Devine Photography

Ultimate Skybox

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The best part of wedding photography is working closely with our clients and their wonderful families. Our latest wedding with Kris and Renee was no exception. It is fun to see both groups of friends and families merging together. The maid of honor and best man speeches were the funniest ones we have ever heard. It set the bar high for the entire evening.

Kris and Renee were married on top of the 15th floor of the Diamond View Tower – “The Ultimate Sky Box” in Downtown San Diego. This venue gives a bird’s eye view over looking Padres Petco Park as well as the entire city if San Diego. The rooftop offers panoramic views from the Coronado Bridge to the heart of downtown, large bar, indoor -outdoor setting, grand fire place and a highly professional staff. The food was delicious which was catered by Terra Catering.The Skybox is  a spectacular venue to get married or hold any special event and we would recommend it to anyone.

Kris and Renee make an outstanding couple and with their charismatic, fun loving personalities, we are sure they will have full and happy life together. Congratulations to a beautiful couple.

Fighting For The Mirror

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We spent a couple hours with three beautiful, talented and young musicians called Fighting for The Mirror. A sister trio of beauty and raw talent….Julie, 14 years old is the lead singer, guitarist and pianist; Brook 18 years old guitarist and 12 year old Chrissy on base guitar!

Not only are these girls super talented, they are fun, down to earth and very special. We are excited to see these lovely ladies blossom and develop their music so it reaches as many people as possible. You can fallow them, book them and listen to their songs on Facebook.

Fighting For The Mirror has a new website in development, featuring our promo photos we took. Keep an ear and eye out, we think these girls are on to something big!

Youthful Talent and a Brilliant Smile…

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We love to photograph our younger clients and capture their unique skills and youthfulness.

We have been working with delightful Brody for several years now. This young man has been one of our favorite buddy’s since he was a youthful 4 years old and now he’s 7!

Brody is a talented little guy and loves to play sport like basketball, roller hockey and swimming. We feel Brody has the appearance and the talent to be the next child star.

His accolades already include Comedy Central’s, TV Funhouse. We look forward to seeing Brody grow up and see his success.

Wrex The Hall Concert

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The 2010 Wrex the Halls concert presented by San Diego’s local independent radio station 91X was “off the hook” this year. The bands played to a packed house at the Viejas Arena at SDSU and the concert goers were full of energy and anticipation. This was the 5^th Wrex the Halls concert I’ve photographed and by far my favorite one to date.

This year’s line-up was a blend of several legendary old school bands such as Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, Bad Religion, and Jimmy Eat World with a peppering of some newer upcoming bands like San Diego’s own Switchfoot, Anberlin, and A Day to Remember. It certainly was a day to remember.

I enjoy concert photography because it’s so up close and personal but it can certainly have its challenges. Photographers are not allowed to use any type of flash, the stage lighting is a constant variable, and the high energy bands are continuously moving around. It’s important to have a camera that allows you to shoot at a high ISO (I set my ISO to 1200) without too much graininess. It was a true test for my new Nikon D700…and it passed with flying colors (no pun intended).

Fair Oaks Country Club Wedding takes us back to Sacramento…

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We recently made another trek up to Sacramento California to photograph Deanna and Dustin’s wedding at the beautiful North Ridge Country Club in Fair Oaks. 

We received plenty of warning about how hot Sacramento is this time of year. Honestly, we couldn’t have asked for a better day. Perfect weather, gorgeous lighting and a fun, young couple!

Deanna is a strikingly beautiful bride with a genuine personality and infectious laugh. The girls were having a great time laughing and sipping on beverages as they were getting ready…Jodi left in charge of girls getting ready and I made my way over to the men’s locker room to catch up with the Groomsmen. 

As I entered the locker room I noticed that it was eerily quiet. Not nearly the party that was going on in the ladies room.  I brought in the bartender so the boys could have a couple drinks to help their nerves which gave great opportunity to get a perfect toast shot. Within minutes the guys were in party zone, laughing and ready to take on this special day. Dustin and his hilarious groomsmen cleaned up really well. They wore tuxedos with black and white Converse sneakers’. Great touch!

The wedding site overlooked the attractive North Ridge golf course just as the sun was beginning to set. The ceremony finished rather quickly giving us good time to accomplish all the family portraits, all the wedding party and the bride and groom shots.

