real wedding Archives -

07Nov

Crystal Pier Wedding | Emily and Blake

By True Photography, November 07, 2017 Weddings

Emily and Blake held their dream destination wedding here in San Diego, at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. These Colorado sweethearts were married in an emotional outdoor ceremony at the Crystal Pier Hotel, surrounded by a close-knit group of family and friends. It was a beautiful occasion, full of San Diego charm and beach ambiance. Here is a selection of our favorite photos!

Emily wore a really fun two piece dress from A and Be Bridal Shop.

Emily's super cute flower crown was created by Thistle and Dew Floral and Event Design.

Bride takes portraits while getting ready.

The exclusive ceremony was held at the Crystal Pier Hotel.

Groom watches his bride come down the aisle.

Couple blend sand during their beach front wedding.

In lieu of a unity candle, Emily and Blake has a sand ceremony, symbolizing the joining of their two families.

Mother of the bride wipes tears from her eyes.

Bride and groom kiss beneath cloud cloudy sky.

Bride and her bridesmaids admire view of ocean.

Each bridesmaid dressed to her individual style, with a personal selection made from Lulus.

Groom and groomsmen portrait sitting on rail.

We made sure to take full advantage of the pier, with romantic portraits taken just before sunset, when the light was quite stunning.

Bride and groom enjoy a treat in front of desert stand.

Emily and Blake's wedding party and one mission in mind... Have a great time!

Reception room walled with wine bottles.

Tower 23 Hotel, an intimate venue near the pier, was the perfect fit for a fun, modern reception.

Bride and groom smile for photos at by their cake.

Bride poses near beautifully textured wall.

Newlyweds night portrait on pier stairs.

Check out more of the fun from Emily and Blake’s Crystal Pier Wedding

Venue: Tower 23 Hotel
Hair/Make-up Stylist: Belli Belli Hair & Skin Salon
Wedding Dress: A and Be Bridal Shop
Bridesmaid Dresses:Lulus
Florist: Thistle and Dew Floral and Event Design
Arch and Arbor:Thistle and Dew Floral and Event Design
Disc Jockey: Sound Prodigy

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.

Venue: The Prado at Balboa Park
Coordinator: Breezy Day Weddings
Florals: Organic Elements
Hair Stylist: Victoria G Hair Design
Transportation: Old Town Trolley Tours
Makeup: Makeup by Kandice
Bakery: Flour Power
Rings: Pave Jewelers

We had a blast photographing Teresa and Thomas’s spectacular wedding. To see more of this classic wedding, please click here.

08Dec

Chic Hard Rock Hotel Wedding: Jessica & Gregory

By True Photography, December 08, 2015 Weddings

Gregory is a recent import from London, England, and a resident of Los Angeles. So it made perfect sense that he and Jessica hold their wedding in San Diego :) In fact, this destination was chosen because San Diego is a favorite travel location for the couple. The pair was thrilled for their guests to experience this beautiful city as well.

Jessica has an infectious smile, and was a natural in front of the camera. She got ready in the Multi-Platinum Suite at The Hard Rock Hotel, an impeccably styled room with sweeping views of the city. With its rockin’ décor, enviable location, and sleek ambiance, The Hard Rock was the perfect choice for this ultra modern couple.

Jessica and Gregory’s romantic ceremony took place in the Imagine Room, which was well lit and intimately presented. Gregory was dressed immaculately, with a tuxedo suited for James Bond himself. The room was stylishly decorated by Blush Botanicals, who embellished their staging area with an astounding floral wall. This wall was later resurrected behind the sweetheart table for maximum effect.

Because the Hard Rock Hotel is in the heart of San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, we had a variety of urban-chic backdrops only steps away. So after the ceremony, we took to the streets with the jubilent wedding party, and captured some epic photos :) We also took full shooting advantage of the hotel itself, which has countless stunning photo locales.

The grand finale of the event, the reception, took place in the Hard Rock’s renowned event space, ‘The Edge.’ This loft-style room overlooks downtown San Diego, and feeds off of the energy of 5^th Street (the Gaslamp Quarter sign is so close you can practically touch it!) The room was perfectly decorated, and provided unbeatable photo opportunities.

Along with their guests, Gregory and Jessica danced the night away and reveled in all the festivities. Congrats to this sweet couple!!

Successfully creating the image above involved finding the perfect balance of ambient (natural light) and artificial light (flash). We achieved this using slower shutter speeds and off-camera flash, which enabled the sign to be visible and the couple to be well lit.

To ensure the photos are visually engaging and dramatic, we are always scouting for unique textures and color to use in our backgrounds.

We love to think outside of the box and showcase a variety of angles. In this image we had Jessica and Greg become more of a graphic element in the existing scene. This created a nice juxtaposition of tropical palm trees and and downtown cityscape.