classy Archives -

02Mar

Modern Chaldean Wedding | Amelia & Alvin

By True Photography, March 02, 2016 Weddings

Amelia and Alvin were married at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, a luxurious Mediterranean-style estate located just north of San Diego. They are both of Chaldean heritage, and wanted their wedding to be a celebration of their shared cultural traditions. When we arrived to photograph Amelia, and saw her sporting this stunning lace-satin dress, we knew we had to find an equally stunning backdrop to show it off.

By using creative shoot-through techniques and arches, we used our environment to create frames around this amazing bride. This highlighted Amelia’s dress in the image compositions, while drawing focus to her.

As is customary, the bride and groom began the day in separate locations, and waited until the ceremony to see each other.

Once she was ready to show off her final look, guests gathered at Amelia’s home for a special Chaldean ceremony. Amelia was escorted out, and was greeted with music and cheers.

Meanwhile, our groom Alvin was getting ready at a location nearby with his groomsmen.

With pocket aces hidden up his sleeve, our groom took home the gold. We love adding playful ideas like this fun set up shot of Alvin beating his buddies. Adding a bit of humor throughout the day helps to keep things light-hearted, and adds laughter to the wedding gallery.

Amelia and Alvin chose to exchange vows at their local church, St. Peter Chaldean Church in El Cajon.

Following the ceremony, Amelia and Alvin invited guests to the alluring Fairmont Grand Del Mar for a ballroom reception. Just before the couple’s grand entrance, we walked the property together, and made good use of the diverse backdrops all around. The venue’s grand staircases and Mediterranean-inspired archways beautifully complimented the pair’s modern glamor.

We loved using Amelia’s long veil in a variety of fun ways (extending it out, shooting through it) to add a whimsical sense of awe and drama.

At the reception, Amelia and Alvin joined friends and family for a festive zeffa dance, which is a Chaldean wedding tradition. The zeffa dance invites everyone onto the dance floor, and encourages all to congratulate and dance with the bride and groom.

The room was full of energy and love for the newly married couple, making for an unforgettable evening!

For more amazing moments from Amelia and Alvin’s modern wedding, please click here.

14Jan

Classic Balboa Park Wedding | Teresa and Thomas

By True Photography, January 14, 2016 Weddings

Teresa and Thomas were married at Teresa’s home parish, the beautiful St. Therese Church in Carmel Valley. The church was literally down the street from Teresa’s “getting ready” location: the house she grew up in. The reception took place in the heart of Balboa Park, at The Prado, which features Spanish-Colonial charm and unique architecture. As you can imagine, there were many breathtaking photo locales. We hope you enjoy a selection of our favorite images from their special day!

Teresa and Thomas went off the beaten path for this epic photo, above. To help capture the magnitude of the magnolia tree, and its exposed roots, we used a wide-angle lens.

As we were photographing artistic portraits, we were also having lots of fun with Teresa and Thomas, which brought out some real emotion :)

When you meet this couple, you instantly fall in love with their genuine, inviting personalities. This explains their massive wedding party, and the family and friends that traveled great distances to be a part of their special day.

Teresa and Thomas used an Old Town Trolley to get their bridal party from the ceremony to the reception, which made for really fun photos.
During the cocktail hour, we set up a “live” photo booth. We were able to photograph a stylized portrait of each and every guest, including the happy couple. This made for an awesome keepsake!

Later, during the reception, we snuck Teresa and Thomas out of the room for a few nighttime photos. We used off-camera lighting for added drama.