From the East Coast to the West, in the middle of winter, was the perfect getaway for Ivan and Jayselle, and they picked the perfect day to celebrate the love they have for each other with a sunny, warm and perfect engagement session in beautiful San Diego.  These two let their emotions show, and how they felt about each other was obvious to everyone that day.  Thank you guys so much for flying out and letting us capture a part of your life together!

Bubbly.  That’s the perfect word to describe Jason and Cailin.  Their love for each other literally was bubbling over during their bubble and balloon-themed engagement session in San Diego.  These two are the cutest together and they embody what it means to live life to the fullest.  We cannot wait to share their special wedding day with them in Balboa Park this year!!!

Everything about it was unique and perfect, so Denise and Mike.  As you drive in to the Rancho Las Lomas property, you pass several unexpected sights.  Mainly, you pass several cages housing very large and imposing tigers, lions, and other big cats.  Over to the left you’ll find zebras, to the right, parrots and other exotic birds.  And nestled in between all this wildlife lies one of the most spectacular wedding venues in all of Southern California.  Thanks to some amazing details and decorating, Mike and Denise had themselves one amazingly gorgeous wedding day, and we were so happy to share it with them!

Love.  Passion.  Excitement.  These two had it all, and it showed.  From the moment they saw each other in their First Look, to the ceremony and the all-night party, you could tell with a glance that Jake and Tammy were ready to take on the world together, to explore everything life had to offer, and to never slow down.  They work together and play together, and these two perfectly matched souls will now share the rest of their lives together as one.  Meeting on set at the Tucson television station where they both worked, there was an instant connection, something they quickly knew was real, and eventually she relented and said yes; there was no stopping Jake from the love of his life.  And on the day that they made it official, the sun shone, the wine flowed, the beat went on well into the night, and as they were surrounded by their closest friends and family, their love and passion for each other was on display for all the world to see.

Standing in the valley of Sedona must evoke similar to standing in St Paul’s Cathedral, Times Square, or the Washington Mall.  All around you, everywhere, beauty rises up above your head, towering over every living soul.  In this awe-inspiring place, love is formed; love is renewed.  For John and Alexis, this was the place that their love first blossomed, and where the rest of their lives began.  In this gallery of nature’s finest work, John took one knee and asked the love of his life to take his hand in marriage.  And of course, she said yes.  Now, in a celebration of their new adventure together, they returned to their favorite destination to explore new locations and revisit old friends.  Thank you John and Alexis for inviting us to join you in one of the most inspirational and breathtaking places on Earth to shoot your engagement session.  After exploring the Sedona area, including Cathedral Rock and Tlaquepaque, we now have our new favorite destination as well!

Exquisite Weddings Magazine recently posted images of three photographers, including White Haute Photography, to show you how different in style and processing your wedding images can be.  It is quite interesting to see the contrasting styles, and it will show you that you definitely can find someone that fits exactly what you’re looking for.  For instance, if you’re looking for a wedding photographer with a vintage feel and modern styling, with soft natural lighting, you’d want to use White Haute Photography.

Check out these three comparisons at Exquisite Weddings Magazine here, and think about your own style and what exactly you’re looking for in a photographer!

Photo by Jose VillaPhoto by Kate Osborne ]]> http://www.whitehautephotography.com/2011/10/complete-your-bridal-look-with-lo-boheme/feed 1 http://www.whitehautephotography.com/2011/09/modern-bouquet http://www.whitehautephotography.com/2011/09/modern-bouquet#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:09:19 +0000 admin http://www.whitehautephotography.com/?p=4460 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Modern Bouquet
ph: 760.845.9698

Your wedding flowers can honestly take your wedding decor from being boring and basic to amazing and memorable.  There is such a difference that is easily noticeable when you see a true professional design a bouquet or a centerpiece.  The ladies over at Modern Bouquet, especially the owner, Hannah, are incredible at what they do, and there’s no one we’ve found that does it better.  They can take your vision, whether it is scribbled on a piece of paper or carefully researched through Pinterest and Google searches, and turn the idea into beautiful reality.  Be sure to check out their web site for more gorgeous flower designs, and don’t hesitate to contact them for your upcoming wedding.  Tell her that Chris + Erinn sent you!

