Wedding Photography Blog From Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Mission

2009-10-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara Wedding Cassie and Chase

2008-09-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

This beautiful August Santa Barbara wedding took place at Skofield Park in the hills of Mission Canyon. The day was spectacular and I couldn't have been more excited to photograph Cassie and Chase, who are fun and adventurous, on their special day.

I always love taking photos in a natural setting. The Santa Barbara Mountains, gnarled oak trees, and beautiful boulders made a perfect backdrop for wedding photography. The bridal party was so natural and it was a joy working with them.

Carpinteria Wedding Sezina and Steve

2008-09-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

On August 9th, my dear friends Sezina and Steve committed their lives to one another. I had the honor of being their wedding photographer. The Carpinteria weddingwas held at Carpinteria's Lion's Park, located in the beautiful Carpinteria Valley. This venue featured outdoor and indoor spaces that provided many opportunities for striking wedding photographs .

Sezina wore an elegant wedding gown and veil that provided interesting contrast for the bridal shots. The wedding party looked striking and wore vibrant colors that I was able to catch on camera.

After the moving wedding ceremony, the bride and groom ushered in the celebration. Everybody, young and old, joined in the fantastic banquet and wild dance party that ensued. The garter toss was a particular favorite as each eligible bachelor scrambled to get hold of the fated fabric with more gusto than I'd ever seen. I'm glad I had my camera handy. Capturing Seza dancing with her five Brazilian brothers was a riot! What fun. The best part is, this stellar event made for equally stellar wedding photographs.

Bradly and Ceanna

2008-09-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of working with Ceanna and Bradly on July 26th at Alice Keck Park, located in the heart of Santa Barbara. I love taking wedding photographs outdoors, and the day was perfect: sunny and warm.

The warmth of the day was matched only by the warmth of the wedding couple. They were glowing with love and joy, and this always makes for great wedding photography.

The bride looked gorgeous in her dress, and I enjoyed capturing her tenderness with the children in the bridal party. The bride and groom stole away in a classic antique car to a hacienda in the hills where they dined with their friends and family and shared a memorable first dance. What a beautiful venue for a Santa Barbara wedding!

Nicki and Eric

2008-08-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

Nicki and Eric were married on July 26th near an old ranch outside of San Luis Obispo. I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful setting for an event, and the joyful couple made wedding photography a breeze. The historic property where they tied the knot boasted a beautiful barn, antique cars, a trampoline, and rolling hills with views to the ocean, all of which make for stunning wedding photographs. Not only was the setting picturesque, but both the bride and groom are beautiful, easygoing subjects.

Nicki looked absolutely stunning in her elegant and unique gown, and it was really special documenting her and her bridal party as she prepared to walk down the aisle. I was able to capture those special moments through photographs.

The groomsmen were equally entertaining to photograph. They were casual and laid-back, sporting retro converse shoes for the occasion. I got a few great shots of them relaxing with the antique cars in the barn, and I was struck again by how lucky I was to be participating in the wedding as the photographer.

A Rustic Ranch Wedding

2008-08-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photography Chelsea and Brian's wedding and June 7th. It took place at Rancho Chahuchu in Lompoc, home of the exquisite Peruvian Paso horse.

The bride and groom chose this special spot because of the picturesque setting and their love for horses. It tuned out to be an amazing venue for event photography.

The rolling hills of Rancho Chahuchu were dotted with yellow flowers that provided a gorgeous background for the bride and groom. Chelsea's natural beauty, along with her and Brian's obvious love for each other, made my job as wedding photographer easy! I really enjoyed working with them and their guests during this rustic ranch wedding.

Brooks Institute Photo Session

2008-06-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last month I participated in Jason Madara's fashion photography & lighting seminars two day event put together by Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara CA. I did this event for two reasons, one I wanted to see what Jason was doing professionally and I also wanted to see if I wanted to start incorporating lighting into my photography bag of tricks with wedding photography.

Photography is painting with light. Without light you got nothing.

