Mission de Alcala + Balboa Park Wedding Photos | Ximena + Gilberto

January 5, 2021

This was one of the first San Diego weddings affected by Covid! Original wedding date was back in April, right in the middle of shut down. Everything was so uncertain at that time. They were able to get their ceremony done with just 10 people, but I was not able to attend. The bride didn’t stress and we decided I would shoot their mock wedding in October. The focus on these Mission de Alcala + Balboa Park Wedding Photos | Ximena + Gilberto would be the formal, immediate family and wedding party portraits.

We started with the bride’s side of the family and her bridal party. Their reception was at Kona Kai in the early evening, so we still had to adhere to a strict timeline. We started in the middle of the day, which on a sunny day, is not ideal. As long as you have some trees or covering of some sort you learn to get creative!

Then we united both parties and family members for some group shots in front of the church. The weather was continuously changing that day. It went from bright sunshine to overcast and back to sunshine. So when the clouds would come over I would get everyone to in front of the church to take advantage of the even light!

Then we started the formal portraits! I was so excited for this portion because they blew me away at their engagement session in the snow at Mount Laguna! They are so comfortable with one another and have so much love in their eyes for one another that it seriously takes my breath away!

I shot the formal portraits both at Mission de Alcala and then afterwards at Balboa Park. At the very tail end of the portrait session at Balboa Park the entire wedding party, family members and even their dogs met us at the Organ Pavilion at Balboa Park for the final group shots! The dogs did amazing! I love when couples include their dogs in the photos!