Spanish Oaks Ranch Wedding | San Luis Obispo, CA
A cowboy wedding, but make it fancy~
Jessica and Matthew’s upscale, autumnal country wedding at Spanish Oaks Ranch in San Luis Obispo, California, unfolded amid a stunning backdrop of vibrant autumn hues and rustic charm. Nestled in the rolling hills of California’s Central Coast, the historic ranch can always guarantee an idyllic setting that combines rustic elegance with a touch of the countryside warmth this very area is so well known for. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it a million times over, there aren’t many venues in SLO that beat Spanish Oaks this time of year. As Jessica and Matthew exchanged vows under the sprawling oak trees, the spanish moss danced gently in the breeze, creating a picturesque scene that seemed straight out of a fairytale.
You can always tell the quality of your couples by the people they choose to surround themselves with, especially on their wedding day, and Jessica and Matthew are those top tier people we can only pray for (God delivers every single time 🥲). J&M’s people brought so much excited, adoring energy to this day, and I am so excited about the amount of hugs, tearful exchanges, and belly laughs we were able to capture throughout. The people truly added to the natural beauty of this gorgeous day.
We love Central Coast weddings (bet you didn’t see that coming 😜) for so many reasons, but one of our favorites is that they all almost completely take place outside. Praise God for the year round temperate climate, shimmering golden sunlight, and the night sky full of more stars than you’ve ever seen in your life. Jessica and Matthew were married under one of Spanish Oaks Ranch’s sprawling oak trees, in full bloom in late October. Besides rows of vineyards, nothing is more iconic to northern San Luis Obispo County than the mighty oaks. And the spanish moss hanging from them make Spanish Oaks pure magic too.
October is the best month of the year in SLO County, and it is a dream for us to photograph every single time. The always glowy light that lingers in between SLO’s rolling hills is a special color of gold this time of year, and sparse high clouds create a softness that makes everything look like a dream. Jessica and Matthew’s wedding day lived up to that hype, and gave us another year of experiencing why this is one of the Central Coast’s best venues in the fall. They chose a simple wedding design that complimented the venue and area’s natural beauty perfectly, with seasonal florals and touches of gold to add to the rustic vibe of the historic ranch.
If you are looking for fall country wedding inspiration with a hint of luxury and a whole lot of fun, or if you just want to flip through a couple hundred photos sure to make you smile, keep scrolling through one of our favorite wedding days of 2024!
A special thank you to the incredible team who made this day possible, some of San Luis Obispo’s very best wedding vendors.
Venue - Spanish Oaks Ranch / Coordination - Dani Jespersen Events / Floral Design - Mauna Florist / Catering - Stein’s / Dessert - Seabreeze Cupcakes / Bar - Mixed Events / DJ - Modern Symphony / Beauty - Makeup by Anna Grimes, The Queens Bees / Rentals - SLO Party Rentals / Dress - Moondance Bridal, Martina Liana / Groom’s Outfit - Men’s Wearhouse
LOOKING FOR A SLO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
Because this is one of our favorite wedding venues in San Luis Obispo County, we’ve been fortunate to photograph a number of weddings at Spanish Oaks Ranch—
Though our editing style has evolved over the years, the heart behind the photos remains the same. In this post, I am going to be sharing recaps of a few more days we cherish still, and offer a few different perspectives of how to best use the gorgeous space Spanish Oaks has to offer. Keep scrolling to see more!
Sarah & Austin’s Golden
Hour Autumn Wedding
It’s no wonder why autumn is the most popular wedding season on the Central Coast of California! We’re really glad Sarah and Austin chose this season specifically to get married, because their wedding venue, Spanish Oaks Ranch, absolutely pops OFF in the fall. We’ve gotten the incredible opportunity to photograph a number of weddings here over the years, but I have never seen it look this magical before. I can’t wait for you to see it all.
Sarah and Austin were one of the last couples to snag one of our 2023 dates, and we are so so so happy they did. When we hopped on our initial consultation call with them, we found out we attend the same church in SLO! And then they really invited us into being part of the planning process with them, and we loved this inside glimpse into their life together, and the life they’re building. When we showed up for their wedding, I felt so grateful to know these incredible people beyond the classic photographer-client relationship. At this point we were truly friends :)
I’m not sure my words will do Spanish Oaks Ranch on this fine November day justice, so that’s why I included over a hundred photos for you to see. The light sparkling through the oaks and eucalyptus trees created a sense of magic I’ve never quite known before, and really just set the vibe for the day. We were able to witness a beautiful ceremony with personal vows, just completely focused on Jesus at the center of Sarah and Austin’s marriage.
As the sun set behind us, we settled in for the reception (complemented by quesadillas and wine hand selected by Austin, the dream combination), which was QUITE the hoot. A few pastors from our church serenaded cocktail hour with acoustic covers, and then the real party started. There hasn’t been a single Christian wedding I’ve witnessed that hasn’t had an absolutely electric dance floor. This one certainly did not disappoint. Pitbull throwbacks paired with all our favorite early 2000s emo hits made the soundtrack, and the dance floor was packed all night long. Joseph and I even got to take part. The memories are just incredible from this one.
In a year marked by us very intentionally selecting our couples, we are so grateful Sarah and Austin graced us with their incredible selves and marriage. This is one we will always be talking about. What a way to close out an incredible 2023 season :)
Venue - Spanish Oaks Ranch / Catering - Quesadilla Gorilla / Flowers - By Request / DJ - Modern Symphony / Rentals - SLO Party Rentals / Dress - Black Tie White Satin / Groom’s Outfit - The Black Tux
Howdy! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and destination wedding photographers!
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Arizona, we’ll travel anywhere (like our second home of SLO!) for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
