Caitlin and Steven were married at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church by Father Andrew, who happens to be Steven’s Dad. The reception was down the street in Balboa Park at El Prado. It was a beautiful wedding, gorgeous couple, fun bridal party and overall amazing night. We had so much fun working with these two and especially enjoyed watching them dance the night away. Congrats Caitlin and Steven, we hope you are enjoying married life!

The incredible vendor team:

Photographer: Raya Carlisle

Transportation: Elite Image Limousine

Florist: Organic Elements

DJ: Daniel Peterson

Cake: Heaven Sent Desserts

Video: Luvbug Films

Photobooth: Shoutout Booth

All photos Copyright Raya Photography. 

I didn’t work very many weddings in 2011 since having this little one kept me busy…

Here are all of the beautiful couples we celebrated in 2011:

Japanese Friendship Garden

The Birch Aquarium

Estancia La Jolla

Admiral Kidd Club

Marina Village

Soledad Club

Admiral Kidd Club

Oceanview Room

St. Spyridon Church and The Prado

Paradise Point

Bali Hai

Paradise Point

Thank you all so much for making 2011 an amazing year. I’m looking forward to celebrating many more couples in 2012!

Cheers,

Helena

*Photos can be viewed in a larger screen by clicking on them

Geetha and Tom live out of state but planned their Estancia wedding with a little help from Tom’s cousin Jenny who lives in San Diego. I have to say, she did an incredible job for them! Her only concern was that she didn’t want to be running around setting things up, keeping track of vendors and time on the big day. Hiring a wedding coordinator seemed like the perfect solution and that’s where I came in. I really enjoyed with working with Jenny. I finally got to meet Geetha and Tom on the wedding day and instantly liked them. They were very kind and oh so in love. Geetha’s family wasn’t able to be in San Diego for the wedding but they really wanted to watch live. One of Geetha’s good friends brought along a lap top and connected with her family via Skype. This allowed them to watch the ceremony, congratulate the couple afterwards and feel more involved. Skype is a great way to include loved ones in your wedding who can’t be present.

Enjoy the photos by Melissa McClure Photography:

Audra doing finishes touches

Hair and makeup was done by Audra Rene. Audra really went above and beyond for the bride. After she was done with hair and makeup she helped the bride with her dress, jewelry and a few other small details. She was very helpful!

Beautiful!

I love the colors!

The gorgeous flowers were done by Modern Bouquet.

The laptop with Skype streaming

Happy in Love!

Simply beautiful!

The cake was provided by Sweet Cheeks Baking Company.

Candy is always a hit!

Hand written Escort Cards provide a personal touch

The flowers really pop!

Stunning!

The guests had a great time on the dance floor thanks to DJ Daniel Peterson.

Geetha and Tom, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding. I wish you a lifetime full of love and happiness!

*Pictures can be made bigger by clicking on them.*

Here’s a highlight video from Murasaki Media.

Enjoy the photos by Melissa McClure Photography.

Ashley of AC Makeup doing finishing touches

Katie and Robin

Ready for the bride!

Married!

Lots of beautiful historic buildings in Old Town!

Rolls Livery Limo

Centerpiece

Heritage Table with Family Photos

Vintage topper from Robin's parents wedding!

Congrats you two!

A big thanks to the rest of the awesome vendor team!

Ceremony: Heritage Hall, Old Town

Reception: The 19^th Hole Restaurant & Lounge on Naval Station North Island Coronado

Flowers: Fancy that Designs

Linens: Duchess of Chairs

Cake: Cupcakes Squared

Ceremony Harpist: Lea Bennet

DJ: DJ by the C

Transportation: Rolls Livery

Makeup: AC Makeup, Ashley Lowe

Hair: DK Hair, Kerry Javery

Robin and Zach, I wish you a lifetime full of love and happiness!

How long have you been doing makeup?  All of my life but professionally since 1999.  I started at MAC cosmetics in 1999 and worked there until 2004.  I have been a full time wedding makeup artist since 2004.

What is it that interested you in doing makeup?  Since I can remember my mom has always looked polished by having her makeup, hair and nails done.  When I was a little girl, she would let me play in her makeup drawer and I loved it.  When I was first allowed to wear makeup in my early teens I remember seeing a commercial with Tyra Banks and she had a smoky eye.  The camera zoomed in on her eyes and I remember thinking “I can do that.”  My mom bought me an eye shadow pallet and I was able to practice and really figured out how to make things work to get the different looks I saw on TV and in the magazines.

