Alice + Sam knew they wanted to be close to the ocean for their vows—all of their favorite vacation spots are on the coast. Not only did they want it to take place somewhere with a slight sea breeze, but they wanted the day to take on a dusty blue and peachy palette—inspired by those iconic coastal vibes. When they found Sand Rock Farm, a darling bed and breakfast in Aptos, California, they knew it was the place to host their intimate wedding, and Brannan Events & Design helped make that happen.
Alice tells us: We started planning the wedding because my grandpa’s health had taken a turn for the worse and he was literally the reason I became a wedding photographer. My sister’s wedding photographer took a photo of him hugging her that had all the love and pride he had for us on his face and it brought me to tears. That photo is priceless to me, and I wanted to create similar photos for other people. So, as you might imagine, having him at my wedding was extremely important to me. Even though he unable to be there, it felt like the entire wedding weekend was a gift from him to us.
The sweetest of sentiments! Chloe Ramirez Photography captured all those spectacular moments for A+S, and we’re giving you a peek at all the darling details. Let’s look!
The Details
Isn’t that agate slice such a cool momento from their big day? Major props to Jen Che!
Hellloooo, gorgeous! We adore the complementary hues seen in this bouquet by Tumbleweed Floral Truck—from all the peachy oranges and soft pinks to the dusty blue hue.
Look at those sweethearts! And how much fun is Samuel’s tie? Looking for something with a bit of flair for the groom? Check out our GWS x The Tie Bar collection!
The Intimate Ceremony Space
The perfect setting for the small group, don’t you think?
Alice shares: Having a small wedding has so many advantages, like being able to hand-write every single invitation, cook a rehearsal dinner the night before for all of our guests using recipes from the cookbook we made and gave out as favors, and having deep, meaningful conversations with every single one of our guests.
Am I allowed to say all of it?! Seriously, it was the most magical weekend of our lives. But if I had to pick one, I would pick the ceremony. My best friend totally killed it as officiant, and Sam and I both cried during our vows to each other.
That joyous feeling!
The Newlyweds
Oh, and that airy gown she’s rocking? It’s from BHLDN.
The Coastal-Inspired Reception
Lovin’ this reception space! It’s cozy and cool and definitely picked up the effortless coastal vibes. Dig this as much as us? Check out how these two planned an Intimate Big Sur Beach Wedding in 90 Days!
Carousel
Carousel
Muscle shells for escort cards? Genius!
Blue hues + tons of blueberries! Sand Rock Farm Bed and Breakfast crafted this delightful cake for the wedding.
Of course Alice had to take a few snaps herself!
Start with the perfect venue, hire a wedding planner, temper your DIY expectations, and consider having a smaller, intimate wedding! Sand Rock Farm was my dream wedding venue and we would have never considered having such a small wedding if I hadn't fallen in love with the Barrel Room.
Hiring Elise as our wedding planner was also one of the best decisions we made! She was able to pull all my scattered ideas together into an incredibly beautiful, cohesive day and she was a godsend on the wedding day.
As for the DIY aspect, we ended up doing quite a bit ourselves, but I definitely had to scale back my ambitions and think about what was really important to me. Having Elise here was another big help, as she had backup plans for every one of my projects that I didn't end up completing. And I have to end this by saying again, seriously! Having a small wedding was absolutely amazing and we wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Want more tips on how to plan an intimate + meaningful wedding? Check out this guide!
Alice + Samuel, may your marriage be filled with so much happiness! Congratulations to the two of you and thank you for letting us in on this special day. <3
photography: Chloe Ramirez Photography // venue name: Sand Rock Farm Bed and Breakfast, Aptos, California, USA // event design: Brannan Events & Design // planning: Brannan Events & Design // florals: Tumbleweed Floral Truck // wedding dress: BHLDN // paper goods: Jen Che // calligraphy: Jen Che // catering: Sand Rock Farm Bed and Breakfast // cake: Sand Rock Farm Bed and Breakfast // tabletop rentals: Bright Event Rentals // furniture rentals: Theoni // linen rentals: La Tavola Fine Linen // music: Ivy Hill Entertainment
Beautiful wedding, the edit on the images played into the colors perfectly. Also, couldn’t agree more about picking the right venue and planner… not doing so can lead to unforeseen stress. It sounds silly, but couples often book a spot they have no feeling, or connection, towards and it shows. Cheers!
There are so many beautiful images on this post, but I can’t pin them because they’re mostly horizontal. Would you consider making your blog more pinterest-friendly? :)
Hi Jillian,
All photos can be pinned – just roll over and you’ll see the Pin it button! Hope that helps!!
I love, love, love the venue they picked!! And the color choices are so pretty!