Elopement at Hotel Californian and Santa Barbara Courthouse
An Elegant and Timeless Elopement in Downtown Santa Barbara to Celebrate A Special Wedding Day
Hannah and Jake celebrated their intimate wedding day in their home of Santa Barbara. From start to finish, their elegant day was beautiful and spent together with their loved ones, enjoying the classic Santa Barbara landmarks as well as some of the couple’s favorite spots.
Hannah, our beautiful bride, got ready in the couple’s honeymoon suite at The Hotel Californian in the morning. She had all her accessories lined up: a Staud beaded bag, Tiffany & Co rings, a silk wedding dress, and some heirloom pieces from her grandma, ready to complete her look. She got ready, grabbed her bouquet that her friend assembled for her, and shared a joyful (and tearful) first look with her soon-to-be husband in the courtyard of The Hotel Californian.
Hannah and Jake captured portraits before their ceremony both at The Hotel Californian and at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. One of my favorite moments from the day was when Jake realized he wanted to be wearing his wedding ring in their couple’s portraits, so they exchanged rings casually on the lawn before their ceremony. For the rest of the day, Jake flashed me his ring and was so excited to be wearing the wedding ring given to him by his bride!
Family and friends were told to meet at the side lawn near the entrance to the Santa Barbara Courthouse around 4:00 for their elegant elopement. Friends trickled in and greeted the couple enthusiastically. At one point, a ladybug flew over to Hannah and landed on her dress. It stayed with her until the ceremony began, and it was so special! Once everyone arrived, they huddled together as a close friend married Hannah and Jake. They exchanged personal vows, everyone cried, they kissed, and ran excitedly through the crowd as husband and wife!
After their ceremony, the couple walked through downtown Santa Barbara towards State Street. Having moved to Santa Barbara in recent years, the couple wanted to walk down State Street because they shared many dates in this area. The walk led to their favorite date night spot and restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara, Bouchon. Bouchon is a French restaurant just off State Street where the couple rented a private room for an intimate, candle-lit dinner together with their immediate families. After many plates, bottles of wine, toasts, and cheers, the couple cut their vintage-style two-layer cake to share alongside dessert!
Hannah and Jake are one of those very special couples who look at one another with such love you can’t help but fall in love with them as a couple. What a joy it was to be invited into their love story on their wedding day and create these photos for them. Their day was captured both digitally and on film (35mm and 120mm) - blending both crisp and timeless photos with artful, nostalgic images that feel like the ones handed down through generations. The result was a perfect mix of modern elegance and timeless charm.
Shot on digital, 35mm, and 120mm film
VENDORS:Photo: Vanessa Todd PhotographerHair and Makeup: Ruth B. MedranoBridal Accessories: Staud, Tiffany & Co.Getting Ready Location: The Hotel CalifornianCeremony: Santa Barbara CourthouseDinner: Bouchon Santa Barbara