Is there an advantage in using airbrush foundation verses regular?  YES!  Airbrush is water based so it sits on top on your skin making it look light weight, smooth and flawless whereas traditional foundation, whether it be liquid or cream, soaks into your pores and moves into any lines or creases.  Airbrush foundation doesn’t get oily or shiny and it doesn’t separate on the skin like traditional foundation.  I always tell people that airbrush is the way to go and if they had a trial and were not happy with it, it probably wasn’t done right and they should give it another chance. 

Are there certain skin types that should avoid airbrushed makeup?  No, but you should wear whatever moisturizer you use daily which should be one that is made for your skin.  For example, if you have really dry skin you should be wearing a hydrating moisturizer.  Your skin should be prepped according to your skin type for the airbrush to be able to settle as naturally as possible on your skin and this is the case with any foundation.

What should a bride bring to a makeup trial for her wedding?  A clean face and a couple thoughts on what you do like and don’t like about makeup.  If you have any special products you want to wear bring those too, for example if you have your own lipstick you know you want instead of trying a new one.

Do you have any advice for brides that don’t normally wear makeup? Your makeup should be done the way you want it.  I think the phrase “you need more for pictures” is a little over-rated.  It is important to “enhance” your features for pictures but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a lot of makeup on your face, it just means the placement of the makeup you do wear needs to be correct.  I like to correct that statement by saying “yes, you want to enhance your features for pictures but you also want to be comfortable when you are talking to people face to face.”  You can have the best of both worlds and the look you end up with should be what you want, whether it’s more dramatic or more natural looking.

What is your favorite part of doing a bride’s makeup on her wedding day?  I love what I do and everyone is excited to have their makeup done so it’s nice to have a job that people get excited about.  I love seeing brides on their wedding day and being in a room full of excitement and emotion but I have to say my favorite part is when someone looks in the mirror and feels so beautiful.  I see people’s personalities change once their makeup is done and it is very rewarding.

Do you have any tips for everyday makeup?  The most common thing I hear is “I don’t have the time.”  Figure out what it is that you like to emphasize most and find a way to do it if you want to.  For me, I have to wear mascara and eyeliner, and tons of it.  Some days that means getting the baby in the car and getting to my destination and taking a minute in the parking lot to throw some mascara on before getting out of the car.  I wear black enough mascara that I don’t always need to wear eyeliner if I don’t have the time.  Wearing makeup doesn’t mean you have to sit in front of your vanity with lights and a magnifying mirror.  If your focus is your skin, shop around and find an easy daily combo foundation, like MAC studio fix.  It is a powder and foundation in one so you can skip the 2 step process and forget concealer all together.  For daily makeup it’s all about doing what you can with what you have.  Some days I have the time to put towards it, and other days I cut corners to make it work.  Figure out what your “corners” are.

Here are a few beautiful brides that Ashely and I were lucky enough to work with.

If you would like to have your makeup done by Ashley you can email her at info@acmakeup.com or visit her website here.

Ashley, thank you for the insight and great tips!

Boudoir is a fancy French word for bedroom. A great deal of “boudoir photography” is now created in the photographer’s studio or in luxury hotel suites, where it has become very fashionable to create a set of sensual images for women in “boudoir style”. This often takes the shape of partly clothed images or images in lingerie, and has become a popular gift for brides to surprise their future husbands with. Although in the past there were many negative connotations associated with boudoir photography, in recent years the trend has begun to gain momentum, and the entire look of boudoir photography has begun to change. Bridal boudoir photography is becoming particularly popular. Other common themes for boudoir photography are anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, weight loss, maternity, any form of body change or alteration (breast augmentation or reduction, etc.), and for soldiers overseas. At Shadow Boudoir Pinup style photography is also gaining momentum. Pinup came into its own with Esquire magazine in the 1930′s and then really became popular in WWII.

What originally interested you in boudoir photography?

I have been a huge fan of Pinup photography for the longest time. The Pinup artists that really captured my interest were Vargas, Petty, Olivia, and also a more current artist, the surrealist Michael Parkes. I love the innocence yet sexiness of those images. Before I was a Boudoir and Wedding Photographer, my photography was more of an artistic outlet for me. I showed my images in galleries and competed in juried art shows in San Diego and throughout the US. Pinup and Boudoir style images was one area that I really liked to work in. I loved giving the women in my images beauty and empowerment; they always had a very strong and powerful presence in the image. This was all before I went digital, all my prints back then were black and white from film, and hand processed in the darkroom. On some images I hand painted in selective color with oil paints. As a wedding photographer today it was an easy progression to modify my style just a bit to offer this art form to our brides, and other women who are looking to do something like this.

