Weekend Wedding at the Quirky Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

Weddings

Oct 21

A Three Day Wedding over Labor day Weekend at The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California

Anna and Colin hosted their Labor Day weekend wedding at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, a coastal city around three and a half hours northwest of Los Angeles. Known for their themed and eccentric rooms, the Madonna Inn served as a perfect destination to reflect Anna and Colin’s colorful personalities. Dori Anderson Events planned the whimsical and minimal three-day celebration, a perfect fit for the two theater-kid lovebirds.

Day 1 consisted of guest check-in and the wedding rehearsal. Anna and Colin arrived for their walk-through, and Anna showed up ready in stylized bejeweled Betsey Johnson shoes.

The couple had matching pink accents in their apparel, with Colin showing off a dapper suit and pink dress shirt fresh out of a GQ editorial. As we walked from their room to the Secret Garden where their ceremony would take place, we decided to take the “scenic route” for some impromptu photos. The Madonna Inn provides so many unique backdrops and settings, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take candid photos by a pink floral wall and a poolside white gazebo. The couple are so lively and animated, you could clearly see how joyful their love is.

From the photoshoot, we made our way to the Secret Garden so Anna and Colin could greet their guests and prepare for the wedding rehearsal. Guests checked into the Madonna Inn and had their choice between some of their signature and unique suites. From rock waterfall showers to leopard print rugs to a room full of various shades of pink, almost every attendee stayed at the Madonna Inn for the weekend, allowing for a close-knit and intimate experience through all of the wedding festivities. After the rehearsal, everyone enjoyed dinner at Madonna Inn’s restaurant, Alex Steakhouse. Family and friends gave celebratory toasts and danced to live entertainment before returning to their suites to rest for the big day.

The wedding day was a dream come true to life. The weather was a perfect sunny day, with the clear blue sky complementing the accented blue theme of Anna and Colin’s attire. It seemed appropriate that the Madonna Inn would also complement the couple, as both the bride and groom got ready in separate rooms, each with their own unique blue hue. Colin’s room, Traveler’s Yacht, had a deep blue coordinating with his suit and Anna’s room, Romance, had a blue velvet flower wallpaper matching perfectly with her light blue wedding shoes. The first look took place in the blue velvet flower room, where light blue banisters perfectly framed Anna in her BHLDN wedding dress as Colin took in all of her majestic beauty as she stood at the top of the stairs. Of course, the moment wouldn’t be complete without the couple expressing their silly side with entertaining and animated poses. We continued this joyful photoshoot throughout the Madonna Inn, making stops at a white spiral staircase, the pink floral wall, the color grid wall, the glitter room suite, Merry, (known for its use by various social media influencers), the hotel lobby and restaurant, tennis courts, and finally the Secret Garden where the ceremony would be held. Each space provided such a unique setting for Anna and Colin’s personalities to shine, the fun truly never stopped.

At the Secret Garden, guests began to file in for the ceremony, and you could tell that they were friends and family of Anna and Colin as each had on as stylized and colorful an array of attire as the Madonna Inn. The ceremony itself was sweet and sentimental, a storytelling of their love. Anna was escorted down the aisle by her mother, holding a bouquet that they had just pieced together earlier in the day from Trader Joe’s floral arrangements. Plenty of tears were shed as close loved ones shared tender sentiments, and both Anna and Colin exchanged handwritten vows. The ceremony ended with attendees throwing flower petals as the bride and groom walked down the aisle as newlyweds.

After the ceremony, everyone made their way to cocktail hour back at the hotel. Guests mingled and enjoyed drinks while Anna and Colin slipped away to take photos at the Madonna Meadows during sunset, and to change into more comfortable attire. They did a 2nd first look in one of Madonna Inn’s most romantic rooms, the Hearts and Flowers room. Surrounded by a red velvet flower background perfect for Valentine’s Day, Anna and Colin beamed as they realized that their marriage was now official. Much like earlier in the day, the sky seemed to agree with the day’s sentiment, as a rainbow appeared to guide Anna and Colin back to their guests just in time for dinner. Never ones to shy away from a proper entrance, the two lovebirds made their way straight to the dance floor for their first dance. But to much of the audience’s surprise and delight, the slow dance was abruptly halted by the Ducktails theme song, as Anna and Colin performed a choreographed routine for all of those in attendance. If there was ever a theme song for these two, this was it. Dinner continued with plentiful toasts to the newlyweds, who sat at their heart shaped sweetheart table, followed by nonstop dancing. Joe Clemmer of Professional DJ Services provided the music for the night, and all of the guests truly had a blast, with abundant twirls, candid laughs, and even a dance tunnel. The night capped off with the cutting of the cake, as Anna and Colin made their way to their classic hot pink Madonna wedding cake complete with pink chocolate shavings. To ensure that the bride and groom figures topping the cake were true to life, Anna even customized the bride to include her signature gray hair!

On Day 3, Anna and Colin hosted their farewell pool party, or as I like to say, the “Cool Pool Party”. One of the perks of the Madonna Inn is their late checkout time of 12PM. This allowed for all of the guests to join Anna and Colin for a morning dip in the pool, as they all basked in the sun and enjoyed each other’s company before heading back home. I would like to think that this weekend wedding was just as perfect as Anna and Colin had imagined. The quirky Madonna Inn was the perfect destination for this lively and enthusiastic couple. It provided not only a colorful mise-en-scène for the two theater-kid lovebirds, but also the time to allow a fond farewell to their loved ones. I know their marriage will be as bright and whimsical as they are. Cheers to the happy couple!

Part I: The Rehearsal

For our first course, may I present, the soon to be Mr and Mrs on the Eve of their wedding for a walk on the scenic route to the Secret Garden for their wedding ceremony rehearsal and meet and greet with their out of town guests!