Posts Tagged ‘Sunset Portraits’
Encinitas Engagement Session
From the first moment we sat down to coffee with Heather and Nick, we just clicked. It felt like we were hanging out with long time friends who totally got our photography style, love for funky Leucadia (turns out they lived a few blocks away from us), and even were planning their wedding to be on the same day that Shane and I got married!
Heather envisioned a sun-washed, anthropologie style e-session to compliment the vintage theme of their upcoming wedding. I especially loved when she surprised Nick with a page from her diary that she wrote the night after their first date…No doubt in my mind that these two are soul mates.
Watch for pics from their amazing vintage Italian inspired wedding coming very soon!
Torrey Pines Gliderport Engagement Session
We love shooting engagement sessions in new or different places, so we decided to go to a somewhat hidden spot called Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla. It’s an excellent alternative to shooting at the much more popular (read: crowded) Torrey Pines State Reserve, especially on weekends. There is a really cute grassy hill behind the glider launch that overlooks the cliffs and is perfect for photos with lots of blue skies and simple green grass… it reminds me of warm summer days, flying a kite, or running through the sprinklers as a child. After shooting some playful photos on the hill, we made our way down the path to the beach for more romantic images as the sun set.
Rachel is a fantastic wedding coordinator with AR Affairs, and we’ve had the pleasure of working with her on quite a few weddings. She is always hard-working, very professional, and extremely organized. We quickly realized that she was head over heels in love with Tyler, as he definitely brings out a whole new side of her! She was constantly giggling, smiling ear to ear, and couldn’t take her hands of that tall, dark, and handsome man of hers! Although being a male model wasn’t exactly on Tyler’s list of hobbies, he totally worked it for the camera!!!
Keep an eye out for the upcoming blog post about their beautiful wedding at the Catamaran Resort in Mission Bay!
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
Live It Up! Acqua Photo featured in Latter Day Bride Magazine 2010
We are excited to be included in the 2010 Latter Day Bride Magazine, in bookstores now! The theme of this year’s magazine is “Live It Up! Celebrate For Life” and our images were chosen as the main feature to help illustrate the overall spirit throughout the issue. We couldn’t think of a better couple to embody the joy and excitement of marriage than Jen & Rhett Walker. We had such an amazing time shooting their Rock the Dress session in La Jolla. To see more images from the session, click here. See below for tear sheets!
Special thanks to Jennifer Oldroyd & Emma Freeman at Latter Day Bride Magazine .

San Clemente Wedding at the Ole Hanson Beach Club
There are very few beach towns in Southern California that are even comparable to the quaint and beautiful San Clemente. We had the pleasure of photographing Lindsay & Chad’s wedding at the Ole Hanson Beach Club, a historical building that was originally built in 1928 by the city’s founder. With blue skies, a gentle breeze and the sound of waves breaking on the beach – conditions were perfect :)
We’ve had such a great time working with Lindsay & Chad that we’ve all become friends! One of the all time funniest wedding moments that we have witnessed was when Lindsay’s father and one of their best friends put on a surprise performance of “Business Time” by Flight of the Conchords. Our favorite improvised line was “there is a race for grandchildren, and we’re in last place…” ROFL
Lindsay and Chad are awesome together and we wish them the best in their new life!
Shane & Jen

Anna & Mike – San Diego Engagement Session
One of our favorite parts of being wedding photographers is getting to hang out with really cool couples. Anna & Mike hiked with us down the San Elijo Lagoon trail, played catch in the waves in Solana Beach as the sun went down, and even scaled a life guard tower! These two are just a ton of fun and so so perfect together.













































































































