What is your favorite part of shooting boudoir?

What I love is watching our clients go from being nervous and sometimes self critical to being confident and strong. Sometimes they come in afraid to even get out of the car to not wanting to leave and planning their next session. The transformation is amazing. I hear so often that the ladies are on a “Boudoir High” for weeks after, and that often the images are just the icing on the cake, the experience itself is the best part!

I also LOVE it when one of our brides does a session and I am there to see the grooms face when she presents him with her album on the wedding day! That is priceless!

Where do your shoots take place?

Shadow Boudoir is a smaller Boutique Boudoir studio located in North County. Our studio is dedicated to Boudoir and Maternity sessions. We are an all female staff that is all about making your boudoir experience… well… the bomb!

What happens if the client does not want their photos on your blog, Facebook page or website?

All of our clients receive a very detailed privacy release along with their contract. This release covers where and how we can use their images, from not at all to you may use them anywhere you would like for your promotion. Most of our clients mark the box that says please ask on a per image basis.

Here’s a look at some differences between pinup and boudoir:

Check out this amazing Valentine’s Day Package. Hurry up and contact Heather today before the spots fill up!

For more information please visit the Shadow Boudoir Website.

*All photos can be viewed in a larger screen by clicking on them.*

Here are a few client and colleague highlights from 2010.

I’m looking forward to a year full of more amazing weddings and of course a new addition to my own family.

I hope 2011 brings you happiness, good health and prosperity.

Happy New Year!

Enjoy the photos from Cole Joseph Photography.

The fortune cookies had custom fortunes in them and they were all really fun!

Here are few more details from my point & shoot camera.

The bride folded 1,000 paper cranes!

There were so many incredible details it was impossible to capture all of them. Jane did an amazing job pulling all of her inspiration and ideas together. We had an excellent vendor team and I’d highly recommend each and one every one of them!

Ceremony: Torrey Pines Christian Church 

Reception: Admiral Baker Clubhouse

DJ: Dave from Bill Calhoun Mobile Music   

Videography: Luke McCain

Florist: Sheri’s Flowers

Transportation: Rolls Livery

Photo Booth: San Diego Photo Booth Rentals

Cake: Euro Pastry

Jane and Bill, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. I wish you all the best in marriage and life!

Here is more information from Nicole.

If you are looking for a fun idea for an upcoming Bachelorette party, Bridal shower or edgy Birthday party a Burlesque theme shows the glamour of the 40’s with a fun emphasis on tease! The theme is exciting and flirty and can be paired with Parisian, Moulin, Vintage or circus theme. You could use Burlesque for a Bachelorette party and include fun flirty invitations, a risqué corset shaped cake for the Bride to be and orange colored Martini’s for the night’s signature drink. A Burlesque theme can be incorporated into a Bridal shower with a candy buffet decorated in feather fans and fun burlesque hats. Or you could add some flair to a burlesque Birthday and invite guests to wear corset tops and set the mood with vintage candelabras and jazzy burlesque music.

Click on the inspiration board to see a larger version.

I can help you create this amazing theme for any event you are hosting. With my fine attention to detail I can customize a party that is unique to your style, affordable and memorable for every guest!

For more information on my services or to view my portfolio please visit my facebook page here.

For pricing information or question about my services, you can email me at naeventdesigns@yahoo.com.

Nicole, thanks for sharing your fun theme idea with us. I hope to see this party come to life soon!

Melissa McClure Photography captured the day perfectly.

Ceremony

*swoon*

1, 5 & 10 years wishes for the bride & groom

Who doesn't love candy?!

Cake & Cupcakes by Sumi's Oven

Cut that cake!

<3

Venue: Ocean View Villas

Cake and cupcakes: Sumi’s Oven

Amazing Bartender: Kyle from The Traveling Tavern

Officiant: Rev. Chris Tuttle   

Makeup: Ashely Lowe of AC Makeup 

Flowers: Wholesale Flowers   

Caterer: Stir Fresh

Rentals: Allie’s Party Rentals  

Jen and Dave, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. I wish you lots of love and happiness!