We took Deanna and Dustin out on golf carts to a couple beautiful spots. At the beginning of our journey through the golf course, to our surprise, the golf cart we were driving completely died…so we had to hitch a ride on the back with the newly married couple’s cart. Needless to say we had a lot of fun and Deanna and Dustin were such good troopers.

The reception was a high energy party and everyone clearly had a great time. The DJ entertained, the photo booth was a big hit and everyone loved the candy bar.

 We wish Deanna and Dustin a continuous joyous party and lifetime of love and happiness.

You are invited to an engagement party…. SURPRISE, it’s a wedding!

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I would guess that everyone has been to a surprise birthday party at least once in their life. But how many people can say they’ve been to a surprise wedding? Well, Jodi and I can mark that one off our bucket list after Saturday’s “engagement party” for Annie and Dave turned into a surprise wedding!

 Annie and Dave invited approximately 70 of their closest friends and family to their engagement party at the Sunburst Estate in El Cajon. While the caterers were serving dinner, Annie and Dave quietly excused themselves from the table and gathered a few of their closest friends into separate areas of the house…this is where they informed their friends that tonight was more than an “engagement party,” and that they were about to be part of their special wedding night. Shock and emotion filled the room followed by hugs and tears of joy.

Besides their parents, Annie and Dave only told us about the secret wedding. So we were set up and ready to capture the reaction and the emotion of the party goers. Dave’s father gets on the microphone, “the couple is about to announce their wedding party” to throw off the sent. Dave and his groomsmen stand in a line, while acoustic guitars begin to play Annie and Dave’s favorite song.

Three of Annie’s good friends begin to walk down the isle with flowers in their hands…the crowd is growing suspicious.  Then all of a sudden, a door opens up and a beautiful bride appears on the arm of her father.  This was a secret wedding and now everyone was conscious of what was about to happen. Annie and Dave are getting married. The reactions and raw emotions were priceless. Dave’s father proudly officiated the wedding.

In my humbled opinion, Annie and Dave pulled off the perfect secret wedding. I heard someone in the crowd say “This is exactly Annie and Dave.” They’re a great couple, obviously spontaneous, and live by the great words of Frank Sinatra “I did it my way.”

Congratulations to Annie and Dave for doing it your way.

Engagement takes us to new heights above La Jolla

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Our recent engagement shoot with Mike and Inez took us to new heights. We met the charming couple near La Jolla Shores.  We then drove north to their secret location hidden high above Blacks Beach where Mike had proposed to Inez. When discussing the location Mike failed to tell us until we parked that we would be hiking up treacherous, unstable cliffs joined together by a 2×4 piece of weathered wood.

Only one problem, Jodi is deathly afraid of heights. Despite her fear, she was a real trooper and able to overcome her fears to make it to the location. Once we reached our final destination the view was absolutely spectacular!

Inez seemed very comfortable standing several hundred feet above the crashing ocean while Mike understandingly felt nervous and uneasy. However Mike, did great considering how scary it really was. Once I walked out onto the cliffs edge, I have to agree with Mike. Jodi on the other hand was crawling around the small bluff so she would not fall off. Needless to say we all overcame, enjoyed the amazing view and first time experience in the sky above La Jolla.

We were quickly losing light so we marched down a steep hill towards Blacks Beach. We arrived just in time to capture some brilliant light and in turn we were able to take some beautiful images.

It wasn’t our average photo shoot, but then again Mike and Inez are not your average couple. Their sense of adventure and able to withstand heights set them apart from the average.

Congratulations to Mike an Inez on your engagement and we wish you a life time of joy and happiness.

Manhattan Beach Wedding at the Beautiful Ayres Hotel

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We’ve been lucky enough in our short career to have photographed weddings all over California, Mexico, and even the US Virgin Islands. So when Becky and Wes hired us to shoot their wedding at the beautiful Ayres Hotel in Manhattan Beach, California, we were extremely excited.

 The Hotel was designed with gorgeous European influences, with a breath taking; cascading stairwell that greeted you as you entered the Hotel.

 As Jodi and I were scoping out the venue for potential locations, we ran into Becky and her bridesmaids having Mimosas on the balcony. All the ladies were all wearing tops that read “Becky’s Bitches” and right away I knew that this was going to be a fun group. 

