Marriage in Montana

In the past six weeks, we've been to Japan, Jamaica and now Montana. Honestly, this was the wedding I was looking forward to the most. I love the mountains and there's no better setting than Glacier National Park with it's craggy peaks and high mountain lakes. Kristen and Alfred chose Polebridge, a one horse hamlet just on the edge of the park. Talk about isolated - it's 20 miles from the Canadian border and about an hour up a dirt road. The only bathroom in town is an old red outhouse situated amidst the old unpainted wood buildings.



Here's the pole in Polebridge.



The wedding party was a tough crowd. One of the bridesmaids had a black eye. She claimed that she didn't know how she got it, but I think it was the wedding rings that they were using as brass knuckles. ;-)



The ceremony was held in between a stand of pine trees, a broad field and a glassy creek. Beautiful.







The ceremony was short but emotional nonetheless.











This was the outside of little cabin where Kristen got ready. Great light. Great bride!







This shot was taken around 10:30 in the evening. Around here in San Diego, it would have long been dark. Instead, the twilight just wanted to linger forever. Which is kind of how I felt about Montana...



To view more work by San Diego wedding and portrait photographer John Mireles, please visit ventanaphotography.com.

Jake & Jamie - From Del Mar to Downtown

Well, I've been a slacker-blogger. It's not because there's nothing going on. Instead, I've just been biting into too many projects and I just haven't had the time to blog. I'm going to try to catch up though. :-)

Jake and Jamie first met in high school and then started dating in college. They've got a lot of friends and aren't afraid to party.


The ceremony took place at Seagrove Park in Del Mar. Adrianne Smith did the flowers. Her work is always clean and elegant and today was no different.











After the ceremony, everyone headed downtown to the The Witherby which is a new venue right off of Market street in the Gaslamp District. As Jamie and Jake did their entrance, their guests threw flowers from the second floor.







Jake and Jamie knew their guests well and were thinking of them at the end of the night. Everyone needs some water and Advil after a long night of partying.

Big Ol' Texas Wedding

Claudia first contacted me a couple years ago. She sent me a nice email saying that she'd come across my work and really liked it. At the time she wasn't even engaged. Later on, we started working together on a photo related project. Well, she got engaged about a year ago and so she asked me to be her photographer. I was happy and honored. :-)

The wedding took place in Pflugerville which is about 30 minutes from Austin. (Toto, we're not in San Diego anymore!)









There was no shortage of kids at this wedding. They practically took over the dance floor later that night. (Claudia - you're next!)







Brandon's eye's almost popped as he saw Claudia walk down the aisle. He even had to look away for a sec.



The church was packed to the rafters with guests. It was standing room only with people coming out the back. Out here in California, a lot of people skip the ceremony and just cut straight to the reception. They do things a little different here in Texas.

One thing that we couldn't do though was move around during the ceremony. The pastor wouldn't let us get near the front of the church.





Claudia was radiant!





Claudia and Brandon have been fixing up a cute little house for the past few months. It was almost right across the street from the church so we popped on by for a couple of shots. We couldn't stay long since everyone was waiting for us at the town hall.







I've gotta say, you haven't been to a wedding until you've done the grand march. It's just one big conga line done hoedown style. Leading it isn't for the faint of heart. You've got 500 people following your moves so if you screw up, you've got one big traffic jam. The groomsman who lead the charge commented beforehand, "I was born for this stuff!" And he was.



The father-daughter dance was emotional. There were more than few tears shed. Claudia's not going too far though. I think they moved in just a couple doors down from her folks. Good thing everyone gets along. ;-)




Congratulations Claudia! I remember back when we were talking about whether Brandon was going to propose. I'm glad he did!



To view more work by San Diego wedding and portrait photographer John Mireles, please visit ventanaphotography.com.

Jenae & Brian - La Valencia, La Jolla

I have to admit, when I first met with Jenae and her folks, I was a little skeptical about having the wedding inside the Sala Room at the La Valencia Hotel in the middle of December. I was concerned that it might be too dark since the days are so short this time of year. It turned out to be a great location with a very intimate feel.

The weather report predicted heavy rain, but the day proved to be a little cool with light clouds overhead. They say that rain on your wedding day brings good luck, but I'll take the good weather any day. ;-)




The wedding day coordination and planning was handled smoothly by Kristin Garuba of Pink Papaya. We've worked together on several weddings. She's a true pro and everything usually rolls along smoothly - today was no exception.








Jenae's decoration of the La Sala room was not only beautiful - it was perfect. There's no such thing as too many flowers or candles. (She also designed the bridesmaid dresses. My hat's off to her - they looked awesome.)





One of the great things about getting married around Christmas is that you get the benefit of all the lights, flowers and decorations that have been put up. To borrow a phrase, you can have any flower you like so long as it's a poinsettia.









