west coast | Once Like a Spark Photography

Suzanne + Max Part 2 :: OLAS Loves Trash The Dress

Posted by (once like a spark) on May 7, 2012 in (oncelikeaspark), weddings, west coast | 0 comments

While this session may be officially called a “Trash The Dress” session, we feel that Tracy (our amazing San Diego photog!) more accurately named it when she sent us the photos as a “Rock The Dress” session!! :) You’ll remember Max + Suzanne from yesterday’s gorgeous post of their San Diego wedding (and if not, check it out here now!), but they decided that they didn’t want the fun to end there, and booked a second session together with us for about 2 weeks post wedding! We LOVE when couples decide to do TTDs, and here’s a few reasons why:

1. “You’ll only wear it ~~once~~… TWICE!” :: Let’s get real ladies. Who doesn’t want to wear their wedding dress more than one time? We’d venture very few… to no one. Do a Trash The Dress and not only do you get to wear it again, but you get to have more beautiful photographs in it too!

2. MORE couples shots + MORE locations :: While we here at OLAS do every. single. thing. imaginable to make your wedding day run smoothly and with as little stress as humanly possible (Britt, our Director of Client Relations + Bride’s Bestie does wonders to a wedding schedule people, WONDERS), it’s still going to be a busy day even when planned out to a “T”! Choosing to do a Trash The Dress session lets you and your hubby choose all new places to get amazing couples shots, and still in your wedding duds! Just think of the possibilities….!

3. It’s FUN! :: Maybe the most important reason of the three! A Trash The Dress session is a photo-shoot where you can let loose and get your hands (ahem. we mean dress) a little dirty! Tracy and M + S did an awesome job of balancing their session with both classicly beautiful couples shots (which as far as anyone would know could have happened on the actual wedding day!) mixed in with fun & STUNNING shots in the middle of a fountain! LOVE.

Thanks again M + S for choosing OLAS to be a part of such a special time in both your lives – we heart you!! x’s & o’s

Digg Digg

Suzanne + Max :: A Fairytale Wedding for a Boy in the Marines + a Girl in the Navy :: Part 1

Posted by (once like a spark) on May 3, 2012 in (oncelikeaspark), weddings, west coast | 0 comments

Well, we were going to try and fit both Max + Suzanne’s Wedding and Trash The Dress Session neatly into this one big and beautiful blog post… but let. me. tell. ya –> IMPOSSIBLE! There are just way too many gorgeous photos of these two to choose from, so we’re just going to have to go ahead and give you the wedding now and save the Trash The Dress session for later (part 2). :) Max + Suzanne are one incredible couple. They are both military, M is a Marine and S is in the Navy, and they have a love story that stretches from the US to Kuala Lumpur, and finally all the way to Dubai (and how much you wanna bet there’s more in there they didn’t even bother telling us?). Tracy did an incredible job photographing these two and their entire wedding day (gosh, hasn’t Tracy been killing it lately?!). We’re so blessed to have her as our oh so talented San Diego photog!! M + S wanted to have a small, intimate ceremony with their closest family and friends. For S, the Crystal Ballroom at the US Grant was her fairytale ceremony location (and you’ll see why – oh.the.chandeliers), and because they both have such a love of sea and water (obviously!) they decided to have the reception on the waterfront of San Diego at the Tom Ham’s Lighthouse. There are so many little beautiful & personal touches to this wedding, we loved every moment!!

Look out for their TTD (Trash The Dress) session coming soon! x’ & o’s

Photographer: Tracy; Ceremony: The US Grant Hotel; Reception: Tom Ham’s Lighthouse

Rebecca + Rob :: A San Diego “Engagement”

Posted by (once like a spark) on May 1, 2012 in (oncelikeaspark), engagement, west coast | 0 comments

Hello OLAS fam! Today we’re bringing you an engagement session… for a married couple! Rebecca & Rob are this adorable couple who asked us to photograph their “proper wedding” (their words, not ours!) and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it! They were actually married in August 2011 in front of Rob’s sister and two friends at the courthouse, but now want to have a big celebration with all their loved ones, just one year later. We love getting stories like this – every single couple is so different and we adore all the different types of love stories out there. They first met when Rebecca was planning to come to America all by herself, and the only person she knew here in the states just happened to be staying with Rob! Their mutual friend suggested she stay with him and his family until she could get all settled in (in a new country!), so she did! Talk. About. Destiny. They kept in touch with one another after she moved on and continued to travel, and then a few years later Rob came to visit Rebecca in Australia, and the rest is history! R + R have this natural, easy chemistry that Tracy (our crazy talented San Diego photog) captured in every shot. Tracy is so, so good at making our OLAS couples feel immediately at ease and it really shows through in R + R’s photos. They’re beautiful, charming, and just a little bit silly :)

