For Breeana and Mike’s Liberty Station Wedding everything seemed to go according to plan. It was a low stress day with good planning and coordinating to get things done and everything even ran on time.
Dana Hotel Wedding Preparation
I was actually surprised when we arrived a few minutes early and hair and makeup was already done and the bridesmaids were already in their dress. Which to me made me feel a little like I was running late. I usually like to show up while the bride is finishing up hair and makeup. That usually allows me to start working with the details and take a little time to photograph them before I start photographing the people in the room. This time around though I felt like I needed to hurry up and get it done because I felt like everyone was waiting on me. This however was not the case though as the videographer reminded me that the dress was not scheduled to go on for another 30 minutes and the girls were not in a hurry to get out of there.
The Dana Hotel was a great getting ready room. The light bounced off the water and back in to the room creating a very soft light. This light made the prep photos look awesome.
Liberty Station Wedding Ceremony
When not doing a first look, I still like to make the most out of the time we have before the ceremony. Even if the couple does not plan on seeing each other we can do all the other photos that don’t have to have them both in them. I sent my second photographer with the guys to Liberty Station where the ceremony would take place at North Chapel. This allowed for the guy photos to be done before the bride and bridesmaids would arrive. With the guy photos out of the way, we were able to do a few girl photos without having to worry about an accidental running in to each other by the bride and groom.
Once all the expected guests filled the chapel, we got started with the ceremony. While no two ceremonies are the exact same, their ceremony had a little bit of a different rhythm than most I had experienced in the past. Having photographed hundreds of weddings gives a my self and other photographers a good feel for what will happen next during a ceremony. However, their order of events was a little different and did catch us a little by surprise when their rings were exchanged early in the ceremony. In most ceremonies this usually happens near the end along with other key events. This usually means that we are running around trying to get the wide establishing shots at those early stages of the ceremony to not miss all the key events near the end. In this case however it really was not a problem because I had a second shooter to do the running around while I stayed back to get the tight shots. If there was not a second shooter I might have been on my way up the stairs to get the wide shot from above while the rings were being exchanged. I’m happy to say that while we were surprised on the order, nothing was missed and we were able to capture some great moments.
After the ceremony we used some of the great backdrops that Liberty Station provides for wedding party photos as well as the bride and grooms portraits. Breeana and Mike had just done their engagement session a few weeks before their wedding so working with them was super easy. They were ready to have fun in front of the camera and that always means that we get some great photos.
Marina Village Wedding Reception
Marina Village is always an interesting place to work. With so many celebrations happening at the same time its always buzzing with energy. I feel like when guests attend a wedding there, they always have a great time. Specially in the Bayview Room which offers exactly what the name says. The room over looks the bay and during the reception the guests are usually treated to a great sunset over looking the bay.
Breeana and Mike’s friends and family were ready to party! There was some great energy in the room. The toasts were done with tequila shots, so after those toasts they were more than ready to get on that dance floor. I think that everyone had a great time celebrating the marriage of Breeana and Mike and I hope that these photos will help them remember that great time.
Vendors that made their wedding day a success include:
Wedding Planning: Swann Soirees Wedding Planning
Catering: Personal Touch Dining Catering in San Diego
Celebrant: Family Pastor
Ceremony Music: Kate Cameron
DJ: Glasz Productions DJ
Linens: Personal Touch Dining
Flowers: TessFresh Flowers in San Diego
Rentals: Personal Touch Dining
Ceremony Venue: North Chapel in Liberty Station
Reception Venue: Marina Village Bayview Room
Transportation: Top Dog Limo Bus
Chair Covers: Lovely Chair Covers