100 Layer Cake

We love this wedding for obvious reasons – it’s straight-out-of-a-dream gorgeous. But after hearing how Britt was inspired by our Bohemian Summer Party shoot, she pretty won us over! They were married as the sun went down on Pfeiffer Beach, where fresh water from the Big Sur River meets the ocean (sounds dreamy already, right?), and is considered by the local Native Americans to be a sacred spot. Their ceremony was spiritually beautiful and ended with something we’ve never seen in a wedding – every guest joining in on a big group embrace. The area’s rich bohemian history was the muse for Britt’s barefoot bridal look. She ditched the shoes and forwent the veil, opting instead for beachy waves and a floral crown. Love!

So much of our wedding was inspired by our location. Bryan and I camped in Big Sur last fall and immediately knew we wanted to be married there. From the jagged rustic coastline to the wooded forests Big Sur is simply breathtaking. But we fell in love not only with the area’s natural beauty, but also its literary roots (Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac and even Hunter S. Thompson have been inspired by the place) and folk music history (Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and others played at the annual Big Sur Folk Festival in the 60s).

A special moment happened when we were driving away from Pfeiffer Beach to our reception at the Ventana Inn. We pulled over to pose for a picture with two beautiful horses. I grew up riding horses and so the moment felt like unexpected homage to the childhood I was, in a way, leaving behind.

We wanted an eclectic look, with diverse textures, the sort of mishmash of shapes and colors you might find when combing a beach. And so we used weathered brass containers, antique brass candle sticks, and sea glass colored bottles for our centerpieces. All of our flowers were grown locally and organically on our florist’s farm. She provided gorgeous protea, air plants, succulents, ruffled pink roses, perfect dahlias, fresh eucalyptus and all sorts of native spiny and textured wild plants to decorate our table. We collected feathers (the way you might when walking a beach) which were then loosely tucked into arrangements and hung from a wood beam in our reception space.

Congratulations B + B!

Photography: onelove photography / Event Designer/Coordinator: Amy Lovlien, True Emerald Styling & Planning / Makeup + Hair: Sophia Coyne / Cake: Parker-Lusseau / Caterer: The Ventana Inn Restaurant / Videography: Sean Wang – a recent high school graduate & this was the first wedding he ever shot! / Dress Designer: Anne Ventresco wedding dress, Max & Cleo cocktail dress and floral head crown / Flowers: Amanda Seely, Laughin’ Gal Floral / Groom’s Attire: Suit by Banana Republic; tie by General Knot & Co. / Jewelry: Groom’s cat pin by Kaye Blegvad / Stationery: Amy Lovlien, True Emerald Styling & Planning / Hair Accessories: Which Goose on Etsy / Personalized tin candle favors by Lisa Ravenel, Torch Illumination on Etsy