The class was held at the historical Montecito Campus, which is a beautiful estate that was built in the early 1920’s. It has breathtaking vistas overlooking the Santa Barbara Harbor and the Channel Islands. I just heard recently that its being sold because of the cost of upkeep. Beautiful but expensive.

The first day Jason told about himself and his photography experience. This really opened my eyes to the different world of photography. Jason Madara's work is described as startlingly raw and real or ephemerally beautiful, often at the same time. He finds inspiration from his subjects and the locations where he shoots. Earlier in his career, Madera spent a few years working in Europe and South Africa shooting fashion for magazines, catalogs and ad campaigns. He moved to San Francisco in 2001, where he continued to fulfill his creative ambitions by producing images for editorial and advertising clients, including Pac West Telecommunications, Bosch, Fanta, Interview, Entertainment Weekly, Business 2.0 and Fortune Small Business.

The workshop focused on lighting techniques used in contemporary fashion, beauty, and portraiture photography. We explored lighting techniques the studio using different types of studio lighting: soft box, hard light, and umbrella. We also used flash on location, open shade, backlight and direct light.

We had different models and different stations. We broke up in groups, and then went to each station, Jason showed what he would do, he was photography tethered to a computer with a new Hasselblad H3D-22 with a resolution of 22 megapixels. Sicko. But there is a price to be paid when using this type of camara. He is tethered to a computer. Teathered or leashed, meaning you can only go as far as your leash. I wasn’t teathered, but with all this lighting stuff your model has about a 4 foot radius of where she can move, and the job in fashion photography is directing. Who are you directing, well, the make up artist, the people helping you set up lighting, the model what to do, how to turn, what to think, how to feel. Professional models know how to do this. There is real value in knowing how to do this with non professionals.

For wedding photography what I don’t want to do is take over the day and make a wedding day a fashion shoot. My objective is to relax the bride and groom so they feel comfortable in front of a camera. Being the subject with all this gear set up pointed at you, you really need to be a pro not to feel intimidated. And for me you really lose the spontaneous with all that gear.

Over all I was turned off by the amount of stuff you need to offer this type of lighting, its really amazing how much batteries, cords, lights, bags, sandbags, etc that is needed for this style of photography. I prefer the the camera with a plain vanilla mounted flash in a pinch, hopefully you don’t have to use because natural light is by far the most beautiful light. When all the elements come together, when you see that perfect content, with the perfect mood and the light is just perfect and click….

For more click on santa barbara wedding photography

Photography is art

2008-02-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

"Photography is the power of observation, not the application of technology." Ken Rockwell.

Wow, that is the basics of photography. By noticing something interesting, that brings the eye in an capture that moment. The important part is seeing the photo before hand….. Taking the picture is easy.

Photography is art.

Camera do not makes the photos. It's easy to blame bad photos on a camera. Photography is communicating passion and sparking excitement in the mind and body of another person. If you don't care about the subject then the results won't get beyond the basics. Care deeply and incredible things happen. Don't care and you are quickly forgotten.

"If I feel something strongly, I make a photograph. I do not attempt to explain the feeling." Ansel Adams.

Photography is the art of communicating passion. You need to be passionate about whatever it is that you photograph. If you are passionate you'll get great results, if you don't care, you won't.

A photograph is not about technique. A photograph is communicating something, be it an idea, concept, feeling, thought or whatever, to a total stranger. For a photograph to be effective you have to be clear with what you're communicating.

Ansel Adams said "There is nothing worse than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy idea."

Santa Barbara Wedding Ranch Location

2008-01-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

Here are several amazing Santa Barbara Wedding locations on ranches!

1.Orella Ranch

2. Condor Ridge Ranch

3. Rancho Dos Pueblos (Casa Grande Gardens), Amber Donati at 805.896.1827 (no website)

All are located on California’s majestic Gaviota Coast, and have amazing coastal views.

