Pix of Life BLOG

Mike and I love traveling and have really been looking forward to our June and July weddings, most of which were out of town, starting with Kanishka and Brian’s destination wedding in Lake Tahoe and a couple of San Francisco weddings (where we are currently blogging from).

From the first meeting it was clear to see Kanishka was a well organized bride, they even booked us a year and a half before their wedding (a smart move on their part since their wedding date was one of the most requested for 09. They wanted the fun and beauty of a destination wedding without having to travel too far and since much of the family guest list was from Northern California, they decided on the majestic setting of Lake Tahoe with it’s towering trees and a lake of deep blue water flanked by a golden sandy beach. To top it off, after days of rain the weather was picture perfect (check out the couple & bridal party sessions and you’ll see what I mean!)

The ceremony took place at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church where the same priest who had married Brian’s parents 30 years before presided over the ceremony. It was very special for the family and of course the thing about having a lifelong friend (& priest) officiate the wedding is that they will share funny (& perhaps embarrassing) stories with everyone so we captured plenty of laughs during the ceremony.

The reception was held at Edgewood Golf Course where guests enjoyed incredible views of Lake Tahoe. Kanishka planned (and also created) many amazing details for the wedding which featured a bright & vibrant color scheme of purple and teal. There were flower pomanders, elaborate branch and floral centerpieces with hanging crystal accents and even the signature drinks matched the color scheme. She also included some beautiful fabrics from her Sri Lankan heritage as table linens.

One of the things we most enjoy about our business is that we get to meet so many great people and this wedding was no different. Check out the fun day in the PIX below and in the SLIDESHOW and stay tuned next week for their ‘Day After’ photos.

We’re on a bit of a blogging roll, 3 posts in the last few days as we prepare to go out of town for 11 days to shoot two weddings in San Fran. We continue the roll with Karen and Adam’s big day which we photographed a few weeks ago…

Gina and I originally met Karen and her mother at a wedding fair last September in Temecula where she was looking for perspective vendors for her wedding at the Ponte Winery. With our love of visiting wineries, we had always wanted to shoot a wedding at a winery and thanks to Karen and Adam, it became a reality. Karen rented a beautiful estate home in nearby wine country for her and her bridal party to stay and get ready at, and the open spacious home really paid off for her pictures. Gina and I started the day with Karen and then I went to check out what Adam and the boys were up to at a nearby hotel. Then it was off to the winery.

It had rained earlier in the week in the area but Karen & Adam didn’t let the overcast day chase any smiles away and the clouds actually enhanced the winery setting and scenery. It was a very heartfelt ceremony starting with Karen’s joyful tears as she walked with her father down the aisle and the very moment the couple started saying their vows to each other the sun peeked out and showered the site with golden sunlight. After the ceremony, we headed around the winery and vineyard for the bride and groom’s couple’s shoot. Not only did we have scenery that looked like it was straight out of a movie set, but the statuesque couple’s love and tenderness for each other further enhanced the pictures.

As we headed into the tented reception it was clear to see the couple had amazing taste. With the help of their wonderful coordinator Jen Malloy, the setting included the perfect color combination for the natural landscape of the winery…a variety of white florals, green ribbons, votive candles and rich chocolate linens. They also added some personal touches including a table with dozens of heirloom wedding photos of their parents and other family members, a wine bar featuring their favorite selections and a even a ’sassy’ photo booth which was a big hit with their guests.

After a romantic sunset session and more fun and dancing, Karen and Adam ended the evening by making their way through a spectacular sparkler exit. Check out some of our favorites below and catch all the excitement of the day in their SLIDESHOW.

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Venue: Ponte Winery
Coordinator: Jennifer Malloy - Amore Events
Hair & Makeup: Kacee Geoffroy
Photobooth: Sassy Booths

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Melanie and Preston were referred by former clients (getting so many referrals from satisfied clients its one of the best compliments for us). The couple actually live out of state but Melanie grew up in So Cal and since they will also be getting married here, they flew in to get some cool LA engagement pix. Even though it was our first time meeting they had no problem showing their fun and adventurous sides and even showed a little fashion edge too. They wanted to shoot by some colorful graffiti walls so Gina and I ventured a little farther from our typical downtown photo hot spots and found the perfect secluded location by some old train tracks.

Then we headed to Union Station to get our signature train shot, but unfortunately got booted out of the subway by a security guard. It worked out for the best though since we had the video light on hand and ended the session with some romantic city scape shots in the median of the street. Check out some of our favorites below.

Vanessa and Rene were referred to us by a former client, but we were already booked on their wedding day. They still wanted to get some Pix of Life style photos to celebrate their nuptials so they booked us for a newlywed session a week after their wedding. I met with Vanessa a few months ago to talk about ideas for her and Rene’s photos session and I was immediately taken with her unique style. She had a lovely Varga pinup girl hairstyle with a colorful flower in her hair and after meeting Rene the day of the photo shoot we could instantly see he was her perfect retro match.

We started at Vanessa’s parent’s house to recreate some similar photos to her parents’ wedding photo hanging in her family home. We were honored to be able to keep the tradition alive and give them their own wedding pictures they could pass down to the next generation. And speaking of parents, would you believe Vanessa’s beautiful dress and veil were made by her talented mother!? After we left the house, we headed to the beach to continue the session on the Palos Verdes cliffs, but gray clouds were moving in from the ocean so in a last minute detour we chased the sun to a nearby marina and took advantage of some gorgeous golden sunlight for some of our signature shots. To finish the session, we headed over to the jetty where we got some great landscape pictures on the rocks and some romantic twilight shots. Check out some of our favorites SLIDESHOW.

Gina and I have had several weddings where it was supposed to rain, but as we always joked, we brought the couple good luck and it never did. Well, perhaps we angered the rain gods because Lacey and Thomas were the first couple to have a little drizzle. Fortunately the couple’s love and happiness that day created their own warmth and sunshine and by the time their beautiful ceremony ended at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, the rain had stopped.

We then headed back toward San Diego to their reception site at The Bahia Hotel in Mission Beach. Although it stayed overcast and was a bit cold, the bride and groom and their wedding party braved the elements and went on the beach for some fun and unique shots on the sand. After, we headed back up to the reception room where after some sentimental toasts, Lacey and Thomas brought down the house with a wonderfully choreographed first dance. After the ceremony the girls’ changed into pink converse which made for some colorful shots along with the guys’ multicolored socks. Check out more of them and some of our favs of the day in their SLIDESHOW