“Perched on a cliff above the dramatic Big Sur coastline, we exchanged vows in front of our parents, siblings, niece, and newborn nephew,” the bride said. It was everything the couple wanted, including an incredible coastal setting with their nearest and dearest along to celebrate. Sally Pinera told the story of the day through her lens and every image is one perfect moment after the next.
Words by the bride… Both born and raised in Vancouver, Evan and I feel most at home where the water laps the land. We had long held that an intimate coastal ceremony, with our immediate families, in a place where we could soak up each other’s company, eat, drink, and be merry (and married!), was truest to us as a couple.
We met serendipitously seven years ago at a local dive bar, where I spotted Ev from across the room. Mere minutes later, I walked over to tell him that he looked “so familiar” (he did!). Convinced it was nothing more than a conventional pick-up line, Ev nonetheless entertained the sentiment and offered me a drink. Boy, did I hope it would be the first of many more.
Four years later, we moved abroad to Luxembourg to fulfill our work and wanderlust dreams. Before our second summer’s end, Ev planned a trip to the Algarve, Portugal. But, when we boarded the plane, my mind was so preoccupied with finishing a project that I neglected to realize that he hadn’t been in his seat for 30 minutes. Slowly, I started to hear music on the speakers, and I remember thinking how I had never heard RyanAir broadcast in-flight entertainment. A few moments later, realizing that it was Evan’s voice behind the instrument, I glanced up and saw him walking down the aisle, ukulele in hand, singing a song he had wrote for me. Everyone began clapping along, and when he arrived at my seat, he got down on bended knee and proposed. Thinking about that moment still stops time.
A year later, Evan was offered an exciting role with his firm in San Francisco, and I was thrilled to finish my Ph.D. from California. With only six months left in Luxembourg, we repurposed our wedding plans, and soon Big Sur became our inspiration and our backdrop.
On October 24, perched on a cliff above the dramatic Big Sur coastline, we exchanged vows in front of our parents, siblings (my sister was my MoH, and Ev’s brothers his groomsmen), niece (our flower girl) and newborn nephew. Following the ceremony, we proceeded to Pfeiffer Beach for photos, and finished the day the back at home, in the best way we know how: dinner, dessert (celebration cake, to be sure!), and dancing under a canopy of stars. I go back to that evening often, reliving the unforgettable speeches, the arresting views of the Pacific, and the sounds of glasses clinking, waves crashing, and our closest laughing.
Our incredible chef, Jamie Jarrard, prepared indelible dishes using only local, organic, and seasonal ingredients, sourced primarily from Big Sur’s bountiful farm markets. Our florist, Christine Cater, also sourced florals from California, and her incomparable talent could have only been outdone by her generosity, grace, and gregarious spirit.
The rest of our sunny Big Sur days were spent exploring outside, and we capped off the southern part of our stay with a 1:00 am dip at the Esalen hot springs. Not before long, we were in Carmel and Sonoma, planning how we could do it all over again. It was a week we could never forget, and we are profoundly grateful to have it filled with everyone and everything we love most.
Photography: Sally Pinera | Event Design: Sara Graves | Floral Design: Christine Cater | Wedding Dress: Sarah Seven | Cake: Susie Cakes | Makeup : Jess Wilcox | Groom's Attire: Tailors' Keep | Bridal Robes: Cloud Hunter | Chef: Jaime Jarrard | Invitations + Paper Goods: Plume Calligraphy | Ribbons: Stella Wolfe
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Post tags: big sur, Elopement
Post categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog
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