It was a fun (and good looking) crowd at the reception. Mucho dancing and festiveness. It finally rained outside for a while but that just added to the magic.





Well, most everybody was having a good time...





And finally, off into the night they went.



To view more work by San Diego wedding photographer John Mireles, please visit ventanaphotography.com.

Julie & Kit - Alisal Ranch, Solvang

Okay. This is going to be a long post with lots of photos. Alisal Ranch is located just a few minutes outside of Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley. It's a 100,000 acre working ranch/dude ranch/vacation resort. Once you get past the entrance buildings and hotel area, it's pure ranch with lots of rolling hills, oak trees, deer and what the folks in Wyoming refer to as "slow elk" (cows).

It's a gorgeous location that's has to be one of the most amazing places to get married. The bad news is that this was the first wedding that they ever did there and it may well have been the last. Managing a wedding isn't something that they're used to doing and it was more work than they expected. Still, if you'd like to have your wedding there, plan on buying out the entire resort for the weekend as that's a requirement. The good news is that you can always schedule a weekend getaway if you're interested in checking it out.



We started out the day before the wedding doing a little shoot with just the bride and groom together. We figured that it would be fun to check out the ranch without the pressure of the wedding day and a bunch of guests milling about and waiting for them.





After the shoot, everyone headed over to a small bunkhouse tucked away in the back hills of the ranch for a good ol' fashioned hoedown.









Wedding day came around and it was a perfect September day with even a little fall chill in the morning. As everyone was getting ready, a fire broke out about a mile or two from the ranch. It got big in a hurry and was blowing towards the ranch. Knowing how fast a fire can move, you could say that I was a little concerned. The clouds in the photo below were entirely from smoke as it was an otherwise clear day. White ashes quickly began to coat the ground like a light snowfall.



Fortunately, air tankers quickly arrived on the scene and within an hour or two were able to bring the fire under control. Everyone was pretty busy with getting ready that, in the end, it didn't even slow things down.








I don't usually include the family photos in any of my blogs, but the ranch was so picturesque that it almost looks like a fake background.



The ceremony was held at a lake on the ranch property. It was not only a scenic location, but it was so perfectly quiet. No onlookers, nearby roads or even airplanes overhead to add any distraction.




The evening light was so warm and perfect as it filtered through the trees and reflected off of the lake. One benefit of the smoke from the fire is that it softened the light a little and warmed it up. Not that I'd ever wish for a brush fire on someone's wedding day, but if you were going to have one nearby, this was it.






The hand-written vows got the tears flowing...





After the ceremony, we shot a few photos out on the dock. The bride and groom really didn't want any posed images, but the light was so beautiful and the setting so perfect that how could we not?



The theme for the wedding was "gold" so everyone had to wear something gold. (I wore my gold tie.)





The reception was held in the large grassy parklike area amongst the bungalows that make up the hotel part of the ranch. Oh what a night!









You know, there's nothing like a great toast to start off the reception. There's an art to it - the great ones stick with you and really tell you a lot about the persons to whom they're directed. (My younger brother's toast was probably the highlight of my wedding reception.)



Did I happen to mention that there was lots of dancing? Once the party got started, it did not stop. We left late but no one was sitting down when we did. The band did a great job of keeping everone out on the dance floor. With no curfew or closing time to worry about, the party went on pretty much all night.





For more photography by San Diego wedding and portrait photographer John Mireles, visit VentanaPhotography.com.

Matt & Lindsey - Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Amazing. That's what I heard someone say as we were waiting for the wedding party to walk down the aisle. The ceremony was held in the shade of a large tree on the croquet lawn of the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe on one of those perfect San Diego summer afternoons. The Inn is a quiet venue with cozy bungalows and elegantly landscaped gardens and lawns. It's a far cry from the busy tourist venues near the beaches. There's something about it's cozy charm that makes it perfect for a wedding, but that wasn't the only thing that made it an amazing day. More on that in a moment.



The florals were beautifully handled by Botanica. They're known for their clean, elegant look and they didn't disappoint. The wedding was coordinated by Mary Noble. Mary delivered on her reputation as being among the best of the best when it comes to San Diego coordinators. She did such a great job that she got a special thank you from the father of the groom during his toast.





The wedding dress was by Monique Lhuillier while the bride's maid dresses were Vera Wang.






What makes the wedding day so special is all the moments and people that come together at just the right time and in the right way. Sometimes there's an extra spark that just makes you tingle - and that was supplied in this case by a 12 person gospel choir. At the start of the ceremony, they walked out singing. What a truly amazing feeling they brought to the day.






The reception was held at the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club. The cake was an intricate Michele Coulon creation.










