A Look Into A Dreamy Wedding at Rancho Guejito Weddings- A Gorgeous San Diego Wedding

Dec 13, 20233 min read

Updated: Jul 4, 2024

I want to give you a peek into one of my favorite weddings that took place at my favorite wedding venue in San DIego. Everything fell perfectly into place (with the help of the amazing wedding planner) and I honestly think about this magical day often.

Getting Ready: Right when I arrived, I started with details and getting ready photos, such as putting on the dress, putting on perfume, fun bridal party pictures and more. The group also decided to pray together, which I thought was beautiful.

First Look: Now, this couple did not want to do your typical first look. They opted to do a first look with parents instead. The bride with her dad and the groom with his mom... And it was adorable.

Ceremony: I have a few shots that I love to capture during this part of the day: The first being the ceremony space set up before guests arrive. I also love capturing the look on the groom's face when he sees his bride for the first time. This moment is so honest and pure. The bride walking down the aisle is always a must, but I also love to have my second photographer capture the back of the dress as well. After the first kiss (another mandatory picture), I advise my couples to do something after walking back up the aisle, such as a dip or stop and kiss. Flower petals were thrown in this ceremony whcih made for a perfect picture moment (view bottom right).

Bridal Party: I always capture traditional bridal party pictures, as well as some fun creative shots. My favorite here was that the groomsmen had a gas torch to light up cigars that they all smoked together during their photos. Adding personal touches helps make this portion of the day super unique and memorable.

Family Formals: For these photos, I typically have my second photographer read groupings from a family photo list. Having the couple provide us with this list helps ensure I capture all "must have" pictures with family members. WIth weddings of hundreds of people, I want to be sure that those closest to the couple will get beautiful photos with them.

Couples Portraits: My favorite part!!!! At Rancho Guejito, I love that we get to off road to the top of a hill to get a breathtaking backdrop for sunset portraits. We snuck away for the couple to privately have these pictures taken and take everything in. I am always sure to include some of these photos when I send the couple their sneak peeks (I send a handful of edited images within two days). I help guide the couple through posing by giving them some prompts and keeping poses laid back and natural. We also had the opportunity to take photos in the venue's luscious vineyards.

Reception: This is where all the fun is! My second photographer and I are always sure to capture the reception space set up and parts of the day such as the grand entrance, traditional dances, speeches and the cake cut. I was also able to gather everyone for huge group pictures, as well as get a lot fun dancing shots. At the end of the night the newlyweds went off to their getaway car and I took the last photos of them with the car before calling it a night.

Film Photos: These photos help add a personal touch to any wedding. Taken on a camera from the 70s, these photos are rare and nostalgic. I love taking these throughout the day to add depth to the newlyweds' photo gallery.