Posts Tagged ‘wedding style’
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
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
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
Wayfarer’s Chapel Wedding, Rancho Palos Verdes & Hotel Portofino Yacht Club
As you drive toward Rancho Palos Verdes, the tension of the larger cities gives way to a relaxed, almost magically natural environment. Thanks to Lillian & Mike, we were able to discover the beauty that exists at the Wayfarer’s Chapel by the sea. It was designed in the early 1970′s by Lloyd Wright (Frank Lloyd Wright’s son) to be a natural sanctuary in the midst of a beautiful forest, allowing visitors to be closely connected to the trees, sky, and surrounding environment. What a perfect location to hold a wedding for such a down-to-earth couple!
From the moment that Mike first saw Lillian, he was head-over-heels in love with her. He was totally blown away by how gorgeous she was!!! They had originally planned to hang out for a couple hours on their first date, but it turned into an all-day event and they couldn’t get enough of one another! From that day forward, they’ve been completely inseparable. It is so cool to see a couple that is always on the same wave-length, and so lovingly supportive of one another. We really look forward to hanging out with them as both our families grow! ;)
On the wedding day, Lillian just glowed– the sunlight illuminated her bird cage veil as she posed for bridal photos in the lush gardens outside the Chapel. Mike was nervous, but that gave way to pure joy the moment he saw Lillian arrive and walk down the aisle toward him! We especially love the zen-like feel of the trees rising above the altar, framed perfectly by the glass windows of the chapel. The dappled light coming through the trees made exposures very contrasty, but the shadows served to make our wide shots even more dramatic. It would be so fun to shoot weddings here at various times of day, as there would be a completely different feel depending on where the sun/moon are! One of my very favorite shots was the moment after they were married when Mike stopped to wipe is forehead as if to say “whew, I am glad that is over!” Classic.
We wish Lillian & Mike our best as they embark on adventures in parenthood with their new little boy!
Locations:
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.
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
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 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
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
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!
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.
to savor this summer
Sun-kissed and barefoot, hair tousled by the ocean wind, they played together under the pure blue sky…
Our Trash the Dress session with Jen & Rhett was simply magical. The exuberance and joy that these two exude is contagious. They are is so in love, so youthful and full of life. These images bring a smile to my face every time I see them and make me think of how special it is to enjoy life with the one you love.