Brazilian Wedding

2007-12-30T05:40:00.000-08:00

My wife Camila and I where invited to attend her cousin Fabiana wedding, who lives in Brazil. We haven't been for a couple of years, so we accepted and booked our flights. After a 14 hour plane ride from Santa Barbara with 3 transfer, that we (my wife, our 11 month old daughter Luana and I) had to sprint to catch each connection, we arrived in Salvador, Brazil in one piece without any luggage. The grandparents and uncles were thrilled at the visit, and greeted us at the airport. Truth be told the grandparents greeted their one and only grandchild Luana, and we happened to arrive on the same airplane.

Fabiana lives in the interior of Brazil in a town called Feira Santana. Its about 2 hours from Salvador, and the dive is an adventure. There are two ways the none existant law enforcement reduce Brazilians drivers break neck speed. Hidden radar camera, that take a photo of the licence plate and "Quebra Molas". Quebra Molas, translated is "break the spring", or a large, steep speed bump that would most lilkly break your springs, all your shock, a tire or two, and who knows what else. Throw in the mix, semi trucks, all shapes and vintages of cars, a couple of donkey pulling carts, some deep potholes that have no bottom in sizzling heat and humidity and wala, driving in Brazil. Of course at the Quebra Molas, because you come almost to a complete stop, you also have people selling everything under the sun, included ice cold drinks.

The function was to start promptly at 7:30 sharp. In Brazil, this means start getting ready a 7:30. We arrived at Camila's uncle house at around 6:30 to get into our suits (aaaggghh, its still 90 with 95% humidly) and give time for the ladies to get dressed. Brazilian wedding are extremely formal, dark suits and ties for everyone..well except me. I had a light suite, I didn't get the "dark" suit memo until after we arrived. Oh well, the gringo has the light suit.

When we showed up and the groom, Orlando, was at the entrance of the church greeting the guests. Of course I brought my camera and was excited to see another pro at work. I had no idea what the style or what types of photos they were going to take. Its great to see other professional take wedding photos, to see different angles and equipment. You never can stop learning.

Fabiana had told the photographer that I was going to be at the wedding so when I pulled out my camera, (Canon 5D with a 24-105mm lens) he came up and greeted me in Portuguese. My Portuguese is far from perfect, but we had a bit of a conversation. He was photographing with a Nikon D100 digital camera. Good equipment is a good start to great photos.

The church was pretty well lite, but he also had two strobe light set up along the church to provide light. His on camera flash triggers the strobe flash. This can be good and bad. If you have no light, its great because you can get the details of the church. But flash also flatten the photos and gives sharp shadows. I try to avoid any flash if possible. I photographed the below photo without flash:

Any church where you are doing wedding photography in Santa Barbara, the minister usually tells you in advance, no flash. Which is ironic because all the guest pull out there camera and flash away. Anyway I digress.

Also in the mix was two guys videographing the wedding. There set up was far from professional, one guy was working the camera and the other was holding up a pole with a extremely bright light. It felt like a small sun on the top, every time the light fell on you the temperature went up 5 degrees and the "deer in the headlight"syndrome kicked in big time. Also the light set up was plugged into the wall so the guy was dragging a 100ft extension cord behind him the entire time. Tripwire, yikes.

I would have photographed the wedding with a mounted flash, aimed at at a wall or celling to give depth of field. I would have also used a tripode. Like I said the church was really well lite and with my 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lense and my EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM which are some of the fasted lens on the market, I would have been fine. So the bride arrives at 8:30, and hour late which is perfectly on time for Brazil. Everything here is exactly one hour late, it must be the weather. The photographer and the videographer sprung into action, as the procession came down the isle.

Wow, talk about NOT wedding photojournalist. Painful...they stopped each couple and the bride to get poised photos in isle, the ultra bright lite waved, heating the onlookers. I snapped a few shots from my vantage, without a flash, because I didn't want to set off the hired photographers strobe. The this type of photography continued thought out each stage of the ceremony.

