Is there a more perfect way to celebrate a summer wedding than an outdoor wedding ceremony decorated head-to-toe with blooming florals overlooking the sparkling clear waters of the Central California Coastline?

That’s exactly the dream that Taylor and Jonathan were envisioning when they were planning their summer wedding ceremony at Spyglass Inn – an intimate, garden-inspired celebration brought to life by Amanda Holder and florals by Lexi Lupton with Mediterranean charm set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. And (spoiler alert!) pulled it off, crafting a wedding day that was both luxuriously beautiful and filled with heartfelt, intimate and unforgettable memories.

Set across two of California’s Central Coast’s most stunning wedding locations, their clifftop ceremony at Spyglass Inn and romantic outdoor reception at Slo Brew Rock (plus an extra-special pit stop at a private California vineyard location for a newlywed session!) made for the ultimate way to celebrate California’s most breathtaking, iconic settings and one of my favorite weddings of all time.

Keep reading to be take inspiration and fall in love with their intimate outdoor coastal wedding at Spyglass Inn and Slo Brew Rock, and explore the work of all the incredible vendors who brought Taylor and Jonathan’s dream to life.

A Floral-Drenched Ceremony at Spyglass Inn: The Perfect Location for a Summer Wedding on the California Coast

Taylor and Jonathan chose the incredible Spyglass Inn in Southern California as their ceremony location, a stunning Hotel and events space overlooking Pismo Beach with the most spectacular pacific ocean coastal views. The outdoor space was transformed with the couple’s garden-inspired vision in mind, brought to life by one of San Luis Obispo’s best wedding planners Amanda Holder and decorated with gorgeous pastel florals by Lexi Lupton who were the definition of a dream team. Taylor and Jonathan truly chose the best wedding vendors in California to bring their romantic dreams to life!

Spyglass Inn is the perfect location for an elopement or micro wedding in California, because It’s easily accessible just off of Highway 1 and surrounded by a huge selection of gorgeous yet affordable hotels and accommodation to make it easy for your guests. Despite being easy to reach, it feels like a private paradise – nestled in between some of California’s most gorgeous beaches, Pirates Cove beach, Shell Beach and Spyglass Beach – it has a perfect Mediterranean beach vacation feel, and a picturesque ambiance which set the most romantic scene for Taylor and Jonathan to say “I do”.

One of my favorite things about Spyglass Inn as a wedding venue is that it’s a luxury hotel (with a year-round heated pool and spa, and easy access to Shell Beach and Avila Beach as an added bonus!) which means anniversaries can be spent revisiting the venue which hosted the best day of your life for the perfect romantic getaway staycation to relive your most cherished wedding memories.

Getting Ready and ‘First Touch’ Reveals at Private Airbnb Residences in South California: Personal, Intimate Portraits and Memories

The couple and their bridal parties made getting ready memories at separate Airbnb locations, a short drive from Spyglass Inn. They were the perfect spaces to have stress-free fun, and also to capture stunning private portraits of the bride and groom and their closest friends and family against a clean, modern backdrop. One of my best tips for couples planning their weddings is to use Airbnb listings to search for a getting ready venues, because they’re usually a cheaper alternative to a hotel and you can find beautiful, entire private rental spaces that are big enough to fit your whole wedding party for an affordable price. It also means you can stay overnight before your wedding day so you don’t have to worry about waking up early or getting everybody to your venue on time. (Just make sure you check with the host that it’s ok before you book!)

Taylor and Jonathan decided to meet before the ceremony, breaking tradition and opting for a ‘First Touch’. In a traditional wedding timeline the bride and groom and groom do not meet eachother before the ceremony, however it’s becoming increasingly more popular for many modern couples to opt for wedding timelines which include a ‘First Look’ where the couple see eachother before the ceremony. (If you want to see an example of first look photography, you can check out another one of my gorgeous weddings here where the couple opted for an emotional first look!)

I love both First Touches and First Looks, because they’re both ways of incorporating more of ‘you’ into your wedding timeline rather than just following tradition. First Looks are perfect for summer weddings because it means that your makeup is on point for the big reveal (perfected on Taylor by the incredibly talented team at The Queen’s Bees) which is especially important if you want to look your best but are having an outdoor wedding or adventurous elopement in summer or a hot country – sweat happens! But if you want to find the balance of anti-tradition and have an emotional experience with your partner before the alter, but don’t want them to see you, a First Touch is the perfect option. The memories I capture during First touches are always candid, intimate and electric! (Keep reading to see for yourself!)

Saying ‘I Do’ Overlooking the Ocean and Beaches of California: An Unforgettable Experience to Cherish Forever

Taylor and Jonathan said I do during a traditional ceremony at Spyglass Inn decorated like a garden inspired, floral wonderland designed by Lexi Lupton. Effortlessly stylish and romantic (I especially loved the unique floral centrepiece which replaced a conventional arch – It was a masterpiece!) it fit perfectly in with the couple’s intentional yet unforgettable vision for their day. It was the perfect modern interpretation of traditional meets timeless!

