STUDIOcastillero » Wedding

DAVID holly {glimpse}

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:15:39 +0000

It’s TUESDAY! Yes, I know this and I also know that we didn’t post yesterday for the Monday post (brain hasn’t been maxed out quite yet to where I’m getting my days mixed up…not yet anyway). My deepest apologies, you know how much that Monday post means to me! We have a good excuse though I PROMISE! We were up in Seattle for a FANTASTIC wedding…oh man, so fantastic. Our laptop also decided to die the day we arrived in Seattle so we had no way of posting the Monday post remotely, so here we are….posting on Tuesday. What? Still not a good enough reason for you? Just check out the following pics from our Seattle wedding and you’ll be convinced…totally worth it. Can’t wait to share more of this wedding in a few weeks! So I hope you’ll forgive me for slacking on the Monday post and accept this post on Tuesday. Maybe we’ll just have to post something else this week to double make up for it, we’ll see. Love you all and happy Tuesday to you! xoxo

NELSON jamaica

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:54:53 +0000

And again we find ourselves at Monday. Can you believe it? I sure can’t! I also can’t believe that we didn’t have a wedding this weekend! Now, don’t get me wrong, we love shooting weddings but it is definitley nice to get a little break once and while. It’s our one weekend off until mid November and it definitely left us feeling refreshed and ready to face the rest of the season (which is going to be awesome btw). I had three boudoir shoots on Saturday that were a TOTAL blast so special thanks to those ladies for making my weekend even better. B-shoots are the best! So with that, I’ll move on to the monday post that we have for you today.

Remember when I mentioned a few weeks back that we shot a SWEET wedding in the Santa Cruz Mountains? WEEEELL, that is what I’m sharing with you today. The wedding of Jamaica and Nelson. Well actually it was called a Love Party instead of a wedding by the couple. I thought that was pretty unique, and I’ll let them describe it for you in their own words:

“1. Our celebration will be bigger/longer/and more fun than the usual wedding. Think love! Think big! Think party! Calling it a wedding would just be inaccurate.

2. We are supporters of equal rights for all, including equality in marriage. We don’t feel right celebrating ‘marriage’ until it is a right that can be legally granted to everyone – including our gay and lesbian friends.

3. There are so many traditions/expectations/rules associated with ‘a wedding.’ We don’t subscribe to 90% of these and we don’t want these expectations to hold us back from celebrating our love and commitment in our own unique way with our community and family.

4. Turns out we are kinda hippies. What’s says love more than a love party?”

So there you have it, the love party was born! And a party it was indeed, but we’ll get to that, first let me tell you about the ceremony. (there is so much to say about this love party, so I apologize in advance if I go on and on and on and…….). They were married at the Sequoia Retreat Center in Ben Lomand. I have a slight obession with trees so obviously I was in heaven when we pulled up at the venue. The ceremony took place in a redwood circle and was the most unique ceremony I’ve ever seen. Jamaica and Nelson wrote it themselves and included aspects of who they are in everything. Each wedding party member had a reading, they did a Japanese Saki ceremony, they even had their guests marry them in unison so they were married by all their family and closest friends. To top it all off, the recessional song was Peace Train by Cat Stevens sung by the members of the wedding party!

The reception was off the hook with Virginia Reel and square dancing with a rockin Blue Grass Band, The Dalton Mountain Gang. The food was grown locally and had my stomach doing some serious celebrating, AND the beer was brewed by one of the guests and it was to die for. Ok, sooooo, I could keep going but I’ll leave you to the pictures and might chime in here and there amongst the pics. Jamaica and Nelson, it was seriously such an honor to be a part of your love party. The love you share with each other and with those around you is amazing and something you don’t see every day. Thank you for being such an inspiration to us and we wish you the best in your commitment to one another! xoxo

Jamaica “created” her dress by finding the different pieces and putting it all together (with the help of lovely seamstress of course). This was much more of a fit for her than the traditional wedding gown. I loved it!