It took some much out of the event, it became a phtotoshoot, not a wedding. When the couple where putting on their rings, the photographer poised them, are you kidding me?!?

Painful, I was sad for the couple, their celebration of love was tarnished by the people documenting their wedding. My goal at each wedding is to take amazing, creative photos with as little interaction with the events as possible. Ninja photographer. All in black, melting in the background...unseen. This is so that that the bride and groom can live the moment, not be instructed on how and what they should be doing and feeling.

After the ceremony, after the rings have been exchanged, after they bride and groom have been mobbed by all their friends and family showering them with congratulations, then I step in to do the formal photos, going as fast as possible, so that they can return to their celebration ASAP.

That again was not the case in this wedding in Brazil. The formal photos didn't stop after the wedding, it was also at the reception, he took the bride away for another hour an posed them again and again to the point where the groom had enough and quit. At this photographer didn't know what to do, and my wife suggested he take some candid photography, which seam like a completely foreign concept to him.

Ojai Wedding

2007-12-25T15:30:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Kristina Cheh and Daniel Beck. They were married on December 10th and I was thrilled to get the chance to photograph their wedding and reception. Held in tranquil Ojai, California at the beautiful Ojai Presbyterian Church, the wedding itself was a small and private affair for family only. Ojai is about 45 min away from Santa Barbara.

The weather, with clear blue skies, a few scattered clouds and a light wind, was perfect. I absolutely loved shooting at this location; the grounds were so inviting. I got some great shots of Daniel's family lighting candles and some shots of the gorgeous bride before the ceremony.

One of the best things about being a Santa Barbara wedding photographer is getting to see how new families come together. In this case, some had never met. Kristina's attendees included her mother, father and grandmother, all of whom had flown from Korea and don't speak any English. Many of the women wore beautiful traditional Korean wedding dresses.

Daniel, who works for a Los Angeles law firm, comes from a large family that lives in Santa Barbara. He has five brothers and two sisters, all of whom were in attendance. One brother is the church's minister, and because only family was in attendance, he did an amazing job.

The candles created an amazing backdrop with which to present the new husband and wife. I couldn't get enough of the perfect light and setting for a wedding photography shoot at the Presbyterian Church and took over 400 pictures there.

Eventually, though, it was time to move to the reception, which was held at the dramatic and elegant Ojai resort, renowned for its pastoral valley views as well as the cooking staff's delicious dinner creations. The atmosphere was that of two loving families brought together.

This particular wedding left me with a feeling of profound respect for the ancient ritual of marriage, an institution that bridges cultures and brings people from all over the world together. This wasn't so much about a party as it was a story about love.

More photos at this link under recent events: Santa Barbara Wedding Photographer

Hiring a Creative Professional

2007-12-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

Like many brides and grooms, your wedding could be the first time you will be hiring a creative professional.

How you manage your relationship with a wedding photojournalist can have just as profound an impact on the photographs as the day unfolding before the camera. Luckily, you and me (your photographer) both want the same outcome: amazing photos that capture the feeling of the wedding day.

I suggest focusing less on the business process and more on the creative one when you are working with a wedding photojournalist. Of course, we both sign a contract, and ultimately there will be details relating to the types of packages purchased, schedule, costs, and possibly album design, but that should all be secondary when it comes to selecting and working with your creative professional.

More than anything, you must trust your photographer. Part of trusting your photographer is being able to hand over the reigns. Accept that you cannot control everything; that’s why you hire professionals to carry out a shared creative vision.

For example, I am not a fan of the big list. The small list is ok…formal photographs, certain family members from out of town. But not the lists of all the moments: the candles, the garter toss, the bride walking down the aisle. I will get that...

If you give a wedding photojournalist too long of a to-do list, it distracts them from what you hired them to do in the first place: shoot spontaneous, once-in-a-lifetime moments that can not be predicted, and therefore, could never be included on a list.

Santa Barbara Events Calendar

2007-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

What's going on in Santa Barbara you ask, take a look at Premiere Events Calendar.

