Natalie and Andy’s Small Wedding at Wind and Sea, CA

Natalie and Andy decided to have the best of both worlds, planning a small wedding at the Wind and Sea venue in Big Sur. Then they explored Garrapata State Park together the following day and “trashed the wedding dress” during their adventure. This is the perfect inspiration for couples looking for a unique destination wedding without all the traditional bells and whistles. Get all the details below.

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About This Small Wedding at Wind and Sea

Photography by Julia Goldberg Photography

“Natalie and Andy celebrated their beautiful wedding day with their closest loved ones at the iconic Wind and Sea venue in Big Sur. They exchanged their rings on a cliffside overlooking the stunning blue ocean on a bright and sunny day. Once they walked back up the aisle they went to say some private vows to one another with their sweet pup, Waffle, under a tree and had a sweet intimate moment.

They celebrated their day with their family and friends. Eating delicious food and playing games. The next day I met back up with them in Garrapata State Park to capture some fun Trash-the-Dress photos. We climbed around the cliffsides, frolicked on the beaches, and wandered through the green valleys.” [Julia, the photographer]

Learn more about planning a Big Sur wedding adventure. 

Why This is The Perfect Venue

“DO IT! The Big Sur coastline is so beautiful and epic. Natalie and Andy got married at the amazing Wind and Sea venue. This venue looks right out over the water, has lawn games, and even has a big house you can stay in! Plus it’s so close to some amazing adventure spots for photos.

Pro Tip: I recommend wearing good footwear for climbing around the cliffs!” [Julia, the photographer]

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Deciding on a Small Adventure Wedding

“When we envisioned our wedding we really always wanted it to keep it centered around our love and who we were as people. Before we made any decisions in the planning process we would always ask ourselves if it acted as a reflection of who we are as a couple. When deciding the size of our wedding, we decided to keep it only to immediate family because family is what is most important to us. We never wanted our wedding to become something we are not.

Choosing a location was one of the tedious processes. We know that our home is where our families are, but our relationship throughout the years always took us to the ocean. Not only was it where our first trip was as a couple, but the ocean is a reflection of our love. That area feels like home and is filled with memories of our relationship. When we found the location of Wind & Sea it was like looking in a mirror of who we are. We wanted our wedding to feel cozy, family oriented, private, and breathtaking.” [The couple]

Check out these small wedding ideas you can steal. 

Planning Process & Budgeting

“Picking the venue was the most important step and that is why it was the first step for us. From there we focused on what was most important to us and what we would always look back on the most. We spent the most time planning those parts. This included things such as our rings, vows, who was marrying us, the ceremony site, and overall venue. After that we made decisions based off what brought us the most joy and incorporated our experiences from our relationship. For example, the food was flown in from our favorite BBQ we had on one of our trips. Bubbles bring us joy, so we created a bubble exit. The dessert bar was filled with our favorite desserts, and the music selection was filled with all of our songs we would dance to when dating and at home.

We wanted to carry zero debt after the wedding. So we kept the cost of the wedding low. We did not want to have any regrets looking back and thinking ‘why did we have such an expensive wedding?’. A good portion of the budget was spent on the venue, because that was most important to us. We spent on what was most important. Many of the decor and flowers were out of pocket costs and our parents participated in a lot of DIY projects. Food was a larger cost because we wanted something that was memorable for us. A photographer that is very important to us. We wanted something that was like a work of art and we would always look back at it with awe. Other than those costs we kept everything very small. Spend money only on what would be a memorable memory for you and your spouse, not others. That was our goal.” [The couple]” [The couple]

Learn more about budgeting for your wedding adventure. 

Memorable Moments From This Wedding Adventure

From the photographer:

“They brought their adorable dog Waffles to their wedding. Was so sweet seeing him walk down the aisle and hang out with everyone all day.”

From the couple:

“Seeing each other for the first time on our wedding day at the altar was very memorable. Whispering hello and saying we missed each other definitely got the emotions flowing. Holding each other’s hands at the altar while we said our I do’s was a pretty impeccable moment. We would also say having a private vow exchange and signing our marriage license during that time was very memorable. We opted for a private vow exchange because it was most suitable to us. It was a moment that was purposely curriated as a safe/open space for one another to express our promises to each other while our family could explore the venue and enjoy their trip.”

Photos From This Small Wedding at Wind and Sea in Big Sur