Jamaica and Nelson definitely have the vintage look going on so it was only fitting when Jamaica changed into her vintage reception dress.

CHRIS vanessa

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:45:08 +0000

Mondaaaaaaaaaay! That it is my friends, that it is. We had CRAZY weekend 2010, that’s for sure. We road tripped it up to Napa for a wedding on Friday then drove overnight (yes, we’re crazy) to Buellton to sleep for three hours at Anderson’s Split Pea Inn (they weren’t serving soup at 4am unfortunately so we missed that) and then hit the road again for a wedding in Newport WHICH was AMAZING and a total blast (Heather, I will NEVER forget your dance moves EVER). I’d say we owe our lives to In n Out, singing Keane at the top of our lungs, and great conversations. So, crazy weekend? Yes, but totally worth it? DEFINITELY! The weddings were awesome and we got to road trip it with Tom from Aqua Vivus which is always a treat. So here I am, alive, rested, and listening to Radiohead….all set for a Monday post. And this Monday post might just knock your socks off.

Today I am sharing the wedding of Vanessa and Chris. The simple fact is that I LOVE VANESSA AND CHRIS. I knew Vanessa when we both attended Cal Poly and she was always such a joy to be around. Seriously, when you are with Vanessa you can’t go 5 minutes without laughing….laughter is part of her, and it’s contagious. I didn’t meet Chris until their engagement session several months ago, but I knew he was perfect for her before based on the captions on all their facebook photo albums and messages to each other (no I’m NOT a stalker…well, maybe just a little. They are so cute I couldn’t help myself!). We seriously laughed the ENTIRE time we were shooting their engagement session and the wedding was no exception.They had a Vintage Spanish theme complete with Horchata (Rico was very pleased about this), mexican food served family style, and many other awesome spanish details. The day was perfect, absolutely perfect. It was beautiful, meaningful, and full of joy. I think I must have cried and laughed 20 times during the ceremony and speeches…these two, they were seriously made for each other, not a doubt in my mind. Check out the pics and I think you’ll agree. Chris and Vanessa, we adore you and we thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day as not only your photographers but as your friends. I know your marriage will be a strong example to others full of laughter and full of love. Can’t wait to see you again soon in SLO town! xoxo

Also, special thanks to the awesome venue The Portola Inn in Atascadero, the ever so talented crew from Cana Video Productions (check out the video at the end of the post), AND the A-MAZING April Peet from April Flowers for rocking the blooms like nobody’s bizness! Enjoy the pics my friends, I promise they will brighten your day!

This last picture is a shot of Chris and Vanessa watching the Same Day showing of their wedding video from Cana. SO AWESOME.

MIKE lauren

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:00:05 +0000

Monday! Yep, it sure is. Again I marvel at just how quickly these Mondays keep coming. July is our busiest month this year (and most years actually) so this month is going by especially fast. Our weekend started out with an adorable wedding at the Darlington House in La Jolla, then on Sunday morning we flew up to Tahoe for a lake themed wedding at a fabulous little chapel in Squaw. One of my very best friends (Carlosita!) has a family cabin in Tahoe City so we decided that since we were coming up here for the wedding might as well stay a few days with her and have a mini vacation at the lake. So the three of us are just chillin at a coffee shop getting ready to head to the lake for some much needed sun and relaxation. I couldn’t miss out on the Monday post though, not even during a lake vacation….too much good stuff to share with you! My apologies that it is a little late today, sleeping in is one of my skills and I practiced it in full form this morning….oh vacation, I love you. Today I have something pretty awesome to share with you. It’s the BEAUTIFUL Malibu wedding of Mike and Lauren. Every time I think about this couple I can’t help but smile. You may remember their engagement session we posted a while back, I’m sure they had you smiling then too! Lauren found us because she just so happened to be trying on wedding dresses at the same store as one of our favorite clients and friend (love you Andie) who gave them our card. Lauren and Mike set up a meeting with us and the rest was history. They were married at the Malibu Jewish Community Center which was one of the COOLEST venues we’ve shot at in a while. The theme of there wedding was trees and it was one heck of a good time. I love Jewish weddings, so much tradition and so much great dancing! It was a stunning wedding and these two are perfect for each other (not to mention hot stuff!). Time to let the pictures do the talking because I can hear the lake calling my name. Mike and Lauren, you’re amazing, you’re love for each other is beautiful and the care you have for the people around you is inspiring. We wish you all the best in your marriage and can’t wait to get together sometime soon in San Fran! xoxo