Usually, I like to finish with a romantic shot or something, but instead I'll finish with one of my favorites. It's no photographic masterpiece - really it's a snapshot more than anything else. What I like about it is that, though the day was filled with really the best of everything (not the least of whom were my clients and their family), I just had to smile when I opened up the refrigerator in the bride's suite to grab a bottle of water. Nothing like a couple 40 ouncers of malt liquor to add some class to the day (and a hangover to the following morning). ;-)



For more photography by San Diego wedding and portrait photographer John Mireles, visit VentanaPhotography.com.

Christina & Oscar - Hotel Coral, Baja Mexico

Where do I start? Maybe I should start by saying that Christina and Oscar are a little wacky (in a good way) and made what could have been a really challenging day into a lot of fun. The preparations and reception took place at the Hotel Coral just a few miles north of Ensenada (which is about 60 miles south from the San Diego border in Mexico). My associate photographer, Taylor, and I left the studio early that day so that we could enjoy a casual lunch at La Fonda Restaurant which is about ten minutes south of the packed tourist trap Puerto Nuevo. Not only did we avoid all the crowds, but we also got a front row view of the ocean.



In typical Latin fashion, things started running behind from the very beginning. Now, wedding days can be fairly stressful, but Christina made it all go so easy by just not worrying and keeping a smile on her face all night long. The wedding coordination was expertly (and patiently) handled by Kristin Garuba and her team from Pink Papaya . They were on top of everything and not only made my job a lot easier, but kept the evening moving along without any hitches (not an easy task).



There wasn't much time for bridesmaid photos so the elevator ride down seemed to be as good a spot as any to get a shot of everyone together. (Not to worry though, we got plenty of others too.)



So here's where things took a turn for the zany. I don't know where this idea came from, but it had been decided that Christina would, in order to avoid wrinkling her dress, lay flat on her back in the back of an SUV in order to get to the church. Now, that's a new one for me. It's not something I would recommend. It's okay for the dress to get a little wrinkled - no one will ever notice. But I digress...



So Christina and I are sucking it up in the back of the Navigator while in the front were two bridesmaids trying to navigate their way through the crowded streets of Ensenada to make it to the church. Somehow, they got some song stuck in their head and so we got a rousing karaoke rendition along with the bumpy ride. (Mexican roads live up to their reputation.) Christina took it all in though with a lot of laughing and what could have been a miserable ride turned into a fun adventure.



By the time we got to the church it was black outside - and inside too. The altar of the church was well lit, but the rest of the church was candlelit. Although I had my flash with me, I was determined not to use it since I really wanted to capture the ambiance and the mood of the beautiful setting.





The photo below, though it looks simple enough, was actually one of the most challenging of my career. I'd been photographing the bride, her father and step-father as they entered the church and starting walking down the aisle. Then I ran around the side to the break in the middle of the church. The church was way too dark for the camera's autofocus so I quickly switched to a preset focus.

The shutter speed in this image is 1/8th of a second which is generally not recommended for handholding and isn't nearly enough to stop the motion of the subjects as they walked down the aisle. But I panned the camera to follow the movement thus rendering the subjects tack sharp while blurring the background. I could have used a flash here, but then I would have lost the ambiance of the candles and the soft light coming from the altar. The challenging part comes in that there's no second chance to get it right...



The church was beautiful, but the heat and humidity were stifling. Even though it was night out, the church didn't seem to have cooled a bit. There was no ventilation and no fresh air circulating from outside. I went up to the choir loft for a few shots and almost passed out from the heat. Fortunately, the wedding party was permitted to sit for the ceremony, otherwise I'd bet we'd have lost a few.



The heat didn't stop Oscar and Christina from having fun though. They kept laughing with each other and even smiled mischievously for the camera.



When it was all over, everyone was all too eager to get back to the air-conditioned reception. Still, the heat didn't keep us from stopping off at the local taco stand.



Once we were out and about, it only made sense to go to the carnival that was in progress. The regular fare was $5 for each person, but we talked our way in for five bucks for all of us.



Just inside the carnival was a stage with a band and announcer. He saw La Novia y El Novio (the bride and groom) walking by so he called them up on the stage (which I was only too happy to encourage). They actually ended up doing their first dance in front of the crowd, on stage. That was fun!



After that it, it was off to the reception for the sparkler entrance. (If you're thinking about doing a sparkler entrance or exit, be sure to get the long ones - about two feet long - otherwise you'll risk having some go out before you even get started. If you only have a few people, it may not matter, but when you have a big crowd, it will make a difference.)



The reception got started at about 10:30 PM. When we left at 2:30 AM, it was still in full swing with plans for it to go through to morning. They'd already gone through two bands and a couple of DJ's with more to come. It's customary for Mexican weddings to go on all night so everyone sticks around - from the old to the very young and dances all night long. Viva la fiesta y buena suerte a Christina y Oscar!





To view more photography by San Diego wedding and portrait photographer John Mireles, please visit Ventana Photography.