Photojournalism

2007-11-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia, Photojournalism (sometimes called photo-journalism) is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a news story. In recent years, this approach to wedding photography has lent itself to the practice of capturing matrimony by many top wedding photographers around the world. This artistic, documentary style may entail black and white or color photos, film or digital wedding photography. Wedding photojournalists work in a documentary manner, easily replacing the narrative itself.

As defined by Encarta, Photojournalism Photojournalism is journalism using mainly photographs: a form of journalism in which photographs play a more important role than the accompanying text. Wedding Photojournalism is characterized by its candid, creative and natural results spanning serious to humorous scenes. While traditional wedding photography dictates the setting, a wedding photojournalist documents the moment as it naturally happens.

Ways to Save Money on Your Santa Barbara Wedding

2007-11-14T00:56:00.000-08:00

Planning a wedding can be an extremely stressful and costly endeavor. But a wedding doesn't have to be expensive to provide a wonderful experience. You can still have your dream wedding at a fraction of the cost. There are many ways to make your wedding less stressful on your finances so that you and your future spouse have more money to spend on things to start your lives together. Here are a few suggestions on how to cuts costs and still have a beautiful wedding.

General
Set a Budget: The first step to keeping your Santa Barbara wedding spending under control is to create a budget. Decide how much you can spend and dont overspend. Not even for the delightful themed extras. A few dollars here and there can add up over time.

Keep It Simple: One way to save money and your sanity is to simplify your wedding. Sometimes less really is more. Do you really need every one of those five-course dinners to enjoy your special day?

Do Your Own Hair and Makeup: You shouldnt have to break the bank to look good on your big day. You can save a lot of money by styling your own hair or if you have a friend or relative do it for you. If you are worried about how it will turn out, give it a test run before the big day to make sure you get the look you want.

Wear Suits: If you want to save some money on rentals, and if you arent picky about matching everything precisely, you can wear have the men in your wedding wear suits instead of tuxes. Suits are a better investment, as you are more likely to have an occasion to wear a suit again and many in your wedding will already have a suit to wear in their closet.

Let Bridesmaids Wear Their Own Dresses: If you allow your bridesmaids wear their own dresses they will save money, and you will know that they will be comfortable wearing a dress they picked out. You can pick a certain color to coordinate them all.

Grow Your Own: If you have got time to plan in advance you can plant the type of flowers you would like to have at your wedding. You can always enlist friends and relatives if you dont have a yard. Not too many people will object to free landscaping, and you can save a bundle by raising the flowers yourself.

Buy Wholesale: If you don’t have the resources to plant your own flowers you might find more reasonable wholesale prices at a local flower market. You might not get the same wholesale price as resellers, but you will still get a bigger discount than at a retail establishment. Remember that the more flowers you buy from a single vendor the bigger discount you are likely to get. If you can pay with a cash back credit card, you might save even more money.

Arrange Flowers Yourself: Arranging your own flowers can be easier than you’d expect. There are many books available on the subject that you can purchase or get from your local library or if you really have the time and inclination you can take an inexpensive class on flower arranging.

Use Flowers In Season: Flowers that are in season and readily available are much more reasonably priced than those that might be more exotic. You can consult with your florist about the flowers that will allow you to make the most of your budget and still look great in arrangements and bouquets.

Limit Your Attendants: A small wedding party can cut the overall cost of the wedding. Again Less is more. If you think there will be hurt feelings if you limit the number of attendants,

Consider Alternate Transportation: Unless it’s your dream to be whisked away with your new spouse in a limo or horse drawn carriage you could consider an alternate means of transportation as a way to save money. Borrow an antique car from a friend or relative or try jazzing up your own with some wedding decorations.

Make Your Own Favors: If you want to give guests a little take away gift and still not spend a fortune make the favors yourself. You can tie them into your wedding theme or make them very personal to you and your guests. You can also have a small party to enlist friends and relatives help you make those favors.

