Incredible Wedding at the Iconic Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay

I feel so lucky to have been the one to capture this amazing day!  Marg and John wanted to throw a wedding for their daughter that really encompassed who she is… and boy did they!  This sweet soul of a bride has so much depth, warmth and compassion to all that is around her and in return tends to attract the same energy back.

Rachel and Bud love the ocean.  They love their friends.  And they love their family.  All of these things were present with a beautiful wedding day at the famous Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay.   What made this day even more special were the small yet big touches these two brought in to their day from the private oyster toast at sunset to the custom written welcome notes to each and every guest, not one mirroring the other… all unique to that individual it was given too… who does that?  Rachel and Bud do!

And then lets talk about Sam’s… obviously the staff and the food are off the charts… but really, how do you go wrong with all you can eat Lobster and a New England style clam bake… the food never ended… it was incredible!

 

Thanks to all of these fellow vendors for making this day come to life!

 

DJ and Lighting: Verduccies   https://www.wearevep.com

Cake:  Creative International    http://gerhardmichler.com

Flowers:  Branch Out  https://www.branchouteventdesign.com

Officiant:  Ceremonies by Alison   http://www.ceremoniesbyalison.com/CeremoniesbyAlison.com/Welcome.html

Hotel:  Beach House Hotel  https://www.beach-house.com

 

And of course, a big shout out to Linda Hylen who was the wedding coordinator from the beginning! She came with a huge recommendation to the Marg and John… and boy did she surpass all we could hope for!

 

DIY Ranch style wedding in Half Moon Bay

Oh this DIY wedding was off the hook!  I remember meeting with Emilie and Will a month before their wedding.  The wedding took place on there ranch South of Half Moon Bay.  When I met with them on this beautiful day in May, I have to admit, I was a little worried as their barn that was to house the celebration of about 200 guest was still very much under construction!

Although, knowing this family, and the village they have around them… my concern was only mildly there… and completely left on the day of when I showed up to capture this breathtaking day! So, yes, everything you see at this wedding was creative, do it yourself, and done with a whole lot of love for this couple.  This post is a year over due, but definitely did not want to forget about the highlights of this day!

Hastings House Wedding and Backyard Celebration

What a simple but elegant wedding.  These two chose simple ingredients and really designed a wedding that was intimate and unique to them.  It started at the Seal Cove Inn which was the perfect backdrop for the first look and the family portraits at the nearby majestical forest at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. We then moved on to the Hastings House, which is this beautiful seaside garden in the scenic town of Miramar.  This place is near and dear to my heart because I too chose to say my vows, 18 years ago, in this magical garden.  But if those two ingredients weren’t enough of simple and meaningful locations… we then moved onto a private residence that belonged to the groom’s father in Redwood City. They transformed this simple backyard into a celebration surrounded with their closest friends and family.  It was truly a special day.

Rainy day wedding at the Oceano Hotel in Half Moon Bay, CA

Its like rain on your wedding day…. This is the song that keeps playing in my head as I was capturing this mother nature induced unique wedding day.  A May wedding.  Should be sunny skies… or at least spring like temps… but not this day… this day decided it needed to dump all day long.

There are so many things I loved about this day though.  The way the bride and groom weren’t even phased by this.  The way the Oceano Hotel has so many options to get artistic and fun captures inside its glorious space.

Throw in a fun band and a twist to cutting the cake (they had a cheese cake…. A cake made up of different cheese rounds, crackers and a honey comb) some chair dancing and what more could you ask for!