San Diego Wedding Photography Destination Wedding Photography – Acqua Photo

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Posts Tagged ‘San Diego Wedding’

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

 

Featured on Style Me Pretty: Old Town San Diego Wedding, Marina Village Reception


We are so thrilled to have Heather and Nick’s gorgeous vintage-Italian inspired wedding featured on Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book Blog!  With incredible attention to detail, Heather and the “moms” painstakingly designed and hand crafted nearly all of the decor and special touches.  It was such a treat for us to photograph this incredibly unique wedding!  Of course, having a very good looking, fun loving couple (and bridal party) who were totally into getting beautiful photos around Old Town, San Diego, was pretty fabulous, as well!  We would like to give a special thanks to Melissa from I Do…Weddings! for helping Heather achieve her amazing vision and also for making the day incredibly smooth and stress free!  To see even more images from the day, visit Style Me Pretty’s Gallery.

Photography: Acqua Photo / Cinematography: Jeff Hendler / Flowers: I Do…Weddings! / Event Design & Planning: I Do…Weddings! / Ceremony Location: Immaculate Conception Church / Reception Location:Marina Village / Invitations & Stationery: Mother of the Bride / Shoes: Demetrios / Dress: Demetrios / Lighting & Reception Music: DJ Daniel Peterson

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:

Bridal Dress: Moonlight Bridal
Shoes:  Lauren Jones
Accessories:  Alfred Angelo
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jasmine Bridal- B2
Accessories: Hair:  Monique Reyes- Unique & Chic Events
Flower Girls Dresses:  Alfred Angelo
Accessories: Hair:  Charming Necessities 
Reception: Star of the Sea Event Center
Caterer:  Continental Catering
Cake: Sweet Cheeks Baking Co
Florist:  Rhapsody in Bloom- Melissa Johnson
Day of Coordination:  Sheila Kanoya of DJ Kanoya Productions… & Monica Santos of Unique and Chic Events
DJ:  Justin Kanoya- DJ Kanoya Productions

 

 

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

 

 

 

The Westgate Hotel, El Cortez Reception, and Grace Lutheran

If you’ve spent any amount of time in San Diego, you will have heard about what locals call “June Gloom.” Basically there is a time period right around June when you would think that the weather would be absolutely perfect in San Diego… however, it actually tends to be overcast and cloudy!  This was the case for Katie & Tim’s wedding, but with good planning, we were able to shoot in locations that worked really well with the weather.

We started out at The Westgate Hotel for getting ready, bridal party photos, and romantic portraits.  The Westgate is a luxurious hotel decorated in 18th century style — it has a refined elegance that is perfectly suited for weddings!  Shane took the guys down to the USS  Midway for groomsmen portraits (the guys are almost all in the Navy- thanks for your service!).   After that, we all met up at Grace Lutheran Church for the beautiful ceremony.  One of the things we love about shooting with the Canon 5D MKII in conjunction with fast L-series Canon prime lenses is that we were able to shoot 90% of the ceremony with no flash at all!

The reception was held at the El Cortez Hotel.  I absolutely love the intricate ceiling detail and polished black floors in the Don Room.  The light was just gorgeous coming in through the windows, creating reflections across the floor for the first dance.  It’s a very beautiful venue at night, but we really loved how the light filled the room in the afternoon, creating a truly romantic ambiance.


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:

Here is our list of vendors:

 

 

Breakers Beach Destination Wedding – Coronado, CA

On this cold and stormy winter day, it’s fun to revisit one of our favorite summer time weddings from this past season.  Looking at these images, I can almost hear the ocean waves and feel the sun on my face – San Diego in the summer is truly paradise!

Sunshine & Eric were married at Breaker’s Beach on Coronado last August.  The inspiration for their laid back beach wedding was a blending between ocean inspired colors and textures with a Zen feel.  We fell in love with the bright turquoise ties, bamboo trimmed cake, and white parasols that shaded their guests.

True to her name, Sunshine is one of those rare people who can literally light up a room with her smile.  One of the funniest moments of the day happened as Sunni began her walk down the aisle. Just as she rounded the corner and came into view of the audience (and her future husband!), someone accidentally stepped on her veil from behind, unexpectedly yanking her head back.  Sunshine burst out laughing as she spun back to see what had happened, and Eric said this was the best thing that could’ve happened.  He had felt himself suddenly overcome with emotion and beginning to tear up as he first saw her…as she laughed his face broke into a huge grin. He knew then and there that nothing could be more perfect- and that his fiance not only had a good sense of humor, but could handle all life’s little “accidents” in stride, with a beaming smile and a laugh. Apparently their guests agreed, as roaring laughs and cheers emitted from the entire crowd!

San Diego Wedding Photography

Moonlight Beach Wedding with Storm & Bill

Bill fell in love the moment he first saw Storm. They quickly became best friends, spending endless hours talking together on the phone while Bill was deployed with the Coast Guard. As more time passed and their relationship blossomed, they found that it was even better to be together in person! So Bill asked Storm & her son Ridge to move from Indiana to San Diego so they could be a family together.

They were married by the water at Moonlight Beach on a beautiful Saturday morning. There is nothing quite like arriving at a wedding, kicking off your flip flops, and feeling the sand between your toes as you enjoy the ceremony! It was a perfect setting for such a laid back, fun-loving couple.

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San Diego Wedding Photography

The Cabrillo Lighthouse with Jenni & Hugh

Last week, Shane and I were lucky to be a part of a very, very cool wedding coordinated by our friend Alexandra from ARAffairs.com. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful afternoon. The sky was beyond blue and a cool breeze tempered the warmth of the sun. The ceremony was held at the Cabrillo Lighthouse in Point Loma at the very edge of a cliff, overlooking the water below. If you’ve never been up there, it’s definitely worth a day trip! The view of the San Diego city skyline, rugged cliffs, and miles upon miles of ocean is breathtaking.

After the ceremony and a small portrait session by the lighthouse, the entire wedding party and family boarded the yacht America in Seaport Village for a private sunset tour of San Diego Bay. The night was made even more perfect with live music from Allison Adams Tucker and her incredible jazz band. As the sky darkened and the stars came out, Shane and I marveled at just how romantic and special this wedding was. We wish Jenni, Hugh, Henry, and Annie a wonderful life together with lots of joy and love.

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Special Thanks to the fantastic vendors:

Coordinator: Alexandra Roselee www.aneventbyalexandra.com

Reverand: Rachel Rainbolt www.ever-after-weddings.com

Live Jazz Music: Allison Adams Tucker www.allisonadamstucker.com

Yacht: Yacht America www.stars-stripes.com

Cake: Sweet Cheeks Baking www.sweetcheeksbaking.com

Catering: Wild Thyme www.thewildthymecompany.com

Florist: Haydee’s Flowers www.haydeescreativeflowers.com

San Diego Wedding Photography

Ashley & Travis – Sunset on the Beach

Days like this make us love our life even more! What could be better then spending the afternoon playing on the beach with two of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet?!

Ashley and Travis love the ocean and they made a special trip to come and shoot their Engagement session here in San Diego. From the get go, they were up for anything and happily ran, played, and even laid in the waves for us! I love their genuine warmth and how when they look at each other, their smiles just shine.

Congrats you guys!!! We are so happy for you and can’t wait for the wedding!

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San Diego Wedding Photography