JULY fourth {glimpse}

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:38:48 +0000

Hey there 4th of July celebrators! Rico and I had quite the packed weekend with 3 weddings…one in Escondido, then Encinitas, and finishing with a 4th of July wedding in the Santa Cruz Mountains (LOVE the Redwoods). We are still in Santa Cruz and about to hit the road but I couldn’t leave you with nothing to look at on this Monday now could I?! So here’s a little glimpse from our three weddings this weekend and stay tuned for a longer post tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy your Monday my friends!

BRENT tiara

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:32:57 +0000

And Tuesday it is! As I mentioned yesterday, we are currently on a mini vacation here in Michigan. What brings us to Michigan? Well, we met Tiara and Brent when they were guests at a wedding we shot in Carmel last fall (love you Em & Chappy!). They were getting married and asked us if we’d be willing to come out to Michigan for their wedding. Well it turns out that Rico’s sister and family lives in Michigan so shoot a sweet wedding then visit fam all in the same trip? Count us in! The four of us were a match made in heaven really and so it was, that we flew to Detroit last Friday, shot the wedding on Saturday, and have been hanging out in Kalamazoo with our adorable niece since then. The night we arrived it was STORMING….like really storming, sirens, tornado warnings, thunder, rain, trees flying around. We don’t get weather like that in San Diego, so it was a nice change of pace. Luckily however it cleared up by Saturday morn and was beautiful the entire day of the wedding. We had a great time with their portraits at the old Ford Plant and their ceremony in the town square, AND they even had a place for Rico and I at one of the guest tables for dinner! Pretty much it was the perfect day and we couldn’t have asked for a more successful wedding, so there you have it, check out the pics and I’m sure you’ll agree. Tiara and Brent, thank you for being so generous, welcoming, and inspiring…..we adore you and can’t wait to see you again very soon!!! xoxo

And since the last window pic was such a success, we couldn’t help but share another.

FEATURE love + {glimpse}

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:49:10 +0000

Hello my Monday friends! I hope this blog post finds you well and rested from a great weekend! I know that’s how I’m feeling…why you ask? Well, we shot a lovely wedding in Michigan on Saturday and are now just relaxing at Rico’s sister’s place in Kalamazoo. So here we are, on our little Michigan vacation just chillin out and I see that we have been featured on one of my favorite wedding blogs, Ruffled Blog. YES! Seriously, if you’re looking for some tips on your wedding planning you must check it out because she is the queen of vintage inspired wedding tidbits and beautiful imagery. Since we are on vacation I am going to make this short, but I would never leave you wanting for some sweet pics to look at. So below is a snippet from the feature AND below that is a little glimpse from Tiara and Brent’s Michigan wedding. We’ll be posting their full wedding post tomorrow (two blog posts in a week, what??) so be sure to stop on by in 24 hour-ish, and in the meantime head on over to Ruffled Blog and tell her how awesome she is, because well, she is! enjoy!