Akiko & Michael - Ponte Winery, Temecula

Although the Ponte Winery is only a few years old, it's a well thought out place for a wedding with a rustic feel. The ceremony site is surrounded by vineyards and trees with a quaint little cottage for the bride and groom to get ready in. There's lots of little nooks and spots that are great for incorporating into the photography.

The ivy growing over the cottage, decomposed granite walkways, park benches and wooden buildings gave me a lot to work with. If there's one thing that can distract from a great photo, it's a metal railing. Most of the high-end resorts have railings guarding their views so it was nice to just have open air and grapevines as a backdrop.

The day was a hot one though - the day previous had broken heat records all over Southern California. 105 degrees was the reading on the car thermometer when we pulled into the lot. Fortunately, a wind picked up just before the ceremony so it ended up not being too bad. All the same, I was thankful for the large willow tree that offered some cool shade.

The wedding coordination was expertly handled by Melissa Barrad. We've worked together several times and each time she's done a great job. (We worked together at Kanani & John's wedding in Palm Springs that's further down in the blog.)





Besides shade, the willow tree offered a nice textural element to play off of.








Akiko did a great job with the details. Lots of little things here and there that added to the day. The umbrellas that she put out not only looked great, but provided some welcome shade.




The reception was held in the barrel room of the vineyard. Not only did it have an intimate feel, but it's kept at a comfortable 59 degrees. The winery also has a large tent, but we were all thankful to be sitting inside. The barrel room will probably fit up to about 50 people or so.




For more images by San Diego wedding photographer John Mireles, visit the Ventana Photography web site.

Stephanie & Jim - El Cortez, San Diego

This was a sweltering day in a string of hot days so the challenge was to keep everyone cool, have fun and still get some great photos. The ceremony took place at Founder's Chapel located on the campus of USD in San Diego. Founder's sits right next door to the popular Immaculata cathedral also on the USD campus. The chapel is actually quite big, but it has more of an intimate feel with it's dark wood and carved alter guilded in gold. It quickly got hot and steamy in there so it was a good thing that the bride and groom provided everyone with small folding fans to cool themselves. (Recommended for anyone considering a summer wedding there.)










Stephanie wore a beautiful Carolina Herrera dress. Not only did the dress fit her perfectly, but I liked seeing something from a designer that I don't see too often.




Originally, Jim (the groom) wanted to take some photos with the wedding party at Balboa Park near downtown San Diego. The day was so hot that I instead suggested shooting at the USD campus where there was a steady breeze and no crowds. So we headed over to the center of the campus where there's a fountain and the cathedral in the background. I had this idea that I'd get everyone in the fountain so I mentioned it to the groomsmen. At first, they were skeptical, but then one of them said what the heck and went for it. Then the rest followed.



The cool water was so nice that the girls decided to jump in too.



Alas, jumping in wasn't really an option for the Stephanie so she just hovered.


The reception was at the Don Room in the El Cortez situated in downtown San Diego. It's one of the most gorgeous rooms you'll find anywhere.



Catering and cake was handled by Paul Bott & Company. He does a great job although I have to admit I'm biased - he catered my wedding.








There's the bride and groom's first dance...



...and then the groom and best man's first dance.



For more images by San Diego wedding photographer John Mireles, visit theVentana Photography web site.

Amanda & Alan - La Valencia, La Jolla

The wedding actually took place at the Bishop's School in La Jolla. They have a cute chapel on the grounds of the school. It's a little dark and narrow, but it's cozy with lots of wood and the grounds are beautiful. The catch with having your ceremony at Bishop's is that you need to have gone to school there. Usually, they don't allow much photography during the ceremony, but we got lucky. The usual officiant wasn't there so I got to move around pretty freely. I never use a flash during the ceremony so I was able to photograph pretty much unnoticed.

The coordinator was Lisa Lippe of Details Defined. This was our first time working together; it was great to work with someone so super organized and meticulous. She's also a great advocate for the client which helps when it comes time to get things done. Flowers were handled by Adelaides in La Jolla. Video was handled by Stealth Productions. I'd also never worked with them, but they were easy to work with and didn't try to pose things or get in the way.




It was a hot day... and no air conditioning at Bishops.



What could be cuter than excited little kids in English schoolboy outfits?






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As a surprise treat, the USC marching band came out and played after the ceremony. It was awesome and so much fun. The guests loved it too.





Bishop's is a great place to shoot since it has so many arches, trees and great light.











I don't usually show reception/dancing shots on my blog. It's not because we don't shoot many - actually we shoot more shots during the reception than during the entire rest of the day. It's because it's hard to just pick out one or two. Still, I thought that I'd post a few of folks getting funky. :-)








For more images by San Diego wedding photographer John Mireles, visit theVentana Photography web site.