Last year in February I was planning on proposing to Kristy.  A few days before I did, I went in to see Katelyn, my stylist for my haircut.  While I was visiting, I told Katelyn how I was going to propose to Kristy before she and I left for Mexico.  When I returned from Mexico, at my next haircut, I went in to see Katelyn who excitedly asked me about the proposal, how it went and how the Mexico trip was.  She listened patiently and excitedly for me.  After I told her all about my trip and Kristy and my proposal, I asked how she was doing … I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed the ring on her finger when she told me her boyfriend Dennis had proposed to her virtually at the same time I proposed to Kristy.  Later as Katelyn and Dennis were planning their wedding, they came over to my house and we talked about their plans and about the possibility of me photographing their wedding.  I was so excited when they decided they would like me to be there with them at their New Years Eve wedding at the Bristol Hotel in downtown San Diego.  After that, every time I went in to get my hair cut, she and I both had a lot to catch up on with each of our wedding plans, so by the time the big day came, I knew more than I knew about most weddings I photograph as far as how the day was going to go.

The Bristol Hotel in downtown San Diego just outside of the gaslamp hosted Katelyn and Dennis’ New Years Eve wedding celebration.  Katelyn and her girls got ready in the City Scene room at the Bristol while the top level was set up for their ceremony and dinner.  The ceremony was a beautiful candlelit wedding and the open air of the retractable ceiling made the ceremony feel as if it was being held outside under the beautiful San Diego night sky.  After the ceremony, while Katelyn and Dennis’ guests mingled during cocktail hour Kristy and I took Katelyn, Dennis and their families downstairs for family portraits in the lobby.  We continued with some bridal party shots in the lobby as well as the bar, then ultimately took Katelyn and Dennis outside into downtown San Diego to photograph around the Spreckles theater, as well as in front of the beautiful and historic US Grant Hotel.

After portraits, we returned for their reception which was an absolute blast.  One of my favorite moments of the night was when I asked Dennis what he thought of Katelyn’s dress.  He said he was surprised that he kind of thought she wouldn’t have gone as traditional … he actually thought she might have a short dress for her wedding gown.  Little did he know that Katelyn’s dress actually was designed to tear away and become a short dress.  So after the Dennis removed her garter, her bridesmaids circled her and removed the bottom part of her dress.  It was really a surprising and fun moment during the night.  I honestly could go on for a long time about how much fun this wedding was, and how great it was for Kristy and I to spend our New Years documenting Katelyn and Dennis’ wedding … I mean … just the simple fact of having the wedding celebration on New Years, which is also Katelyn’s mother’s birthday, and just a great time to have everyone that you care about with you.  It truly was a great way to both end 2011 and begin 2012.

Katelyn and Dennis, congratulations and thank you so much for allowing Kristy and I to be a part of this incredible day!  To check out a few photos from their day, click on the large image above, or any of the thumbnails below.

Family and friends can register at Pictage by clicking here to view all their wedding photos as soon as they’re online!

 I have been so looking forward to Robert and Joana’s wedding since we met up for drinks before their engagement shoot in Balboa Park.  We met initially through their wedding planner Lindsy Hines who did an amazing job helping them to organize their entire day.  When I arrived at the Mission Bay Hyatt, Joana was getting the final touches to her make-up done, while club music played on her iPad, and her ring bearer and flower girl watched cartoons.  Just like the Saturday mornings I remember as a kid!  While I was photographing with the girls, Eder who was second shooting with me, was with Robert and his guys getting ready. After everyone was dressed, we spent some time at the Hyatt taking pictures around the grounds.  There’s some great tropical landscaping at the Hyatt and we took advantage of that backdrop both before their ceremony as well as before their reception which happened right next door at the Marina Village.

After getting ready, and portraits at the Hyatt, we all drove over to Bonita to Corpus Christi Catholic Church for Robert and Joana’s wedding.  Arriving early before guests, Joana and her girls as well as Robert’s mother were able to spend some time in the bridal suite at the church for last minute touch ups, and for Joana, mostly just to sit quietly and relax while everyone whirred around her.  After the mothers had been walked down the aisle, and the bridesmaids and flower girls, Joana and her father stood in the hall just off of the sanctuary awaiting their cue.  It was a quiet moment where Joana and as they walked down the aisle together, and Robert stood smiling Joanna found it difficult not to shed a tear as her father gave her away.

