives us the flexibility to actually cover everything start to finish.
Marvimon is a truly unique space that can be transformed to accommodate various types of events. They have a gorgeous outdoor vertical garden area where the plants literally climb to the top of the old brick walls, creating an intimate yet lush natural setting. The interior is a completely remodeled loft that started as a race car showroom in the 1920′s. It is the perfect artistic blend of modern design mixed with vintage furnishings and distressed materials.
The ceremony was beautiful, the dinner was delicious, and the evening was going perfectly. Suddenly, the house lights went dark. The stage lit up and a band appeared on stage! The tables were pulled away to clear room for a dance floor. Naturally, the Bride picked up a baby blue Les Paul signature electric guitar and hung it over her shoulder before adjusting the mic, the Groom sat down behind the drum set. Jen and I turned to each other- was this really happening?!?!? Before we could answer, a resounding guitar chord filled the air as the band started their first song. It was such an incredible experience watching Johnnie command the stage, singing and playing guitar in her wedding dress while Ralf wailed away on the drums in the background. His face contorted into the best expressions I’ve ever seen as he thrashed to the music, sweat flying from his hair. Check out the band website here! http://www.johnnieburton.com/
We were truly humbled by how kind, gracious, and welcoming Johnnie & Ralf and their families and friends were. Thanks for such an amazing day.
Stay tuned for their Rock the Dress session!!!
Special thanks to:
Wedding Coordinator: Jeff Fleming, TACT Event Management
Location: Marvimon
Colorado Destination Wedding – Beaver Creek
There are few places as beautiful as the Colorado Rockies in the fall. The brilliant bursts of yellow aspens and long sweeps of technicolor blue sky are a feast for the eyes. Fall has an extra special meaning for us, because it’s the season when Shane and I visited Colorado for the very first time and he asked me to marry him at a viewpoint in the foothills!
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to shoot a wedding in Beaver Creek during that same, magical time of year this past October. To take advantage of the window of perfect weather, Mary and Michael decided to do a “First Look” Session and see each other for romantic portraits before the ceremony. We had one breathtaking hour to capture the best sites in town, and then we headed to Saddle Ridge Lodge for the ceremony and celebration. The lodge was decorated with a mix of Ralph Lauren furnishings and an incredible collection of authentic western artifacts. We loved the rustic charm it exuded and the delicate details that Mary incorporated to give it a relaxed elegance.
As we drove down to Boulder the day after the wedding, a huge storm blew in, blanketing the area in snow. I love looking back on these photos and thinking of how lucky we were to be there for that perfect, transient moment in time.
Thank you to all of the wonderful vendors!
Planner: Emily DeDionisio Beaver Creek Resorts www.BeaverCreek.com
Location & Catering: Saddle Ridge Lodge
Florist: Delilah’s of Denver FlowersofDenver.com
Cake: Rimini Beaver Creek www.riminichocolate.com
DJ: Jeff D’Amico A Great Time DJ www.agreattimedj.com
San Francisco Destination Wedding Part 2- Dunsmuir Estate
After a fun filled morning of shooting in San Francisco, we rode with Christina & Brian out to the Dunsmuir Estate. This historic house was built in 1878 and is a gorgeous example of Neoclassical-Revival architecture. It felt like a fairy tale walking down the long dirt road lined with lush trees and gardens to the ceremony site overlooking the pond.
Christina’s Chinese heritage is very special to her and she incorporated the traditional Chinese wedding color, red, beautifully into the attire and decor. We loved all of the fantastic details; the red and orange parasols available to guests, her beautiful bright red shoes, and the elegant, whimsical red and orange cake! As the sun went down, their guests listened to the live blue grass band, played croquet on the lawn, and sipped wine beneath the stars. In the darkness, the tent glowed with the view of the mansion in the distance. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
To see part 1 of this blog click here: Romance in The City
Special thanks to the amazing vendors:
Wedding Coordinator: Grace Lee Gleevents.com
Florist: Spiral Hand SpiralHand.com
Catering: Miraglia Catering CateringandMore.com
Musicians: Angel Mountain Strings
DJ: AEC Marin AECMarin.com
Makeup & Hair: WowPretty.com
Officiant: Gerry Murphy
Canopy & Rentals: WineCountryParty.com
Congrats Mr & Mrs Stokes!
Maritza and Dan have been together as long as their friends can remember. They are one of those couples who perfectly compliment one another and are still as in love today as they were when they first met. Now 8 years later, Shane and I had the honor of photographing their wedding.
The day was gray and damp, but all morning ribbons of blue shone through the clouds. They decided to take a chance and set up for the outdoor ceremony they had planned for. As the start time approached, guests and attendants gathered together under umbrellas, watching the sky for signs. Hidden from sight in her car, Maritza prayed for the sky to clear and the rain to cease.
As if on cue, the sky brightened and the drizzle stopped.
There is something so lush and fresh about nature after the rain. Colors seem more vivid, the scent of flowers hangs heavy in the air. Into this new vibrancy, Maritza walked down the grass pathway to meet Dan.
