welcome to my blog

Museum_of_Contemporary_Art_San_Diego_Wedding

Patrick & Lucille | San Diego Museum of Art Wedding

Dec 31, 2023

From the moment I met Patrick and Lucille, I knew they were special. So warm and welcoming, and so full of visions for their dreamy San Diego Museum of Art wedding. As we sat in a very chic restaurant and bar in downtown San Diego, I grew more and more excited to work with these two. They shared with me how they were planning to have a live band, cocktail napkins featuring a picture of their cat, and a huge disco ball with flowers as a ceiling masterpiece. Not only that, but there would also be a designer dress, and a custom made champagne cart! All of these ideas make photographers go a little weak in the knees! However, the thing I was most excited about was to experience this day at their side, enjoying the beauty and the culmination of all of their work.

The Ceremony at Mary Star of the Sea, Catholic Church

None of this spectacular day would have been possible without the expert advice and help of Krista Burroughs and her team at Paper Jewels Events. Krista, Patrick, and Lucille worked tirelessly to make this event absolutely stunning! Their attention to detail was superbly done. Everything was incredibly classy and yet personal at the same time. This personalization started with the invitations which were customized to show images of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church where the ceremony took place and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. They were gorgeous!

The wedding was an absolutely beautiful Catholic ceremony at Mary Star of the Sea in La Jolla. This church is stunning! Intimate and beautifully designed, this was the perfect location for Patrick and Lucille to publically state their devotion to each other. It was also very touching that the priest, who was a personal friend, had the parents recite their vows again as well. So beautiful!

The Reception at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

The day continued to be infused with Patrick and Lucille’s impeccable taste and their love for each other, their families, and their friends, and their cat! Mia, their cat even made it onto the napkins and the cake! There was an adorable little figurine of her on one of the layers. However, the two details that stole the show at the reception were the huge ceiling centerpiece and the champagne cart, both created by Pacific Event Productions.

So much work went into both of these beautiful pieces and they were stunning, especially with the addition of flowers from Makenzie at Flower Bee Floristry. The huge ceiling centerpiece was especially possible because the museum has a vaulted ceiliing over the dance floor. Perfect for elaborate, stunning focual points like the disco balls that hung from Patrick and Lucille’s reception.

A Three Day Wedding Weekend

All of the beauty of the day was truly lovely, but in the end, that wasn’t what I loved most about this wedding. Zack, Angelica and I were overwhelmed by the kindness, generosity, and the absolute warmth from EVERY person we met at this event. Luckily, we were with this group of people from Friday through Sunday. We photographed the rehersal dinner at George’s at the Cove, the welcome reception at La Jolla Shores, and the brunch on Sunday at Yard and Sea. At each of these events we encountered some of the most lovely people we have ever worked with.

The Best Part of Our Job

After getting to know Patrick and Lucille it should have come as no shock that all four of their parents were just was wonderful as they are. Not only that, but their friends were so welcoming and hilarious! To take it one step further, Lucille has a huge extended, Eritrean family and they blew us away with their kindness. Read more about our time with them and their beautiful traditions in this blogpost. We walked away from the weekend completely exhausted but also completely thrilled to have met the individuals we got to meet. This was another reminder of why we love our jobs so much. We are so blessed!

personalized wedding invitation flat lay — Look at this beautifully personalized invitation suite from White Letters on Etsy! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

rings and perfume on invitaiton flat lay

the Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla — Patrick and Lucille got ready at the Little Hotel by the Sea, which is a part of the Grande Colonial. The day was so beautiful as we were all treated to the lovely La Jolla shoreline.

three wedding rings on a wedding invitation with pink and white roses

three wedding rings and a perfume bottle on wedding dress

four wedding rings on a wedding invitation

satan wedding shoes with a jeweled buckle — Lucille had THREE fantastic pairs of shoes! I was so blown away! To the rehersal dinner she wore spectacular shoes from Rene Caovilla. To the ceremony she wore these gorgeous shoes from Roger Vivier. Lastly, she doned Gucci stilletos with her party dress during the reception. WOW and WOW!

bride with pearled wedding dress and silver gucci stiletto heals

bride sitting in chair and white wedding shoes with jewels

satan Roger Vivier wedding shoes with jeweled buckle

wedding dress hanging at the Grande Colonial Hotel — Each part of her day was perfectly personalized. From this stunning custom designed dress from NKBride, she went even one step further and put initials and a date inside. Perfection.

pearl earrings and a rosary on a wedding invitation

hanging wedding dress and the maid-of-honor zipping bride into dress

Hanging wedding dress and the mother-of-the-bride zipping her into her dress — Before we even met Lucille’s mom, we knew she was a force! We were not disappointed. Tziggy was so full of love and joy on this day but there was no mistaking her confidence and her presence. She is truly an amazing woman.

wedding program and save the date invitations

mother-of-the-bride zipping bride into dress

mother-of-the-bride hugging bride and rings in a pink ring box

mother-of-the-bride and bride before wedding

mother-of-the-bride and bridesmaids helping bride get dressed

bride getting on pearl jacket and handkerchiefs for parents

bride hugging father — Frank, Lucille’s father, is such a gentle, kind man. His love for his wife and daughter was on full display as for everyone to see.

bride and parents with bouquet and shoes

groom's mother putting on his boutonniere

groom adjusting tie and sitting in chair

groom adjusting watch and buttoning jacket

bridal portrait with red and white flowers

portrait of groom with family and handkerchief for parents — Patrick’s parents were just as lovely as Lucille’s! Zack and Angelica got to spend more time with them than I did but throughout the day they were so quick to smile, laugh, and engage in conversation. Patrick’s brother Rory was the comic relief of the day/night. His speech was HILARIOUS!