This was such an amazing wedding to be a part of, and one that I had a very difficult time selecting images to share on the blog since there were so many to choose from.  To see a sample of some images from the first part of the day, click on the large image above, or any of the smaller thumbnails below.  I will be posting part 2 of Robert and Joana’s wedding tomorrow, so check back to see their portraits and photos from their reception.

Friends and family members can register at Pictage to view all the images from their day by clicking here. 

Vendors:

Photographers: Evan Bishop Photography

Wedding Coordinator: Weddings by Lindsy

Church: Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Reception: Marina Village

Preparations and Accomodations: Hyatt Mission Bay

Florist: Flowers by Erin

DJ: Mike Farmer

Cake: Flour Power

Makeup and Hair: Making Faces

Sometimes destination weddings for me are not destinations for my couples.  Such is the case for Bunmi and Livaughn, who live outside of Washington, DC and chose to hold their wedding at the beautiful Colonnade within the Fairmont Hotel.  It wasn’t just a destination for me, but for many of their friends and family as well who came from all over the US and as far away as Africa to attend this amazing wedding.

I had the honor of photographing Bunmi’s sister’s wedding as one of my first weddings over six years ago and was so thrilled when Bunmi contacted me after Livaughn proposed.  We spoke over the phone and were able to meet once before their wedding to go over details and their timeline.  They chose not to see each other before the ceremony, but the timeline allowed for us to photograph both the girls and guys around the Colonnade prior to the ceremony.  The grounds at the Fairmont Hotel are beautiful, and although there wasn’t a lot of Washington, DC architecture, there were some beautiful spots within walking distance from the hotel, and we managed to take advantage of those both before and after the ceremony.  Their cocktail hour was held in the courtyard outside of the Colonnade where the ceremony was held as well as the reception and as the sun went down we managed to get a few beautiful twilight photos before they danced the night away.

Bunmi and Livaughn, thank you so much for inviting me out to celebrate, and document your wedding with you.  It was a truly beautiful and elegant affair!

To see a few of my favorite images from their wedding, click on the large image above, or any of the thumbnails below.

Friends and Family members can register to view all their images at Pictage by clicking here.

Melissa and Craig are getting married in November at the Temecula Creek Inn and contacted me after seeing another wedding I had photographed at the Temecula Creek Inn on my blog.  After chatting about their wedding plans over the phone, we decided to meet up the next time they came to Temecula to visit the Temecula Creek Inn.  We met up at Leonesse Cellars, which is one of my favorite wineries in Temecula and grabbed a glass of wine, sat on the back patio over looking the beautiful vineyard, barrel room and rolling hills of the Temecula Valley.  They mentioned how they had originally planned to hold their wedding in Paso Robles, but that the Temecula Creek Inn made it so much easier for them … rather than figuring out how to bring in a tent, and chairs, and linens, and catering, Temecula Creek Inn offered all of that in their package.  As we talked more I found out that Craig and Melissa were members at Tablas Creek Vineyard … my absolute favorite winery in Paso Robles.  Which got us talking more about wine than their wedding, but eventually we made it back to wedding plans and details!

For Melissa and Craig’s engagement session I drove up from San Diego to Rancho Palos Verdes to meet up with them.  They live right outside of Palos Verdes, and wanted to incorporate some of the feel of that area, since they’re wedding will be in Temecula.  I had a great time exploring the beautiful communities around Palos Verdes before we started the shoot.  Ultimately we decided to start at the historic Malaga Cove Library and the shops nearby.

After photographing around the library we wandered down to the shops.  I absolutely loved all the mixed design of the buildings in the Malaga Cove shops, the old fig and eucalyptus trees, and as Melissa and I would agree, there was a lot of great texture down there!

Like any good relationship, Melissa and Craig have their rivalries … namely Arizona v. UCLA.  When we first met in Temecula, one of their musts for the engagement photos was to incorporate their favorite teams.  They even have a doormat for each team, and whichever team wins that year their doormat gets displayed out front until the following season.  I think Craig is supposed to be enjoying coming home to his team’s name on the front step at this point!