KYLE carrie

admin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:33:09 +0000

Friends, lovers, fellow photogs…whoever it is that’s reading this on this Monday I send you all some beginning of the week cheer! Honestly, it has been a rough one for me so far due to less than ideal sleep last night and then some of the dearest people in my life moving far away from me today. So my apologies if I seem a little less than chipper today, I promise that it’s nothing that a good dose of coffee (for the lack of sleep) and time (for the fam moving away) can’t remedy. Oh, and how about a blog post??? That’s ALWAYS a step in the cheerful direction if you ask me. That and the fact that we shot an awesome wedding in Ventura this weekend and got down on the dance floor with some of my favorite friends. Get to the post already Rach, geez! Onward my friends…..so, today I have the wedding of the ADORABLE couple Carrie and Kyle. Their wedding was quite the April treat for us with a great couple getting married at a great location (Sunset Cliffs in San Diego) with AWESOME vendors (Brenda, you rock!). They booked with us over a year before their wedding and we hadn’t seen them in a while, but when we showed up the morning of their wedding it was as if we were good friends that we had just seen yesterday. They are so welcoming and so fun to be around, and pretty much I love them. So my friends, check out the pics and perhaps you’ll find yourself loving them too. Carrie and Kyle, your wedding was a blast and such a joy for us to be a part of…can’t wait for the trash the dress! xoxo

Looking for a FAB coordinator? Check out Brenda Swann she seriously made the day a breeze.

Also, on an entirely different note I have a not so interesting order of business to attend to. As some of you may know, I love email and I make it my goal to respond to emails as quickly as possible (goal is 30 seconds…still working on that). However, now that it is wedding season and I am shooting every weekend from now through November, my response time will be slightly delayed if you email me on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I know, it’s lame but I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page and you know I haven’t forgotten about you…how could I? Email is my love language, and you know I love you all! That being said, picture time!!!

for all those that said jumping shots are lame

TYLER amber

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:30:32 +0000

Happy day after Memorial day! Hope you’re all enjoying your Tuesday and getting back into the swing of things/recovering from all the bbqs and sun bathing. Rico and I had quite the weekend, on Thursday we flew to San Fran to shoot a wedding there on Friday, Saturday morning I shot a boudoir sesh with one of my brides (Rico sits those ones out), flew back to SD, shot a FABULOUS wedding in Malibu on Sunday, ANOTHER boudoir sesh on Monday morn and an engagement session that afternoon with a couple so adorable I could eat their faces (no worries, faces still intact). GEEEEEEZ, that was a long (but satisfying and ever so fun) weekend. So for those of you who emailed me in the last four days and are waiting around for that response that normally comes so quickly, there’s my explanation…I didn’t even look at a computer screen this weekend, but here I am! Back to the world of inboxes and blog posts and since it’s a little later today we thought we’d post a wedding that might just make you jump up and down. This wedding was at a private residence in the Elfin Forest (Escondido) and was completely DIY (do it yourself). They made all the decorations and even assembled their own bouquets (although artistic, I am NOT crafty so that literally blows my mind)! Amber and Tyler are good friends of ours and we were beyond honored to be able to shoot and attend their beautiful wedding. Thanks you two crafty kids for being so easy to work with and for making our job a piece of cake, aaaaand since I hear my inbox calling my name I’m off. Enjoy!

JEREMY jodi

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:11:15 +0000

Yes, it’s Thursday and I’m craving some muddy buddies like it’s my job! Since there aren’t any around the office here, I thought I’d do the next best thing…blog post! A close second to chex mix covered in peanut butter and powdered sugar if you ask me. So yes, here is a little Thursday blog post as a treat for your day and the end of the week. You may remember Jodi and Jeremy from their engagement session a while back. They were that adorable couple from Florida who we shot in Balboa park (WITH CAMERAS of course! sheesh). Well, they are married now and their wedding at Mission San Luis Rey was even MORE adorable. Everything on the day was perfect and there seriously wasn’t an OUNCE of stress hanging around at all. Seriously, if you ever have the chance to meet these two (move to San Diego J&J!) you should give them a hug because they are awesome AND they are the most easy going people I have EVER met. EVER….plus they are both pilots and that’s just plain cool. J&J, you’re the best and we were seriously so honored to be a part of your wedding day! I think we should hang out again soon, oh and you should move here, yes. Enjoy the pics my friends and happy weekending! muah!