bride arriving at wedding in a Mercedes van — A shuttle was used to move family and close friends from the hotel to the church and then to the reception. Brilliant!

walking down aisle at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

father and bride at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

bride and father-of-the-bride walking down aisle at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

groom waiting for bride at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

bride and groom standing at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

bride and groom at alter at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

bride and groom at alter with priest at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego — Father Tesfa is a close friend of the family and has known Lucille from birth. He did a fantastic job of making the ceremony very personal and reverant at the same time. Kind, funny, warm, and full of love.

bride and groom exchanging vows at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

parents of bride and groom at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego — One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was when both the bride’s and the groom’s parents reiterated their love for each other and their commitment to their marriages. I have never seen this before! So touching.

bride and groom at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

bride and groom walking down aisle and kissing at Mary Star by the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, San Diego

bride and groom with flying veil at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride with red and white bouquet at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride and groom with a swooping veil at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride and groom portraits at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride and groom with swooping veil at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride and groom under veil at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride and groom portraits at at the cliffs in La Jolla San Diego

bride and groom with cocktails at their Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego Wedding — Patrick and Lucille later commented to Zack and I that this was one of their favorite parts of their evening! After a long ceremony and portrait session, Zack surprised them by slipping into their rectption (which was across the street) and getting them cocktails! They were thrilled! My husband never ceases to amaze me.

bride and groom entering their reception at their Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego Wedding — This seems to be a new tradition at weddings and I am loving it! The bride and groom slipped past thier guests (after we surprised them and took a group photo) and walked through their reception space. This was such a great moment for them to get to see all of their visions come to life. The disco ball centerpiece hanging from the ceiling did not disappoint!

Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego Wedding

bride and groom on stairs at their Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego Wedding

bride and groom walking through the museum at their Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego Wedding

bride and groom on the stairs at their Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego Wedding

bride and groom with art at their Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Wedding

bride and groom portrait at their Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Wedding

Guests walked from the church just a few blocks to the reception area at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Cocktail hour was on the back porch overlooking the beautiful La Jolla coast.

Guests entering the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Wedding

Band playing at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

guests entering the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

Personalized champagne cart — When I asked Lucille what she was most excited about with the wedding, she answered, “the champagne cart!” I can see why! This cart was custom designed and built just for them by Pacific Event Productions and it was adorable!

art piece at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego — This is the art piece that hangs over the back porch at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. So unique!

cocktail hour and personalized napkin — The day would not have been complete if Patrick and Lucille’s beloved cat Mia had not shown up in some way! Although she was back in their New York apartment, she made an appearance on their napkins.

phone for leaving bride and groom a message — Patrick created this! What a creative way for guests to leave a personal message for the couple!

group wedding portrait at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego — This was such a great idea! Patrick and Lucille asked if Angelica (my second shooter) could get everyone’s attention for a group shot. At the last moment, we walked up the back steps of the museum and surprised them with the bride and groom. Then we slipped into the museum for their personal reception reveal.

hanging ceiling decoration made of disco balls and red, white and peach flowers at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego — The one part of the day which came close to rivaling the stunning beauty of Lucille was their ceiling masterpiece. This was a true show stopper by florist Makenzie at Flower Bee Floristry and Pacific Event Productions.

table decor at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

reception at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

table settings at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

floral centerpieces at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

table settings at at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

sweetheart table and cake at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

cake with red and white flowers and cat figurine at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

Mia, Patrick and Lucille’s cat made an appearance on the cake! Adorable!

parent dances at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding — Patrick and Lucille had their father/daughter and mother/son dance at the same time! I had never seen this before but it was a great idea.

first dance at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

bride and groom giving speech at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

toasts at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding — Patrick’s brother, Rory, gave one of the funniest speeches I have ever heard at a wedding. Great job Rory!

bride and groom at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

bride and groom with the champagne cart at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

bride and groom iwth champagne cart at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

bride and groom cutting the cake at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

reception dancing at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

sneak peek of photos with bride and groom — I love to surprise our couples with some sneak peeks of their day! Sssshhh…don’t tell anyone!

Nicole and Zack Reyes with bride and groom at a Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego wedding

Vendors

Ceremony Venue | Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Reception Venue | Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Wedding Venue

Wedding Planner | Krista with Paper Jewels Events

Photographers | Nicole Reyes Photography & Angelica Angerstein Photography

Caterer | Toast Catering

Bar Service | Urban Kitchen Catering

Band | Lucky Devils Band

Event Rentals & Custom Designs | Pacific Events Productions

Specialty Rentals | Hostess Haven

Florist | Mackenzie with Flower Bee Floristry

Videographer | Blue Tiger Films

Hair & Makeup: Laura Claire & Jenny San Martini

Desserts | Ice Cream Peddler

Bakery | Jenny Wenny Cakes

Invitations | White Letters

Attire & Hairpiece of Bride | NK Bride

Bride’s Shoes | Roger Vivier, Gucci, Rene Caovilla

Bride’s Jewelry | Collins Family Jewelers

Groom’s Attire | LS Men’s Clothing, Hugo Boss

Cocktail Napkins | Edinger Press

Embroidered Handkerchief | The Handkerchief Shop

Add comment

What areas do you cover?

We are based in San Diego and will travel anywhere in the county. We are excited to also travel outside of the county, the state, and even the country! Inquire for a peersonalized proposal

nicolereyesphotographysd@gmail.com
(619)772-7485