After photographing around Malaga Cove and a quick wardrobe change, we drove over to the incredible Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes.  This place is fantastic, and we had such a blast, although, I think we all felt like we were going to get kicked out at any moment.  The landscaping and buildings around Terranea as well as the views of the cliffs, and Pacific ocean are incredible.  There’s a beautiful cove below the resort, as well as a public walking path that goes around the outside.  We, however, drove right up to the front gates, parked and wandered all through the resort.

Melissa and Craig, I had a great time hanging out with you guys in Palos Verdes, and am really looking forward to your wedding!  Thanks for making the session so fun, and for the delicious fish tacos afterwards!

Friends and Family members can register at Pictage to view the images from their engagement as well as their wedding photos as soon as they’re available by clicking here.

I am so excited to be photographing Joana + Roberts upcoming wedding in October.  I met with Joana and Robert to talk about their wedding plans after their wedding planner Lindsy Hines recommended me.  The first time I met with them, Robert did most of the talking and Joana was quiet and shy.  Before we had our engagement session they wanted to meet up again to talk about what to expect.  It seems they had lots of questions about what the engagement session would be like.  We met at Sogno Di Vino which is an annex of their favorite restaurant in Little Italy Bon Appetito for a glass of wine and to talk about the upcoming engagement photos.  A glass of wine turned into a bottle, and we talked for over an hour about their wedding plans, wine, work, how they met, and a little bit about the photo session.  We decided on shooting in Balboa Park which is very close to where Robert works, and he often runs through the park during the days.

We met up by the Prado, and walked over to Alcazar Garden to start their photos.  I love Alcazar Gardens because it seems to be off the radar for a lot of visitors to Balboa Park and is very beautiful.  It’s a small area, but includes some of the great architecture that Balboa Park offers and is a quiet place to start portraits without all the people that you’ll find throughout the rest of the park.

From the quiet of Alcazar Garden and the front of the Museum of Man, Joana and Robert got changed and we attended a rally at the Spreckels Organ Pavillion … this was the exact opposite of the garden, I mean, there were literally hundreds of people around the pipe organ with someone screaming into a microphone to the point of being distorted past comprehension.  Robert and Joana did great even though they couldn’t hear me, at this time, they were totally comfortable in front of the camera and gave me great looks for the photos.  

The arboretum is another great location in Balboa Park and a spot Robert was excited to photograph around.

As the light faded in the park we were sad that the cafe lights that line El Prado, but we still took advantage of the fading light and got some great twilight shots on the main boulevard that travels through Balboa Park. I’m so looking forward to Joana + Robert’s wedding after their engagement photos in Balboa Park, and it’s coming up fast!

Family and friends can go to Pictage to register to view the images from their engagement shoot as well as their wedding photos as soon as their available by clicking here.

If you didn’t see Part I of Elise and Dave’s wedding hop back there now to check out the getting ready and ceremony photos as well as the details of their day.  After the ceremony, Elise and Dave and family gathered around the fountain while guests headed to the Yacht Club at Herrington Harbor for cocktails hour.  Elise was super thrilled about portraits with Dave, and as we finished up family and then bridal party photos, and they returned to the cocktail hour, Elise and Dave stayed behind, on the docks, on the beach, throughout the hotel grounds and working our way back to the Yacht Club.

After arriving to the Yacht Club Elise and Dave and their bridal party were announced upstairs to dinner followed by toasts and a welcome from Elise’s father.  Their first dance was held downstairs while guests looked on and after that the dance floor was rocking all night long until the very end, when under increasing clouds, and dense humidity as Hurricane Irene approached Elise and Dave were sent with to a sparkler exit.

Click on the large image above or any of the small thumbnails below to view a few images from the second half of Elise and Dave’s wedding.  Friends and family members can register at Pictage to view all the images from their fantastic wedding by clicking here!

Yesterday, I posted the first half of Paul and Lorena’s wedding at the historic Mission in San Diego.  After their ceremony and formal portraits with family and their bridal party, Paul and Lorena’s guests were welcomed to the reception at Candelas Restaurant on Coronado Island.  During cocktail hour a full mariachi band played for guests on the outside deck.  The mariachi then lead Paul and Lorena into the restaurant for their first dance.  I love to see the emotional moments of the day for newly wed couples, and for Lorena, it was when she entered the restaurant to the sounds of the mariachi with all her guests cheering and applauding.  After toasts and dinner, another emotional dance with her father followed and finally, dancing dancing dancing!!!  The restaurant was barely large enough for all of Paul and lorena’s guests, but tables were pushed out of the way, and everyone crammed the dance floor.  It was by all accounts a fantastic, emotional and fun night!

