Intimate and Elegant Santa Barbara Backyard Micro Wedding

Rose Arches, Oceanfront Beach Houses, A Spanish Style Airbnb, and Candlelit Family Toasts Over Dinner

Julie and Chris, after battling a year of postponements and wedding day changes with Covid, downsized their large San Diego wedding to an intimate 21 person affair in Santa Barbara. Although these two were faced with many challenges in planning and executing their wedding, as it all unfolded, it was gorgeously elegant from start to finish and they handled every curve ball thrown to them with absolute grace.

Julie and Chris, in order to abide by Airbnb guidelines, hosted their ceremony at a beachfront estate on the coast of Santa Barbara. This gorgeous wood paneled home had a lush backyard with an unobstructed view of the empty ocean horizon. Set in the middle of that space was their intimate ceremony space - a rose arch with cushioned chairs so elegant you’d think Martha Stewart had personally orchestrated the moment.

Guests were seated and Julie’s father walked her across the lawn and down the aisle. Vows were exchanged, passages were read by important family and friends, Julie and Chris kissed, and everyone celebrated, including passerby’s on the beach! A favorite moment of mine was after Julie and Chris were declared husband and wife and walked back up the aisle and across the lawn as husband and wife, their dog Bella, who was being held through the ceremony by a family friend, dashed across the lawn to her newlywed parents before anyone else could reach and congratulate them!

Everyone enjoyed light refreshments and the view of the beach for an impromptu cocktail hour at the beachfront house before dividing into two groups - family and friends. Because all 21 could not gather simultaneously at their Airbnb where they were to host their reception and dinner (due to a 16 head count limit with Covid regulations and restrictions), family followed back to the airbnb, while friends enjoyed another drink awaiting the hour until they would switch!

Dinner was served and prepared on site while family members took polaroids, enjoyed the fire pit, and mingled with the setting sun. A few toasts were made and the bride and groom shared dinner with their closest family members, and as dinner concluded, family left the location for the night and friends entered the property to join for dessert! Over cake slices and champagne, more toasts came to follow as everyone mingled by the candle light. It was the sweetest dinner party full of laughs, anecdotes, and matching slide sandals I have ever witnessed. You could tell everyone in attendance loved Julie and Chris so much and just wanted to celebrate them as sweetly as possible on their special day.

Cheers to Julie and Chris! You are both such extraordinarily lovely people and I am so glad I was part of your wedding day!