Posts Tagged ‘stylish photography’
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
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:
La Quinta Resort, Palm Desert Destination Wedding
In the foothills of the picture perfect Santa Rosa mountains outside of Palm Springs is a a hideaway resort called La Quinta. Perfectly manicured gardens, lush palm trees, and a hacienda-style charm welcome visitors as an oasis in the middle of the arid, desert landscape. Famed as a refuge for Old Hollywood luminaries for decades past, the resort is at the same time luxurious as it is utterly charming and relaxing.
With their impeccable style and steamy chemistry, it’s easy to imagine Michelle and Joe as silver screen stars escaping to the desert for a weekend getaway!
Thank you to the amazing vendors we worked with!
Dress: Matthew Christopher
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Jewelry & Accessories: Custom designed by Seattle Diamond
Hair and Makeup: The A List Makeup Studio
Bridesmaid Gowns: Bill Levkoff
Tuxedos: La Strada
Caterer: La Quinta Resort & Club
Linens/Decor: Arrangements Floral Designs
Cocktail Entertainment: Mike O’Bryan
Reception Entertainment: A Musical Affair
Videographer: Moonstone Pictures
Wedding Cake: Juliette’s Bakery
Rentals: Signature Party Rentals
Limousine: Phat Daddy’z Limousine Service
Wedding Ceremony: Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church
Reception: La Quinta Resort & Club – La Casa
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!
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.
Acqua Photo has award winning image in international contest!!!
We are happy to announce that Shane received 6th place in the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers winter 2010 contest for engagement portraits! Click here to check out the gallery: ISPWP Engagement Category
The award winning image was taken here in San Diego at the Cabrillio National Monument in Point Loma. We absolutely loved how Dustin & Kristen (the adorable couple in the photograph) wore vintage attire to perfectly match the style of the lighthouse. It took a few minutes to get the pose right so that the viewer could see them from head to toe even with such a limited perspective, but we got it! We just love how the light and the spiral staircase draw you in, keeping the focus on their passionate kiss. Thanks Kristen & Dustin for having a total make-out session in the stairs for us ;)
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
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
San Francisco Destination Wedding – Romance in The City
In August, we had the opportunity to go to San Francisco and shoot an absolutely gorgeous wedding with some of our very favorite clients. Christina & Brian are an amazing couple that would be any photographer’s dream – elegant, fun loving, and totally into doing whatever it takes to get great images! They had the wonderful idea of taking a few hours before the wedding ceremony to do a photo tour with us showcasing their favorite parts of San Francisco.
All we can say is that if you are comfortable with seeing each other ahead of time , we really recommend doing this!
We met at their house by the Bay Bridge to capture the stunning view that they wake up to each day. After that, we all piled into a friend’s car to hit the town! Shane and I haven’t spent a lot of time in SF, and we couldn’t think of a better way to get an introduction to the city that Christina & Brian love.
To see part 2 of this blog click here: San Francisco Destination Wedding
San Diego Wedding Photography
RJFTT3KUQ99H
Bella Legs – New Fashion Photography!
We had the opportunity to shoot for an exciting new fashion line called Bella Legs this past Summer. Up until now, the images have been top secret while they prepared for their launch, but now we are thrilled to be able to share them! This line of leg wear and accessories is fun, inventive, and sure to take the fashion world by storm. Check them out at www.BellaLegs.com
Congratulations, Shannon!
Photography: Jen & Shane Fellows AcquaPhoto.com
Bella Legs products & styling: Shannon Hinkson
Makeup & Hair: Flora Wade
Models: Kiersty & Sarah
