Japanese Friendship Garden Wedding: Lori and Joe

Japan holds a special place in both Lori and Joe's hearts: Japan is where they took a luxurious and enchanting trip that had them both fall in love with the country and Japanese culture! Both lovers of international travel way before meeting each other, Lori and Joe wanted to recount their wonderful trip, so the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park was the perfect backdrop for their intimate fall wedding in San Diego!

Joe and Lori were married amongst family and friends and incorporated the Celtic tradition of handfasting into their ceremony before celebrating with a travel themed reception! With gorgeous florals by Ranch Events, each table was themed with a specific country! So cute!!

Lori and Joe, I love your sense for adventure and wish your future is full of more travels together! Thank you for trusting me to document your day! xo, Evelyn

La Jolla Scripps Engagement Session: Melissa and Chris

To find a home away from home is quite special: Melissa, a California native and one time San Diego resident, found a ‘home’ with Chris in Chicago, where they are both medical students. Having braved countless classes, exams, and winters together, they are uniting their friends and family for a destination wedding in sunny San Diego! What better backdrop for their engagement session? A mix of land and sea…or beach, I should say! Melissa and Chris chose a classic San Diego beach session in La Jolla with Torrey Pines in the background. Scripps Beach is one of my personal favorites beaches in La Jolla because you walk and walk for what seems forever, and my favorite thing about these two: they are FUN! Melissa and Chris are all smiles and laughs!

Melissa and Chris, I am SO excited to be documenting your wedding this upcoming fall! I love your positive energy and infectious laughter! xo - Evelyn

Artelexia and Kettner Exchange Dinner

I am a foodie: I'm unapologetically particular and opinionated about my food, and I say that with a smile on my face! With a few years of San Diego residency under my belt, Little Italy has easily become my go-to neighborhood for the food and dining I love: top notch chefs, a variety of amazing atmospheres, and mouth watering food across the board.

Enter Kettner Exchange: I can come here for a girls night out, date night, or with a group of friends, and I am never disappointed! 

When Elexia of Artelexia told me she would be joining forces with Kettner Exchange to host ArteKEXia. I was ESTATIC: an intimate 5 course meal paired with seasonal cocktails (hello pomegranate palomoas!) and Mexican wine on a rooftop?! Hello and yes! Elexia once again envisioned and created a gorgeous Mexico themed dining space with her fabulous decor: Talavera dinner plates combined with her amazing collection of antique tins from Mexico.

Combine Elexia’s great taste and eye for design, Kettner Exchange’s divine menu*, and a group of strangers brought together by their love for quality and elevated flavors and spirits, and a night to remember was created! Can’t wait for the next dinner Kettner and Elexia! - Your foodie and photographer friend, Evelyn

*The menu was everything. From 'Vuelve la Vida' (a ceviche-type dish made with oysters, chocolate clams, lobster, and octopus) to 'Caldito de Setas' (the bone marrow!), the main course spread covered every inch of the table. Highlights: the huitlaoche (corn mushroom, or 'Mexican truffle') and the juiciest, most flavorful lechon (pork). 

Valle De Guadalupe Engagement: Lala and Frank

Frank and Lala, lovers of food, wine, travel, are very proudly Mexican with a love and respect for the country’s history, culture, and traditions. They are foregoing a traditional wedding for - brace yourself - 7 weddings in 7 continents over the next 7 years, with the first being in San Miguel de Allende, so what would be the best place to travel to that combines all that they love and serve as the perfect backdrop to their engagement session? Valle de Guadalupe in Baja, Mexico, just south of the San Diego/ Tijuana border. Valle, as I call it, is a special place: the people are warm, the food is to die for, and I personally feel an inner peace every time I arrive and spend time there.

Hosting 30 friends at Hotel Boutique Valle de Guadalupe for an engagement celebratory weekend, Lala and Frank knew this is where they wanted to be documented. On their hotel grounds and in between vines, they had me cracking up with their infectious laughs! These two are absolutely in love and I cannot wait to see all of their weddings unfold! - Evelyn

Four Seasons Aviara Rombauer Wine Dinner

Hands down, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is one of my absolute favorite luxury brands: the service and experiences they provide across their portfolio are top notch. Four Seasons Aviara in Carlsbad, San Diego falls right in line in providing guests exposure to food and wine experts via the hosting of multi-course dinners complete with beverage pairings. To kick off the fall and in partnership with Rombauer Vineyards, Four Seasons Aviara's latest dinner was a-ma-zing!

With the perfect fall tablescape to set the atmosphere, the four course dinner kicked off and lucky me, I got to hang in the kitchen and see every dish constructed. To see Eat Seasons' Chef De Cuisine James Waters and his team hustle behind the scenes to make these magical dishes come to life was impressive. To taste each plate was an honor!

See, I consider myself a foodie yet do not eat olives or foie gras, but let me tell you: I CLAPPED in place when I tried the 36 Hour Duck - duck confit with fois gras mousse - and said out loud, "I WILL talk about this duck tomorrow. High chances of me still talking about it next week" because it was that good. The mousse was airy and fluffy, throwing my reservations around the consistency of foie gras, out the window. The other courses, including a lobster salad and handmade pumpkin agnolotti - were divine!

The Four Seasons Aviara designers behind the event, the entire Eat Seasons staff, and the experts from Rombauer Vineyards executed a flawless event. Bravo, team, and I cannot wait to see what your future dinners look like and showcase! - Evelyn