Print Your Own: Making your own invitations is easier than ever nowadays. You can use your own computer software and paper bought from your local craft or stationary store to print your invitations much more cheaply than you can have them printed for you.

Make Your Own Wedding CD: Instead of hiring a band or DJ to play as you walk down the aisle, you can make your own wedding CD of your favorite songs or ones that have special meaning for you and your spouse to be. You can give a copy of the CD to your guests for the wedding favor.

Get a Smaller Cake: Cakes are available in all shapes and sizes, but the fancier the design, the more expensive the cake. Sheet cakes are much more reasonably priced than tier cakes. If you are looking for something photo friendly, get a small tier cake for you and your spouse and a larger sheet cake for your guests. It all tastes the same even if it doesn’t look the same, so decide if the frills are worth the expense.

Have Alternate Desserts: If cake is not your thing, you might consider a cheaper dessert. Pies, tarts, mousse, chocolate covered fruits and even attractively arranged cookies and brownies can provide a cheaper and more creative alternative.

A wedding is an occasion for celebration, not for stressing out over finances and small details. You can still achieve your dream of having a beautiful wedding even if it isn not champagne and caviar. The idea is to make your special day personal and special, not expensive. The point is to strike a balance. You do not want to look needy on your wedding day but you also don’t want to build a lifetime’s worth of debt.

Santa Barbara Wedding Photographer Class

2007-11-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here is a great class that is offered by Lepp in Los Osos, which is a quick drive from Santa Barbara. They offer a wide variety of interactive photographic workshops taught by top instructors in a state-of-the-art digital darkroom lab.

Santa Barbara Engagement Photo Session

2007-05-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I photographed my cousin and her fiancé. There is a field near my house with very tall grass that has gone to seed, and has turned a deep golden color. As sunset approaches, the low angle light hits the spent husks and illuminates them. My cousin and her fiancé both have a fair complexion and light hair, which matched perfectly with the golden background. I photographed them sitting in the field, and framed the background so that it looked like they where in a huge field. When I photographed them I let the sunlight fall over their shoulders which illuminated their hair and used a fill flash for the face.

From there we moved to a group of queen palms. I really like using nature (tree or a group of boulders) to frame the subjects I am photographing. I am also a firm believer that if I am photographing individuals at a distance away from the couple they will naturally relax, and the photos will show this. This photos illustrate how the couple were able to relax and enjoy each others company.

After that we relocated to the foothill of Santa Barbara, near on the rim overlooking Rattlesnake Canyon Wilderness Area. Its name comes from its serpentine shape and curves of the canyon, not rattlesnake occupation, even thought I have seen them in the Canyon. This area is very special to our family. We have taken many hikes up the canyon, which has a trail running along the creek to an upper meadow area. It also has views of Santa Barbara, the ocean, and the Channel Islands on a clear day. The location we where photographing has a very typical Santa Barbara foothill background, sandstone mixed with chaparral. The light was perfect, and by this time they where really comfortable with the camera so we got some great photos!

Rule of thirds

2007-05-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of many techniques I use to photography weddings. I will say right up front however that rules are meant to be broken and ignoring this one doesnt mean your images are necessarily unbalanced or uninteresting. But used properly it draws the eye into the photos.

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. In the case of this photo, the intersection is on the couples face.

The application of the rule of thirds to photographs is to make them more aesthetically pleasing and professional-looking. The rule of thirds can be applied by lining up subjects with the guiding lines, placing the horizonon the top or bottom line instead of the center, or allowing linear features in the photograph to flow from section to section.

Santa Barbara Wedding - Outdoor Locations

2007-05-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

This are two good locations in Santa Barbara Wedding for Outdoor Locations

Skofield Park is nestled high in the foothills, this park is a hidden jewel and is able to accommodate large Santa Barbara weddings. Commanding mountain views, surrounded by oaks. Area A is the largest site in the park. But normally because the price is so affordable, rent the entire park. No amplified music is allowed. This is a perfect place to have the wedding and then pick another location for the reception. Wedding photography is easy with all the oaks and filtered light.