Spyglass Inn is one of the most beautiful ceremony locations in California that I’ve ever experienced, and I can’t picture a more perfect place in the world to marry your best friend than on the clifftops overlooking the ocean on a bright summer’s day, surrounded by mountains and palm trees that make the venue feel like an exotic paradise. If you’re looking for an outdoor wedding venue in California near to San Diego to host your summer wedding, Spyglass Inn needs to be on your list.

It was an honor to capture Taylor and Jonathan make their love official on one of the most perfect summer days of the year, and even though the backdrop was so breathtaking it was impossible to keep your eyes on anything but them and fall in love with their love.

A Romantic, Outdoor Reception at Slo Brew Rock

The couple celebrated saying ‘I do’ with an elegant, outdoor golden hour coktail hour and reception dinner filled with heartfelt speeches and unforgettable stories at Slo Brew Rock – a stunning venue with outdoor and indoor space in Southern California, just a short distance from Spyglass Inn made easy by effortless transport provided by Slo Safe Ride.

I loved the interactive, personalized details Taylor and Jonathan chose for their cocktail hour – inviting guests to share memories of the two of them and their wedding day via recordings using a vintage telephone. This is such a memorable, unique and creative idea for a wedding guestbook which fit perfectly with their romantic vision, and the perfect way to make sure they remember all the love they felt on this day for the rest of their lives.

Guests indulged in delicious food and drink supplied in-house supplied by Slo Brew Rock themselves (so it’s perfect for any couple looking for a full-service reception venue!) around pastel tables which followed the floral spring garden theme, adorned with fresh cut roses and fox gloves among rentals by All About Events and effortlessly draped pink tulle that seemed to stretch for miles. It felt like art: minimal yet intentional, instantly classic and filled of romantic colors that echoed the wedding’s spring palette and Amanda Holder did such an incredible job at bringing this vision to life, proving again why they’re one of the top planners in California. As night fell and the lights turned on, the space glowed with gold and felt even more romantic – I know this is a picture both and I and every one of Taylor and Jonathan’s guests will remember forever.

Intimate Golden Hour Portraits in the Vineyards of Southern California (& My Best Tips for Couples who are Nervous about their Portrait Session!)

I captured beautiful, golden-hour newlywed portraits of Taylor and Jonathan at a breathtakingly beautiful private vineyard off the road from the couple’s Airbnbs. I love Vineyard wedding portraits because they’re the perfect way to celebrate Californian culture (it’s what California is most famous for!) and are the most stunning because you can see the beautiful landscape of where your love story took place stretched out for miles. It was truly a wedding photographer’s dream setting for capturing effortlessly picture-perfect moments, and a dream come true for these two who got to experience a private, intimate experience fillled with emotions and memories they’ll remember forever. The photographs we took were bold, bright and romantic and make for the perfect postcards from their magical wedding day!

If you’re feeling nervous about your bridal or couples portraits and are looking for the best tips for overcoming photo session anxiety, I’d highly recommend incorporating time into your wedding timeline for travelling to a private location, because it’s much easier to feel relaxed and at ease when you aren’t surrounded by guests and can forget about what’s happening at your wedding venue – You can leave the world behind, kick back and relax!

As a photographer who has shot hundreds of weddings throughout California I’ve learned what works best, and I always recommend scheduling time for your couples session around 60 minutes before sunset, so we have time to travel to a private location such as a vineyard, the beach or the Redwoods and get comfortable and in the flow of being in front of the camera before the peak of golden hour. It also allows you to get back to your wedding venue to appreciate all of your hard work (and enjoy a cocktail or two!) before it gets dark and it’s time to party – Which is exactly what Taylor and Jonathan did when we arrived back at Slo Brew Rock‘s indoor space to dance the night away.

To book Marisa Ruth for your 2024 or 2025 Northern, Central or Southern California wedding click here, and follow @marisaruthphotography on Pinterest and Instagram for more luxury wedding and elopement inspiration.

Vendors:

Wedding Design/Planning/Management: Amanda Holder

Ceremony Venue: Spyglass Inn

Reception Venue: Slo Brew Rock

Rentals: All About Events

Photography: Marisa Ruth

Cinematography/Videography: Jay Joson

Floral Design: Lexi Lupton

Catering: Slo Brew Rock

Bartending: Slo Brew Rock

Dessert: Slo Brew Rock

DJ/Emcee/Entertainment: Vox DJs

Invitation Suite: Minted

Signage: Minted

Beauty: The Queen’s Bees

Transportation: Slo Safe Ride