21Jun

A “Vintage Garden” Wedding Under the Trees

By, June 21, 2011

Linzey and Peter had always imagined a wedding in nature, under the trees, with an old-fashioned feel and a fresh twist. With the sun peeking through the canopy of oak trees, and reflecting off of thousands of green and gold leaves, their wedding looked like a fairy tale in the forest! Tucked away in the hills of Temecula, this wedding was the result of creativity, endless hours of labor, and tons of love.

You can tell by just looking at the photographs that Linzey loves details, details, details! Everything was handcrafted by Linzey herself: from the flower girl’s shoes, to the paper mache cake toppers, to the mens’ boutonnieres. Linzey told us, “I know wedding planning is supposed to be stressful, but I had the time of my life! ” In fact, she had so much fun that she decided to start “All of the Details,” a business creating special touches for all types of events!

We talked to Linzey about what it was like to choose a venue, prepare for the big day, and her favorite moments. Take a look at the photographs that tell the story of their dream wedding.

I had a clear vision for our wedding, and finding the perfect location was the only way I could pull it off. It was so hard to find a private residence that had oak trees, could fit 200 people, and would let me bring my own vendors in. I initially had a place lined up, and 6 months before the wedding, they put their house up for sale. It was a huge letdown, but it led us to find our location. After weeks of searching, driving around, and calling, we found it! The first time we went there I knew it was the place. I could envision where everything would go, and could picture it all. I was so happy I couldn’t help but cry.

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography bride and groom in nature under the trees San Diego wedding photographer True Photography captutes bride and groom kissing on a bridge after reception under the trees in Temecula

I was going for a vintage garden feel. I wanted to put my stamp on everything. Pete and I both come from families of successful long lasting marriages. I wanted to honor our families and have a wedding that was both personable and fun. For me, it was all about details. I hand made pretty much everything; The centerpieces, flowerballs, cake toppers, napkin rings, cake stand and seating chart, to name a few. It took me some time, but I’m so glad I did it!

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography captures creative photo of bridesmaids and floral centerpieces and floral ballSan Diego wedding photographer True Photography vintage cake table and wedding cake topper and unique escort card table

I made my veil out of my mom’s wedding dress, played my great grandmother’s music box while I walked down the aisle, and incorporated doilies into my bouquet that were made by my grandmother. It was “old meets new” and it was totally me!

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography photographs brides floral head piece, wedding bouquet and wedding details

I would have to say the picture of Pete’s face when I was walking down the aisle are my favorite. I was so distracted with all of our guests that I didn’t look at him until I was next to him. It is so touching to see his expression when he saw me.

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography captures grooms face as the bride and her father walk down the aisle

My most memorable moment was when the DJ announced us and we made our grand entrance. Everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering for us! It was such a great feeling to know that everyone was there for us. I was a little overwhelmed, but WOW, what a great feeling!

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography photographs bride and groom making grand entrance into outdoor reception

Because I had such a vision of what I wanted for our wedding, the wedding photography was huge for me. In my opinion, True is the best out there. I spent so much time coordinating, creating, and planning, that it was so nice to not have to worry about photos.  I’m so happy with True.  The image quality, customer service, and creativity is far superior to others out there.  I am 100% jazzed with the results and would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat. It is so nice to look back at our pictures and say that what they created was exactly what I was going for.

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography: bride and groom's first kiss during outdoor wedding with floral balls hanging from trees San Diego wedding photographer True Photography vintage photograph in natureSan Diego wedding photographer True Photography captures the cake cutting during a wedding reception in nature in Temecula, CaliforniaSan Diego Wedding photographer True Photography photographs creative photo with lighting of bride and groom kissing between the trees

WEDDING ADVICE FROM LINZEY: Start early and pick your vendors carefully. Peace of mind is priceless when it comes to weddings, so paying a bit more for good vendors will pay off in the stress department. I’m so glad I started working on my details early. I had mostly everything done a couple of weeks before the wedding. It was a lot of work early on, but it paid off as it got closer to the actual day. Another word of advice is not to settle for less than your vision. This is your day, and it should be exactally how you both want it to be.

Photography: True Photography

Venue: Temecula Under the Oaks

DJ: Pro Sound DJ

Caterer: Ranch Catering

Florist: Sweet Florescence (Vanessa Kasa)

Hair: Rembra Productions (Rachel Burney)

Makeup: Always Stay Beautiful Makeup (Laura Weber)

Photo Booth: Mobile Photo Booth (Francisco Chairez)

17Jun

Destination wedding at a Palm Springs desert resort

By, June 17, 2011

Even though San Diego is an incredible location for a wedding, some San Diegans actually seek awesome spots elsewhere to tie the knot.  Our friends Laura and CK chose the legendary Riviera Palm Springs Resort & Spa for their destination ceremony and reception. This stylish venue features ultra-contemporary decor, pool-side cabanas, and garden villas.

While we were shooting, we took full advantage of the modern textures, chic decor and luxurious atmosphere of the resort. You can really see these details and the venue’s color palate come alive in the wedding images. Of course, photographing such a beautiful and energetic couple made the photos all the more eye-catching! The weather was absolutely perfect, and as Laura stated, “for a two hour drive, it feels like you are a million miles away on vacation”.

Take a minute to read what Laura had to say about Palm Springs, their wedding colors, details from the ceremony, and a bit of her own advice for brides-to-be!

