Southern California Wedding Photographer - John Riedy

The Four Seasons Resort Aviara
November 8, 2008

Perhaps one of the best things about being a San Diego wedding photographer is that within about 30 minutes of my house are a number of the best wedding venues in the world. Not least among them is the Four Seasons Resort Aviara, which happens to be less than 10 minutes from my house. Aviara is elegant, but intimate, and it affords some of the best views of the ocean anywhere in Southern California. My bride and groom this week fit in the Aviara’s aesthetic seamlessly. Actually, some of the coolest shots we did were of Lindsay and Ken interacting with some of the stunning sculptures in Aviara’s Palm Courtyard.

Emotions were not far from the surface on Saturday, as Linsday’s father passed away just a few months ago. He was remembered often by all in attendance and was no doubt watching over with a very happy heart as his daughter married the man of her dreams. Thankfully everything went off without a hitch thanks largely to the stellar organization and artistic touch of wedding planner Rebecca Gaffney of Red Letter Days Events and Aviara’s catering manager, Kelly Smorzewski. Red and amber rose petals that adorned the aisle leading up to the large fireplace on the Laviana Terrace where the ceremony took place, were provided by florist Sharrie Woods. Sharrie’s designs are always stunning and appropriate to the season. This wedding was no exception as the fall accent colors set the perfect stylistic tone.

If there’s one thing I learned from this wedding its that you don’t have to have 300 guests and a 20 piece band to have a memorable, meaningful wedding. Family and friends are what it’s all about. Lindsay and Ken clearly understand that. Their wedding was the perfect way for me to end my 10th year in business as a wedding photographer. I hope you enjoy their images…

Rincon Beach Club
October 25, 2008

The second leg of my triple header weekend included a scenic drive up the coast from San Diego to Santa Barbara (well, almost to SB) and the Rincon Beach Club. I hadn’t met with Brie and Bobby before their wedding day, although about seven years earlier I had photographed Bobby’s brother’s wedding up at Firestone Vineyard in Santa Ynez. I even shot it on f*lm! Yikes! Imagine my delight in finding that the bride was drop dead gorgeous and the groom had dreadlocks and bright red painted toenails!!! Does it get any better. Talk about keeping it interesting, my groom from the day before was the Marine helicopter pilot for the President of the United States! Both were SUPER cool and about as different as they come.

The ceremony took place right on the beach in Carpenteria amidst a curtain of fog that gradually dissipated throughout the ceremony. Brie and Bobby chose the location and placement of the wedding arch very specifically such that, had the conditions been right, you could have seen an oil rig in the distance directly in line with the arch. This rig was the same rig that Bobby’s brother, who passed away six years earlier, had worked on. Sadly, even once the fog had lifted, the atmospheric conditions just weren’t right and we couldn’t see the rig. Still, it was a spectacular sunset with gorgeous golden California light bathing the beach for our portraits. It was very hard to pull ourselves away.

After a short hop on the vintage trolley car shuttle, we made our way into the reception at the Rincon Beach Club. I must say that at night, the venue really transforms into a magical place. The chinese lanterns give a warm soft glow to the whole outdoor seating area. The hedge covered walls were laden with twinkle lights that made for exceptional backgrounds especially when combined with the uber-yummy bokeh (sorry, geeky technical term for the out of focus area of an image) of my 85 F1.2 lens. Yup, this is what gets true photographers all fired up. He, he.

In the “small world” department, I was TOTALLY shocked when as the groomsmen walked up I found myself staring at an old friend from our Valencia days named Matt Pearson. If you look at the wedding galleries of all the images on my website, he’s the one who, along with his beautiful wife, Mary, was making all the dorky faces in the background of otherwise very nice shots. Matt and I used to play golf together at the TPC at Valencia. Small, small world.

Once again, as I manage to bring the story back to me, I’m sure you’d rather see pretty pictures. Well, here they are…

Gotta love the Choo…

And the choo-choo! Don’t worry, the tracks here were straight for miles…

Immaculata at USD
The Hotel Del Coronado
October 24, 2008

Few wedding venues say San Diego quite like the Immaculata church at the University of San Diego and the Hotel Del Coronado. Both are San Diego classics to say the least. My wedding on Friday was the first of a triple header weekend for me so if nothing else, I was fresh for this one! It’s a good thing, too, as this was a long day with several location changes. Nonetheless, this was one of those weddings that pretty much shoots itself. I mean, when you’ve got a bride as beautiful and expressive as Katie and a groom in full Marine dress uniform as Chris was, combined with floral arrangements by Kathy Wright and wedding planning by in incomparable Mary Noble (who just so happened to plan my own wedding just over 10 years ago), you can pretty much aim your camera in the general vicinity of the action and get a good shot. Okay, maybe that’s oversimplifying, but you get the idea.

In addition to having the same wedding planner as did yours truly, Monsignor Dan Dillabough performed the mass at Immaculata, just like he did at my own wedding 10 years ago (although ours took place at the Founder’s Chapel at USD about a three wood away from Immaculata). Oh yeah, Kathy Wright did our flowers too!!! Almost forgot! I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that in addition to Katie, THREE more of my brides were guests at the wedding, two of whom were in the bridal party! Okay enough about me. Let’s look at some photos!!! Enjoy…

Here I am having my pic taken with Katie and three of my past brides…

La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club
October 26, 2008

What’s the expression, “last in, first out”? Well, last weekend was a first for me, three weddings in a row. Ouch! Siobhan and James’s wedding on Sunday was the last of the three. Yes, it was grueling but in the end it only served to re-affirm why I love being a wedding photographer. First, I loved that it was morning wedding. The light is just different in the morning - not necessarily better, but different is always welcome. It keeps things fresh. I also REALLY enjoyed the “Irish element”. Many of the guests on Siobhan’s side flew to San Diego all the way from the Emerald Isle to be part of the wedding. They couldn’t have been nicer people and I LOVED listening to their accents.

The wedding itself was a simple affair at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club with the ceremony taking place right next to the Duck Pond on the par-3 golf course. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails on the sand and then a reception brunch inside a small reception room that looks out onto the ocean. It was a beautiful, understated event with much love and plenty of great photo opportunities. I hope you enjoy this small sneak peek…

Check out the little guy in PJ’s watching in the background…

Be afraid, be VERY afraid!!!