So for those of you that know me, I take the business side of things very seriously - this includes rarely being late and always being as reliable as possible. When Bridget & Luke inquired about me possibly photographing their wedding in La Jolla, we quickly set a date to grab coffee and get to know each other a bit more. The problem? For the first time ever, my studio management software neglected to remind me about the coffee date, and the stars aligned perfectly because I managed to not check my calendar that morning either. I remember it clearly - I was in the process of editing some photos when I received a call. I quickly answered, and hear, “Hi Sage, we’re over at Lestats and wondering where you’re seated.”

UHH, NOT THERE YET. SEE YOU SOON.

I quickly grabbed my laptop and bolted out the door. When I arrived, I only ended up being a few minutes late, but I was 110% sure that I had blew it already. I apologized profusely, explaining the situation and letting them know that this has literally never happened before, but felt the damage had already been done. What couple wants to hire a photographer for the most important day of their life that forgot about their first meeting together?

Luckily, they ended up being insanely understanding (especially after I explained the steps I have in place to make sure stuff like that never happens on the actual wedding day) and booked me a few days later. HECK YES!

A few months later, I photographed their engagement session, where we started off in University Heights (Luke’s hood) and ended at Sunset Cliffs (be sure to checkout another Sunset Cliffs engagement session from one of my other clients here). I never got around to blogging their session, so check the first five images of this post for a short preview!

Fast forward to their wedding day at La Valencia - I arrived nice and early and started photographing Bridget and her girls getting ready while my second shooter photographed the guys. Luke’s dark blue tux with gold accents really matched well with Bridget’s beautiful, long, classic dress. Between the amazing tux + dress combo, their super sweet bridal party, and the epic weather - I could already tell this wedding would be one of my favorites.

After photographing the getting ready portion of the wedding, we walked to a semi-isolated section of the hotel for their first look and shot some portraits before heading to the beach. From there, we shot more portraits, headed back to the hotel, and waited patiently for the ceremony to begin. The ceremony was short and sweet, and after finishing, we tackled some more portraits, followed by the couple’s grand entrance.

Once some formal dancing was out of the way, the couple and their friends & family ate delicious food, drank some tasty alcoholic beverages, and danced the night away.

For photographers: I used a Nikon D5 + D850. For lenses, I used a 24-70mm, 35mm, 45mm, and 58mm. Reception lit with Flashpoint R2s and MagMod MagGrids.

Enjoy!

Photographer // La Jolla wedding photographers, Sage Justice

Second photographer // Merima Helic

Coordinator // La Jolla wedding planner, Francine Ribeau Events

Venue // La Valencia Hotel

DJ & Emcee // La Jolla wedding DJ, Dre Motion

Makeup // Beauty By Stacey

Florals // Root 75

Catering // La Valencia

Officient // Jason Nathan