We chose to have our wedding at The Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs because of the absolutely perfect weather in the desert in April.  We wanted to make our wedding a weekend long event, and be able to have all of our guests hang out together outside by the pool and enjoy themselves for a few days, rather than just the wedding day. This is a boutique hotel, so it was a great size for our 110 guest count. It allowed us to interact with all of our guests during the days leading up to our wedding.

True Photography Wedding Photography San Diego: Nighttime wedding recption Riviera Resort and Spa in Palms Springs

 

We used the colors champagne, white and blush pink to give a classic, simple and natural feel.  Our flowers were elegant, and were very dramatic in the context of a natural garden setting.

True Photography San Diego: during wedding ceremony with pink bouquet and wine pouring ceremony

We wanted our wedding to be romantic but modern, clean, and not too overdone. We wanted to incorporate the outdoors with flowers and sunshine into our ceremony, and carry that element indoors (with a modern twist) for our reception.  We wanted our guests to feel comfortable, yet chic and classy to allow for a beautiful wedding in a fun atmosphere.

San Diego Wedding Photography: Modern Rivierta Resort in Palm Springs reflection in the mirror of bride and groom San Diego Wedding Photographers: Red wedding at Riveriera Hotel in Palm Springs

 

 

 

My most memorable moment from our wedding day was when I stepped around the corner to enter our ceremony. I held my Dad’s arm and felt like I was floating off of the ground.  The sight of our ceremony was just heavenly! Sunlight was just beginning to set, and the sun was streaming between the trees and mountains. Between the soft sounds of our acoustic guitarist playing a sweet song, the flower petals scattered on the aisle, and the flowy white fabric on our altar just softly blowing in the breeze, it was like a dream. I could have floated down the aisle as I saw my groom waiting for me at the end with a huge smile.

San Diego Wedding Photographers photograph father and bride walking down the aisle with guitar player

I have so so so so many favorite pictures from the day, but this is definitely one of my favorites. It captures our happiness right after the ceremony and is just full of love.  It is so artistic with the sun shining through the back and the low angle.  It is absolutely beautiful.

San Diego Wedding Photography bride and groom during ceremony with sun shining in Palm Springs


I can not say enough wonderful things about True Photography for making our wedding photography experience absolutely perfect! We were so excited to get to work with Aaron and Michael. It was an absolute pleasure. They are extremely professional, and have such great talent and personality. I appreciated all of their communication with me leading up to our event to create a customized fabulous day. I greatly enjoyed working with them, and would absolutely recommend them to any bride!

San Diego Wedding Photography captures bridal party on pool table at Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs

A TIP FROM OUR BRIDE:
As cliché as it is, and as many times as you hear it, the honest truth from a brand new bride that just went through it is….the day truly and honestly goes by in the blink of an eye. All of your hard work and energy and planning and love going into that day all comes together before your eyes and it is amazingly overwhelming – in a great way!  Take a few moments to step back and look at everything. You will only have a few chances to reflect with everything going on, so really soak each moment in.  This, along with your wonderful photographs, will be the only memories you will have. So cherish and hold onto them for a lifetime.

 

Photographer: True Photography

 

10Jun

Outdoor Wedding on the Cliffs of Torrey Pines State Reserve

By, June 10, 2011

Maria and Xerxes envisioned a quaint wedding with their close friends and family.  They found a location for their ceremony that was meaningful to them and had an awesome view for their guests! We had an incredible time photographing this wedding because it was unique, had a mellow vibe and you could feel the love surrounding these two.

The inventive couple took full advantage of their outdoor setting. Instead of hanging Maria’s dress in a hotel room, her dress draped down from a tree branch along the trail. The bride and groom even had a makeshift dressing room set up outside, with a mirror propped up along the path, a table, and a couple of cool red velvet chairs for them to relax in before the ceremony began.

Scroll down below to read what Maria had to say about her perfect wedding, and check out some of the pictures that tell the story of their day!

We wanted our wedding to be really laid back, simple but elegant. We didn’t really have a theme; we just went with things that reflected us the most as a couple.  Torrey Pines State Reserve was the first hiking trail we took when we first started dating and since we love hiking, it was perfect to have our ceremony there.

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography captures "first look" with bride and groom before wedding ceremony at Torrey Pines State Reserve San Diego wedding photographer True Photography captures bride getting ready and the beautiful wedding ceremony site at Torrey Pines State Reserve overlooking the ocean

The most memorable moment for us would have to be the whole day. It really meant a lot to have all of our loved ones and close friends share our special day.  Most of them flew just to witness our vows.  We feel fortunate that we still have both set of parents on our side and as well as his 81 year old grandma who means a lot to him.

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography during wedding at Torrey Pines state reserve with ring bearere and family portraits San Diego wedding photographer True Photography unique and fun wedding photos of groom jumping over bride

We loved every picture that TRUE has taken.  But our most favorite and the one that we’ll most likely be getting a canvas on will be the one of us sitting on the stairs.

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography bride and groom pose on stairs at southern California wedding

Michael was very laid back and great to work with. We are very happy with the photos and I will definitely recommend TRUE to any bride looking for great photographers!

San Diego wedding photographer True Photography: unique and fun wedding photo of bride and groom in front of moving train San Diego wedding photographer True Photography captures cake cutting with bride and groom

Photography: True Photography

Venue: Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Musician: Tini Grey – Isle Entertainment
Makeup: Rita Nguyen Makeup
Hair Stylist: Mish Mucho
Florist: Jolie Fleur Del Mar
Coordinator: I Do Weddings
Caterer: Pacifica Del Mar
Bakery: Flour Power Wedding Dress: Bridal and Veil

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