Click on the large image above, or any of the thumbnails below to view the images from Lorena and Paul’s reception, and to see the first half of the day, click here to jump to yesterday’s post!

Family and friends click here to view all the images from their wedding day.

I met up with Lorena and her girls at the beautiful Porto Vista Hotel in the Little Italy area of San Diego where they were getting ready.  Two floors up and on the opposite side of the hotel, Paul and his guys were finishing up their preparations for the day.  Lorena grew up in San Diego, but now lives in San Jose, so when Paul and Lorena were planning their wedding, they did most of their planning by surfing the internet.  They found my photographs of Jennifer and Doug’s wedding which was actually the first wedding the Porto Vista Hotel ever hosted.  After that we spoke on the phone, and then I flew to San Francisco to photograph their engagement photos at the incredible Palace of Fine Arts on what simply had to be the windiest day of the year! It was a great opportunity to meet them though and get to know them a bit in person before their wedding.  When I arrived and started to photograph Lorena and her girls getting ready, one of the things I always do is look for details.  Details at a wedding are so important because so much time and thought goes into the feel of the day, and what impression the couple wants their guests to have … whether elegant,sophisticated, rustic, or any other feel, the details are what sets the tone for the day, so when I saw Lorena’s beautiful flowers, Blue Manolo Blahnik shoes, and Vera Wang gown, I knew this was going to be a beautiful and elegant affair.

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While I was busy photographing Lorena and her girls preparations for the day, my good friend and fellow photographer Kevin was upstairs with Paul and his guys as they finished getting ready, and shot a few portraits around the hotel before heading out to the Mission.  After the girls were ready, and in the limo, Kristy and I headed out to the Mission to meet up with Kevin, and Paul.  As the guests arrived, we planned our strategy for photographing their ceremony.  With only one main aisle and limited access to the altar having three of us at the ceremony was almost critical.  Kristy took the snipers nest … umm … I mean the choir loft, while Kevin took the side of the altar and I roamed as much as I could around the rest of the Mission during the ceremony.  After their vows, we took some time with their bridal party around the grounds of the Mission, and then spent some time alone with just Paul and Lorena before heading to Coronado for their reception.   The first half of their day was amazing, and was just the prelude to the fun we had at their reception.  Tune in tomorrow for lots of dancing and emotion on the blog when I post part 2 of Lorena and Paul’s wedding!

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Click on any of the images above to view a handful of images from Lorena and Paul’s getting ready at the Porto Vista Hotel, and ceremony at the historic San Diego Mission.

Family and friends and visit Pictage to see all the images from their wedding by clicking here. 

Vendors:

Hotel: Porto Vista Hotel

Ceremony: The historic Mission in San Diego

Reception: Candelas Restaurant on Coronado Island

Flowers: Flora Glamor

On my last trip back East, I met up with Betsy and John at Betsy’s parent’s home in Maryland for their engagement photos.  Betsy and John are planning their wedding in June of next year, and I’m so excited to be included in their wedding plans.  Like most of my couples I could tell they were a bit nervous at first when we got started, but unlike some couples, they immediately relaxed and seemed to really enjoy being with each other, and didn’t seem to care that I was pointing a camera at them.

We had a great time wandering around the small town of Eldersburg near her parents home to start, taking advantage of the old split rail fences, the stone buildings of old town Eldersburg as well as the trains and even, maybe breaking into a restaurant that wasn’t yet opened!

After wandering around Eldersburg, we went back to Betsy’s parent’s beautiful home and large yard to continue their engagement photos.  The lush grass, big old trees are something I definitely miss when photographing around most of San Diego.  Even though it was the middle of the day, the light dappling though the heavy canopy of old trees around Betsy’s parent’s home was simply beautiful.  Also … it was close to 100 degrees, but I don’t think you can tell at all from the photos.

Betsy and John were really a fun and beautiful couple to photograph.  I can’t wait for their wedding day next June and look forward to hearing more about their plans, although it sounds like most everything is already wrapped up … they have the winter to relax and wait for the big day!

Friends and Family members, if you would like to see the rest of Betsy and John’s engagement photos, you can click here to sign up at Pictage to be notified when they’re online and you’ll also be notified as soon as their wedding photos are ready next year!