When Elena reached out about having me shoot their wedding, she described the vision for their day as "Picnic. Happiness. Fun." And it was just that! Elena and Jeff's wedding at Godric Grove in Elings Park in Santa Baraba was one big, sun-soaked party — my favorite kind of wedding to photograph.
We stared the day at their home in Santa Barbara, where Elena got ready with her friends and family. The girls were still putting finishing touches on the bouquets one of the bridesmaids made and we did a sweet first look with the gals once Elena got her dress on.
We then met Jeff at the beach just below Shoreline Park in Santa Barbara for their first look and portraits. We laughed, got our feed wet, ran in the sand, and took our sweet time capturing their love. It wasn't rushed or stressful and felt like spending an afternoon with friends — my favorite kind of wedding day portrait session.
Once my shoes were thoroughly soaked through and Elena's dress was covered in sand, we headed to the Santa Barbara Courthouse where we met the bridal party and snapped some group photos in the lawn. The bridesmaids wore the best mismatched linen dresses from Dissh and their flowers were the most lovely, natural bundles of yellows, whites, and pops of pinks and oranges.
Their ceremony and reception were at Godric Grove in Elings Park — a stunning public space on the North end of Santa Barbara. With 360 views of the Santa Barbara, Elings Park is the perfect combo of beach views and garden party. They had a short and sweet, untraditional ceremony overlooking Santa Barbara and their guests sat in the amphitheater seating for views of it all.
I took my shoes of for the cocktail hour in the lawn and captured as Elena and Jeff soaked up time with all of their quests. These are the moments where I feel like I'm not even working! Love it.
*Wedding Tip* — if you want to be fully present for your cocktail hour with your guests, I highly recommend doing a first look! Not only do you get intimate, relaxed time together as a couple and with your bridal party before the wedding, you also get through most of your more "formal" photos (portraits, wedding party, and even family if you want) so you can fully relax and enjoy the rest of your wedding day post-ceremony!
Okay, moving on! Elena and Jeff's reception was an absolute California DREAM. Godric Grove's reception space is basically a huge deck overlooking the hills of Santa Barbara, shaded by a large oak tree growing out from the center of the space. I was obsessed and probably took a thousand photos of just their reception and table details! Their reception centerpieces go to show that less is more — Elena and Jeff opted for simple yellow and white florals on light pink tablecloths and it worked stunningly.
One thing I loved about their day is that Elena wanted all of her vendors to be ladies if possible and it was so fun to be part of a dream team made up of Santa Barbara's best (all-female) wedding vendors.
Their dance party started as the sun was setting and I loved getting to watch their crew break it down during golden hour and into the evening!
If you're looking for a photographer in Southern California to capture your wedding day in Santa Barbara, California, look no further! While I'm based in Colorado, I'm always eager to head West to my favorite state to photograph stunning couples like you! Click the link below to fill out by inquiry form today!
