I will never forget this Big Sur wedding. Sarah and Elliot were married at Glen Oaks in Big Sur. From rain-kissed vows to a breathtaking sunset, this day was full of surprises. At some point during all of my initial zoom meetings with clients, I say "If you really want to get married in Big Sur—you HAVE to be willing to go with the flow, no matter what the weather is". Sarah and Elliot did just that. It absolutely poured during their ceremony in the redwoods, and they could not have cared less. They were so focused on each other and their beautiful surroundings, the rain just made it all the more romantic. It was absolutely picturesque. We even had a family of deer watching us from afar! Thank goodness, Sarah had hired MUAH for almost the whole day, and she was able to keep her looking absolutely stunning throughout their entire wedding day. We even used the hair dryer to dry most of Sarah's wedding dress! It was definitely one of my favorite ceremonies ever, and not one any of us will soon forget!
The rain stopped right after the ceremony, so the couple decided to have a slice of their wedding cake on the patio of their Big Sur cabin, and then we explored more of the beautiful Glen Oaks property and took a stroll down by the river.
Some tips for staying at Glen Oaks: Make sure to choose a cabin on the west side of the property. Glen Oaks has accommodations on both sides of the highway. The Adobe Motor Lodge, Archies, and the Cottage are all located on the East side. While all of their properties are beautiful, I much prefer the cabins on the West side because they are located right along the river, are much more secluded and definitely have more of that "cabin in the woods" feel. I also highly recommend researching (or just ask me!) which of the cabins have the outdoor bathtubs - in my opinion - this is the BEST reason for staying at Glen Oaks. One of the cabins even has TWO outdoor bathtubs with a fire pit!
As the sun made its way out after the rain, we left Glen Oaks and drove down Highway One, where we stopped for a celebratory champagne pop at the iconic Bixby Bridge. We then drove a little further North towards Garrapata State Beach, where the couple had their First Dance and went for a stroll in the sand. The couple ended their wedding day with a romantic dinner per my recommendation at Nepenthe, an iconic Big Sur restaurant.
Favorite restaurants in Big Sur:
- The Sur Restaurant at Ventana
- Sierra Mar at Post Ranch
- Nepenthe
- Big Sur Taphouse
- Big Sur River Inn
- Deetjen's
- Big Sur Roadhouse
- Big Sur Bakery
- Big Sur Smokehouse
- COAST
Wanting to elope in Big Sur? Check out my "How to Elope" guide and check out more of my work here.
VENDORS
Venue : Glen Oaks
MUAH : Malina Terra hair and makeup
Florals: Cassia Forêt
Videographer: Josh Harney Productions
Cake: Layers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hi, I’m Jamie LeMaire - a Big Sur Adventure wedding and elopement photographer. Nature, real emotion, and anything that strays from traditional all give me goosebumps.
