Downtown San Diego Wedding at Moniker Warehouse

It’s been months (maybe longer) since I shot this wedding in San Diego and I never blogged it. I had every intention to blog or post more about this wedding but I got busy. Lame excuse. Finally, last night, I sat down and took time to go through every photograph from this wedding and I’m so pumped on it still.  So timeless and I’m really proud of the photos. Anthony & Shea trusted me completely to shoot my style and do whatever. Basically, I was reminded of the reasons why I became a wedding photographer - to share my vision and tell a story.  To create something compelling.

They were so easy going with walking around downtown San Diego in the rain and picking different spots to shoot. It was frigid for San Diego and gave me a lot of moody reminders of my own wedding. Ultimately, rain cannot stop a wedding. It can change it but it cannot stop it. I love that.

So here’s the wedding story. Shea married Anthony. They wed at St. Michael’s in Poway and had their reception at the amazing Moniker Warehouse. It rained, a lot. There was family, friends, and lot of friends that felt like family. Everyone ate donuts and drank good stuff. We danced. It was epic. 

If any Brides are looking at getting married at Moniker, I highly recommend it. It’s hard to find a true urban wedding environment in San Diego like Moniker Warehouse and your wedding photos will turn out amazing. I recently spoke with Moniker Group to find out more details about the wedding venue that’s nested in East Village, Downtown San Diego, and here’s what they said.

What’s the maximum capacity for a wedding? We try and keep it under 150 people but our comfortable max is 175 people.
Do you do ceremonies or just receptions? We get a good amount of ceremonies + receptions. The client or his/her vendors are just responsible for that flip during cocktail hour.
Are there any restrictions for caterers or other vendor services? We just require that everyone is insured + professional :) 
Do you offer services like linens, tables, etc? We do have tables + chairs, but no linens.
What time does a wedding have to “shut down”? The wedding must end at midnight.
What coordination services do you provide? We offer full coordination, coordination + design and month of coordination.

There you go. A great, urban venue for a bride and groom looking for a unique wedding venue in San Diego.



Lake Hodges Couples Session

A few years back I shot their wedding at the Villa Ranch House San Pasqual in Escondido and we’ve remained friends ever since then. I feel lucky to have met them and to be their wedding photographer in San Diego.

Fast forward - Christophe and Heather have a flourishing wedding planning business, Willmus Weddings, where they use their talents to calm brides, plan amazingly precise timelines and offer other services like, videography.
They’ve been clients. We’ve worked together at weddings. We’ve become friends. I’m amazed at Heather’s professionalism and Christophe’s ability to hustle and go above and beyond for their clients. 

We found this spot when Christophe and I were flying his drone and noticed the light was E-P-I-C so we had to plan a shoot. The way the sun set between two hills allowed for some serious backlit magic and then once the sun went behind the hills, the light was so soft and moody.  Check this couple out.


Engagement Session - What to Wear

Great, your engagement session is booked - now what to wear? It can be overwhelming for some people but it’s important for the overall outcome of your photos. I’ll work with you on matching your outfit choices to the location style so that the “vibe” is synced up. I actually really enjoy doing this because the aesthetics of a photo session are super important to my style of photography and hopefully that’s the reason you booked me.

Here’s some outfit tips to make your photo session look amazing!

If you feel uncomfortable you will look uncomfortable.  Listen, we all want to look our best in front of the camera but looking your best doesn’t mean looking like a mock-up version of yourself. During your session I’ll ask you to walk, sit, hug (I promise you won’t climb a tree - that’s dumb). Point is - you will be moving so dress yourself with that in mind. If your clothes are distracting you then your true personality won’t be displayed.

Stay within your style! If you are a jeans and t-shirt kind of person then please don’t show up in a skirt. Go buy a brand new dark top or tee and dress it up with a cool necklace or other jewelry. That’s a good look. Guys - if you’re a hoodie and flannel guy please don’t show up in a dress shirt and sweater. Throw on a flannel and a pair of boots. Remember to match the style of your partner or family members.

Looking “nice” is not the goal. This may sound odd but, look, the goal of your session is not to impress people you know by having a golden smile and an amazing outfit. The path that leads to amazing photos is dressing comfortably, dressing like yourself so that your personality will show. THAT is how you will be happy with your photos.

At the end of the day, your outfit selection will vary depending on your location. When you book a session with me, we’ll select a location together and then style everything around that location. Some of my clients prefer a “fancier look” and dressing-up like they are going on a fancy date works perfectly because of an urban or downtown location. Other couples prefer a laid-back vibe so throwing on a flannel or cool boots works perfectly for an outdoor, earthy feel.

I’ll be involved during the process so we can create something amazing with each other’s help.


Other Tips!

Buy something new. 

Dress in the same color palette as your partner/family but not exact color.

Avoid intense patterns or extremely bright colors

Guys - get a haircut so your confidence is up

Ladies - consider a manicure. Feels nice and looks great.




Camarillo Ranch House Wedding

I love writing (typing) while listening to music that has, as we say now, “all the feels”.  I Want to Know What Love Is, by Foreigner, is currently rocking my headphones.  Man.  When the chorus drops and I start to furrow my brow and shake my head to the beat.
Tom & Jen have “the beat”.

I met Tom at work in San Diego a few years back and was so honored that they asked me to photograph their wedding.  The light was beautiful and the celebration felt very unique.

They love each other.  They love family.  They just have “it”.  Here’s some of their wedding photography from their gorgeous day in Camarillo, CA.

Location: McCormick Home Ranch
Coordinator: Paper Heart Events
Florist: Forever Yours

DJ: Dart Collective

Video: Colin Lorenz


Underexposed

They may not be perfect but they feel perfect.

Fujifilm X-Pro2 and Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR Lens

Using Format