Enjoy! x’s & o’s

Sydney + Chris:Wedding:Part 2:California

Posted by (once like a spark) on Jan 3, 2012 in (oncelikeaspark), california, weddings, west coast | 0 comments

If you missed Part 1 of Sydney + Chris’ gorgeous California wedding, head back over and check it out before you dive into Part 2. Today’s post is absolutely scrumptious, if we do say so ourselves. We start out with a series of absolutely magnificent couples portraits taken on the property at Strawberry Farms, where Sydney + Chris held their reception. Seriously, these two are just so beautiful, and we could have picked tons and tons more couples shots to show you, but we wanted to save room for their KILLER reception. After such an emotional ceremony, Sydney + Chris wanted to throw the party of the century, and they picked the perfect place to do it. The barn at Strawberry Farms was the absolutely perfect backdrop – we love the way they incorporated a whimsy feel into the whole reception…particularly loving the huge yellow tissue poms, the seating card display (ADORABLE), and the animal crackers at the kids table. Our favorite detail of all, however, was the surprise that Sydney + Chris organized for their guests….but you’ll have to scroll down to see that. From the very initial moment that we began shooting with Sydney + Chris, it was apparent that these two love deeply and live passionately, and their entire wedding day was such a showcase of that. Thanks you two, for letting us be a part of your big day! xoxo

Ceremony: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Cathol ic Church; Reception/Portraits: Strawberry Farms Golf Course; Florist: Nisie’s Enchanted Florist; Officiant: Father Tom Pado; Dress:Romona Keveza; Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender; Hair/Makeup: The W Salon; Cake: Beverly’s Best Bakery; DJ: Extreme DJ – Angel; Photobooth: Sparkle Photobooth

Sydney + Chris:Wedding:Part 1:California

Posted by (once like a spark) on Jan 1, 2012 in (oncelikeaspark), california, weddings, west coast | 0 comments

Happy New Year, OLAS fam! We’re hopeful you took some time this holiday season to slow down, breathe, and rejuvenate for 2012…it’s gonna be a good one. We know we have to do our (once like a spark) family right, so we wanted to kick off the new year with you with Part 1 of this gorgeous, gorgeous California wedding. When Sydney and Chris first found (once like a spark), they told us they wanted classically beautiful photographs that would stand the test of time, with a little bit of whimsy thrown in. Check and check – that’s just what we do best! These two live in the Bay Area (where we shot their engagement session), but got married in Southern California. Our entire team loved getting to know Sydney and Chris – they’re a really, really laid back couple, and they talked a lot about how they were making their family, friends, and community the main focus of their wedding day. Sometimes brides getting married in a church ceremony will talk with us about their concern that they won’t love their photos from the ceremony as much as someone getting married outside….we think Sydney and Chris’ wedding is an amazing example of just how powerful these photos can be. The entire ceremony was rich with emotion and significance, and the result is just beautiful. Check out Part 1 of Sydney and Chris’ wedding below, and be sure not to miss the first kiss photo (so.many.cameras!) and the adorable flower girls and ring bearers. Come back for Part 2 tomorrow…KILLER couples shots and a big surprise at the reception!

Ceremony: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Cathol ic Church; Reception/Portraits: Strawberry Farms Golf Course; Florist: Nisie’s Enchanted Florist; Officiant: Father Tom Pado; Dress: Romona Keveza; Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender; Hair/Makeup: The W Salon

Sarah + Mark – Engagement

Posted by (once like a spark) on Apr 18, 2011 in (oncelikeaspark), engagement, west coast | 0 comments

Meet Sarah and Mark – an adorable couple that spent the afternoon with our awesome West Coast team in Bernal Heights (a really gorgeous neighborhood in San Fran) for their engagement shoot. These two love birds are incredibly fun and laid back, and they want their wedding in August (at the Ritz Carlton in Lake Tahoe – swoon) to just be a huge, fun party for all their family and friends (we can’t wait!)

We absolutely loved working with Sarah throughout her booking process, because she is seriously HILARIOUS, and she and Mark are one of the most fun couples we’ve worked with! When Sarah received their pictures, she sent us the sweetest email, and here are a few of our favorite parts:

“The photos are incredible. Thank you so much, everyone! We are more excited than ever to work with you for our wedding. I’ve sent the slideshow to friends and family, and we are getting a great response. Tears, in fact. So thank you again for putting together such a beautiful set of photos. We are so grateful for your excellent work.”

We must say, tears of joy are ALWAYS a goal of ours with our pictures, and reading Sarah’s sweet words really mean so much to us Here are just a few of our faves, and we can’t wait to share what we know will be some phenomenal wedding pictures!