1819 Las Canoas Rd.
Santa Barbara CA, 93103
Phone: (805) 564-5418
Fax: (805) 564-5480

Alice Keck Park is often called the "crown jewel" of city parks, this downtown garden features a diverse botanical collection, koi pond, sensory garden, and lovely areas to sit. The scenic arbor area at the northeast end of the park, features a lush grassy area with a wisteria arbor. Another good spot for Santa Barbara Wedding, but always has a lot of people.

1300 Micheltorena St.
Santa Barbara CA, 93101
Phone: (805) 564-5418
Fax: (805) 564-5480

Hot Destination Weddings in Southern California

2007-05-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

Do you want to have a great destination wedding in Southern California? California is a beautiful state and a wonderful place to get married. It doesn't matter if you are a California Native or coming just for the wedding the places listed below will make a very memorable wedding for you and your guests alike. Everyone is sure to have a great time and a wonderful experience with a California Destination wedding.
For clarity sake all of the Southern California wedding destinations have been broken down into either a beach location of an attraction. There of course are many other superb destinations for wedding that are not mentioned this is only some of the hottest places to try.
Beaches
Huntington Beach
Recently received the title of Surf City USA Huntington each is a wonderful location to have a sunset beach wedding at. You can either have a beach wedding or a chapel wedding either way the scenery and weather in and around Huntington beach is fabulous and your guests will have a wonderful time. It is very close to the Los Angeles Airport and there are some very classy hotels right on the beach. Your guests will have a great time with the downtown surfing night life scene with some great restaurants and fun bars as well as enjoy the beauty of the ocean.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a thriving city. There are unlimited stretches of open beach and a wonderful downtown for fun. There is also the Santa Barbara mission and beautiful mountains right behind the city. These all make for an ideal wedding spot . There is lots of hotels right down on the water front and many of them will help you in planning your wedding.

Malibu
Malibu is the beach of the Hollywood crown and a great place to see some of the movie stars! Malibu again has wonderful weather, a beautiful beach, and mountains all rolled into one. Along with a fun little city and some great night life your guests will love the destination and you will love the beauty of a beach wedding. The relaxed California atmosphere of the area is a wonderful beginning to a great wedding. All of your guests will be relaxed and enjoy themselves in this beautiful climate and hopefully you will even catch a glimpse of your favorite movie star.
Attractions
These are wedding destinations in Southern California that are based on some tourist attraction. These can make especially fun locations for a wedding because guests can enjoy the attraction as well as the wedding.
Temecula
Temecula is quickly becoming known as the other Wine Country of California and with the proximity of San Diego and the beach it is a very popular location for a destination wedding. Have your friends and family sit back and enjoy the wonderful weather and atmosphere. You can get married at a vineyard or in a castle. That's right the 'Enchanted Forest' is a privately owned castle that can be rented out for a wedding also.
Palm Springs
More great sun, and perfect weather make Palm Spring a very popular wedding spot. You can get married on the mountain tram that goes up to Idyllwild or on a top rated gold course in and around Palm Springs. Either way there is plenty of fun to be had by guests and a great nightlife downtown with wonderful shopping, food and bars.
The weather in California is really the best in the country and that is why it has become one of the best wedding destinations. It is also significantly less expensive then a Hawaii wedding or other location weddings. Just make sure you plan ahead and take some time to research the location you want for your California destination wedding.

Wedding Blog by Jethro Acosta

2007-05-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome,

We have decided to create a blog to share with all of our clients the best pictures, stories and news in the wedding industry. Although I am located in Santa Barbara, my photography has taken me to many places during my career and with the new medium of the internet, I have an opportunity to share all the precious moments from now on with all of our readers.

I look forward to all your input and feedback and if you have a wedding story that you would like to share with Us, please feel free to send it to me to look over and post. If you look on the side of this blog you will notice a submission button. Simply Click on that and your story is on its way!

Thanks Jethro!