I took a couple shots of the girls when all of a sudden Becky’s mother jumped up and said to me, “wait here, I have something I want you to see” and immediately ran to her room. When she returned moments later, she had the biggest smile on her face. Mom said “Becky, you should have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, so, here is something old I want you to have.” It was something from Becky’s father who had sadly passed away years prior. “I found it in one of your dad’s old cigar boxes” her mother pronounced.

I was ready with camera in hand to capture the mystery gift. As she opened it, Becky let out a joyous laugh. It was an old handkerchief her father must have picked up in Okinawa Japan when he was in the service. The funny thing is…on one side of the handkerchief was a pattern various intimate positions drawn out. A totally unexpected pattern, to say the least!  And everyone had a great laugh. It was a moment of true emotion and I am honored to have been part of it.

There were a couple moments of panic prior to the ceremony as a light rain started to fall, but in true California form it immediately stopped and the sun came out. It was a beautiful ceremony. Becky and Wes looked amazing and their vows were heartfelt and touching. The reception was off the charts fun. Everyone got up on the dance floor and danced all night long.

Congratulations to Becky and Wes. We wish you a lifetime of endless love and joyous memories.

~ Bill Kouwe

Butterfly Garden…The Prado… A Special Balboa Park Wedding

Jodi and I feel so fortunate to live in a town like San Diego.  In our bias opinion, it’s truly “the world finest city.” We have hundreds of miles of pristine coast line, hundreds of stunning parks, and several mountain ranges. But one park stands alone in beauty and architecture. It’s centrally located and next to the World Famous San Diego Zoo. Any guesses?  Well, if you answered Balboa Park then you’d be right.

So when Brian and Mary Ann approached us to photograph their Balboa Park wedding in June, we were extremely excited to say the least.  We’ve done several photo shoots there in the past and we think it’s a perfect backdrop.

This day would be no different. The June gloom dissipated by 10am and we had a beautiful sunshine filled day accompanied by a nice cool breeze.  The bride and groom were looking extra sharp and ready to start their new lives as a married couple. Mary Ann looked absolutely remarkable as though she belonged in a vintage bridal magazine. She was so easy going and fun to work with. We couldn’t ask for anything more. 

The smile and expression on Brian’s face the moment he laid eyes on Mary Ann was priceless. To be able to capture a precious moment like this makes it all worth while. This is the reason we got into this business in the first place. Capturing moment like this is our passion and what drives us to do our best.  

Brian and Maryanne’s ceremony took place in the tranquil “Zoro Butterfly Garden”. The site is surrounded by garden of plants and flowers specifically to attract butterflies. The spot is shaded by beautiful sweeping trees with cascading roots that drip down the surrounding embankments. The bride and groom’s focus was showcasing they were natural, down to earth people who enjoy the outdoors and respect of Mother Nature.  The reception immediately followed in the beautiful Prado Restaurant located in the heart of Balboa Park. The reception and getting rooms are decorated with beautiful, rich woodwork with Spanish influenced decals and carvings. The reception room was on the 2nd floor with terrace balconies providing picturesque views of the park and the famous “California Bell Tower” that can be seen for miles.

Before we knew it, it was all over. They day just flew by. I guess it’s true when they say “time flies when you’re having fun.” 

Congratulation to Mary Ann and Brian, we wish you a life time of love and happiness.

Barona Casino & Resort Wedding

Driving down the winding road towards the Barona Casino & Resort, we could tell it was going to be a great day.  Michaela and Ryan chose Barona to make their vows of eternal love and respect. It was a perfect spot for a perfect couple.  Beautiful ponds, luscious green grass, gorgeous cumulous clouds and thriving flower gardens are just a few of amazing things about getting married at Barona.

Michaela is a natural in front of the camera and her personality is larger than life. Ryan is an all around good guy with a great sense of humor.  He made a profound statement to Bill while we were patiently waiting for his beautiful bride to arrive in the limo for their first site reveal.  He said “I’ve been waiting 30 years to meet a woman like Michaela; I can wait 5 more minutes.” With that kind of attitude and their mutual respect, you can tell this is a match made in heaven. Congratulations Ryan and Michaela!