Maggie and Ricky’s wedding was held on a gorgeous June day in Avila Beach, CA.  Their ceremony and reception were held at the wonderful Avila Beach Golf Club, situated along a small river and nestled in the foothills that separate Avila Beach from San Luis Obispo.

Surrounded by a large group of their family and closest friends, Maggie and Ricky exchanged vows on the golf course with views north to the valley.  As the sun set, the group convened on the practice green for a wonderful evening of delicious food and drinks.  As a slight chill set in, ladies donned pashminas and gathered by a roaring outdoor fire pit.  As the drinks flowed and the music got louder, guests took part in what this photographer calls the greatest dance party ever witnessed at a wedding.

I can’t think of a better way to reenter the blogosphere than to wax nostalgic on some Instagram images I made on a trip to Avila Beach, CA.  Back in June, my assistant, Jose, and I made our way up the 101 to photograph Maggie and Ricky’s wedding at the Avila Beach Golf Club.  When I photograph destination weddings I always try to allow for some time to scout locations.  I always shoot with my iPhone/Instagram when I scout locations.  The images provide handy visual references when the shoot-day comes, and also provide a fun way to remember the trip.  The images below are from our first day in Avila Beach.

“Mike and I met through mutual friends and had been together for five years before he popped the question. We were vacationing in Europe, and one evening while we were walking along the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower, I turned around and he was down on one knee. We knew we wanted to be married outdoors so decided to have our wedding the following spring in May. Although I’m originally from the Midwest and Mike grew up in Los Angeles, we wanted to have our wedding where we have made our home, in San Diego.

There is no shortage of amazing locations for weddings in San Diego, but when we saw The Crosby Club we both knew it was just what we were looking for. Set on a golf course filled with trees and flowers, and surrounded by the hills of Rancho Santa Fe, it is truly a beautiful place. I wanted the wedding to have a romantic, French garden feel, in all black and ivory. The florals were a mix of peonies, garden roses, hydrangea and tulips, all in ivory and white, with candles everywhere. To help cut costs, I designed the invitations, wedding programs, menus, place cards and table numbers myself, and also put together the candy table.

Although the day of the wedding was hectic and crazy up until the very moment we all lined up for the processional, I knew that everything had come together perfectly and that the day would be amazing in every way. For me, the most meaningful part of the day was walking down the aisle with my mother escorting me, and seeing the look on Mike’s face as he saw me for the first time that day.  After the ceremony, the party started! Our DJ did an amazing job and knew just what to do to keep the party going, and the dance floor was packed the whole night. We spent the evening celebrating with our closest family and friends, and it was a day neither of us will ever forget.”

Ceremony/Reception: The Crosby Club
Videographer: Dove Weddings
Flowers: Flowers Annette Gomez
DJ: Edge Entertainment
Cake: CAKE!
Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Hair and Makeup: Charlyn Sanchez
Wedding Coordination: I Do! Weddings, Rachel Leber
String Trio: Belo Som Trio
Linens: A Perfect Table

Like everyone, my wife and I find tax time the most stressful time of the year.  No matter how much planning we do ahead of time, it always seems to come down to the wire.  This year was no different, even with a few extra days to get everything done.

My wife and I are both pretty frugal, choosing to pay into our retirement accounts instead of taking the killer vacation.  Not only do we believe that someday when we’re old and gray we’ll be able to relax a little, but it reduces our tax burden.  So, like in years past, I found myself driving to our financial management firm on April 17, with an envelope containing two sizable checks destined for deposit.

I pulled into the parking lot, parked my car, and headed up to the third floor of a sparkling office building in Rancho Bernardo.  I dropped off the envelope with the firm’s secretary and headed out the door.

Like every year, I experience that euphoric moment right after dropping off the checks.  A feeling of incredible satisfaction after a year’s worth of really hard work.  It’s that moment, felt between the moment I shut the firm’s door until I press the elevator’s down button–a space of about 6 feet–where I actually feel like I’m accomplishing something.

I hop in my car and head towards the freeway.  As I often do when I’m heading back north, I’ll stop at Board ‘n Brew–my favorite sandwich shop in the whole world–for a Baja Chicken/no mayo/no cheese.

As I’m parking my car on Camino Del Mar, I get a call from a woman stating that she found a check for $xx,xxx in the parking lot with my business name on it.  ”YES, THAT’S MINE!”  I exclaim.  The woman kindly asks if the check is supposed to go to the financial management firm on the third floor.  I respond affirmatively, and she states that she’d be happy to hand-deliver the check to the firm’s secretary.  I proceed to thank her profusely, thinking about the disaster that was averted by her kindness.

Later that afternoon, I sent her an email asking if, as a token of appreciation, I could take some pictures of her and her children.  She was elated!  We got together this past Sunday for the shoot and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to photograph.

Winnie and Eugene were the perfect subjects for a day like this.  Confident yet reserved, their stoic demeanors were synchronized to the stillness of the park, making them the perfect subjects for the types of pre-wedding shoots I love.