Classic, simple, elegant; those are the words I’d use to describe Jon and Monica’s wedding day. Jon and Monica decided to have a small, intimate wedding (no more than 20 guests) and they totally rewrote the wedding day playbook, in my opinion. While the big celebration of a wedding is fun and so special, their celebration really highlighted what matters most: your marriage, your vows, family, and getting to enjoy the day with the few people who were invited to share in the sacredness of coming together as one. They were able to truly soak it all in.

I arrived at the beautiful El Encanto hotel tucked away in the hills of Santa Barbara, CA to find a cool and collected bride and groom doing a final walkthrough of their ceremony site. We routed out the best path the bride would take along the windy layout of the hotel grounds to bring her to the garden area where she would say “I do” to her guy just a few hours later. We ordered room service, kicked back, and enjoyed the sea breeze before the getting ready portion of the day would begin. There were no frills, the only florals were the bridal bouquet, boutonnieres, and flower petals the flower girls (the bride’s nieces) would toss. The beauty of the grounds needed no extras. My favorite part was that the bride and groom got to sit down with their guests and enjoy the three-course dinner and dessert. We all got to enjoy each other’s company with a stunning view of the ocean and take in the gorgeous sunset.

When I get married I’m going to take notes from Jon and Monica’s playbook and determine what matters most so that I can prioritize soaking in the presence of the people who will join and not rush through what might be one of the most momentous days.