The 2012 edition of San Diego Style Weddings magazine has hit newsstands, and we’re proud to announce that White Haute Photography has the first cover-shot of the year!  We were honored to shoot one of the main bridal shoots for the magazine, which was held at the Estancia Hotel in La Jolla, which you will see below.  In addition, our wedding with Kailyn + Alex from the Ultimate Skybox in San Diego was featured in the magazine.  Pin It]]> http://www.whitehautephotography.com/2011/09/sdsw-cover/feed 0 http://www.whitehautephotography.com/2011/09/to-see-or-not-to-see-the-first-look-conundrum http://www.whitehautephotography.com/2011/09/to-see-or-not-to-see-the-first-look-conundrum#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:49:09 +0000 admin http://www.whitehauteblog.com/?p=3876 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

With the wedding industry changing so rapidly over the last few years, one of the biggest trends from previous generations is the increase in popularity of the “first look,” which is essentially seeing each other before the ceremony.  Many couples want to stick to the traditional view of how the day should unfold, and want to wait until that magical moment of the bride walking down the aisle before the groom gets to feast his eyes upon the beauty of his bride-to-be.  This trend, however, is slowly changing, and here in Southern California couples are changing their mindsets at a much faster pace.  No longer do the old rules of weddings apply as strictly as they did before.  What used to be a faux pas is now becoming acceptable, even embraced.  And we cannot be happier and excited for this trend to continue, as it opens up new and interesting opportunities for weddings in general.

The first look is something we recommend to every one of our clients.  There are many advantages to doing this early in the day, and really no downside.  We really feel that if photography is the most important element to your wedding day, which it should be, you should look carefully at the First Look for your big day.

First of all, the first time you see each other should be as romantic and special as possible.  Certainly watching your bride walk down the aisle is a beautiful experience, but the ceremony is always such a formal part of a wedding that you never really fully get to enjoy it.  You cannot hug and kiss and talk quietly in each other’s ears.  You can’t take a step back to show off the beautiful gown to your new husband, you can’t hold each other and embrace in the moment.  With a first look, you get to do all of that.

Second, it’s much more private and special.  Sure, all your family and friends will be in attendance at your ceremony, but wouldn’t you rather save that one moment to yourself?  With the first look, we take the two of you away from your guests, away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding preparations.  It’s quiet, it’s cute, it’s sweet, it’s everything you thought it would be.

Third, nerves can often get the best of even the most tempered bride and groom.  You’ve undoubtedly spent the entire day apart from each other, with trivial activities occupying some of your mind while you wait until you are called to start.  Most often for the groom, this time is stressful.  Visions of how beautiful your bride will look are racing through your head, and you just want to get to the “I do”s.  With a first look, most of those nerves are taken care of much earlier.  You get to exhale, relax, and start really enjoying the day.  Everything after that is easy!

Fourth, most wedding photos are taken immediately after the ceremony, during the cocktail hour. This is often a fun part of the day, as guests are mingling and good finger food is being served. Without the first look, the bride and groom miss this entire portion of the wedding, as they are busy wrangling family members and straying bridal party for the formal pictures.  Then, with whatever time is left before your grand entrance, we are racing to get the pictures that will end up meaning the most to you, the bride and groom photos.  Sometimes this can mean only 10-15 minutes to get the photos you’ll be hanging on your wall and sharing online.  That’s now how we want your day to go.  With a first look, most, if not all, of your photos can be done prior to the ceremony.  You can take your couple photos and spend 45 minutes or an hour exploring with your photographer. Then, we can take your bridal party photos and even your family images before the wedding begins.  Sometimes it makes more sense to save your family photos until after the ceremony, when you know everyone will have arrived and be in one spot. Even under that scenario, you’ll still get to enjoy over half of your cocktail party, and you’ll be relaxed and ready to go inside, eat some good dinner, and dance the night away.

And finally, you have the opportunity to take some amazing photos in a location you thought might not be feasible under normal wedding timelines.  If you wait until after the ceremony and all the other group photos, you are stuck taking photos in the location of the ceremony and/or reception.  Often this could be a hotel that may be beautiful as a venue for your guests, but is uninspiring from a photographer’s perspective.  With a first look, you can be ready to go well in advance of the ceremony, with enough time to drive off-site to a gorgeous or unique location nearby, where you can take some truly memorable photos.

When you weigh all those benefits against the other side, which is to keep tradition going from the past, it makes so much sense to do a first look.  Of course there are exceptions; you may have several hours in between your ceremony and reception or you may just be under tight time constraints and have no options whatsoever.  But if it is at all possible, doing a first look can be the most special choice you’ll make, and you definitely will not regret it!

Every post is only as good as the photo that goes with it, so for today we give you a sneak peek of our amazing engagement session we did this past weekend in Sedona, Arizona.  We explored Red Rock Crossing, Tlaquepaque, and it was amazing.  The gorgeous Sedona sunset made for a spectacular background, and the cliffs of Cathedral Rock were incredible.  We would love to shoot a wedding in Sedona someday, keeping our fingers crossed!

*$100 retainer is refundable up until 7 days prior to your session date.  After that point, session retainer is non-refundable.