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A Vineyard Wedding in Paso Robles—

Erin and John are incredible people, and we have loved every second of working with them over the past year and a half to make their wedding photography (and overall wedding day) dreams come to life. We were a perfect match from the start—

In their initial inquiry, they wrote “Since getting engaged we knew we wanted a couple of things:
- Wanted it to feel like a vacation weekend, we didn't want it to go by too fast to remember.
- We only get to hangout with all our loved ones together once in a lifetime, we want to be able to enjoy every minute and be a part of it instead of running it!
- We want to spend as much time as possible together throughout the day!

Of course we want all the "wedding" photos" but we really value all the in betweens of us and our guests.”

Naturally, Joseph and I were very, very excited. On top of their vision for their day, they chose to get married at Ella’s Vineyard, one of our absolute favorite venues in San Luis Obispo County. They chose this venue in particular, because of its ability to foster that connection to their loved ones. The venue comes with a full weekend rental of its farmhouse, enough space to house a full bridal party and even family. That extra time intentionally reserved together was all Erin and John wanted. This was a HUGE yes from us, and we excitedly marked off the May 17 weekend as theirs!

Erin and John truly were present all day long. Nothing felt fake or forced or posed or for social media. Instead, there was emotion, laughter, joy, and rich connection with everyone they love. Some guests even travelled all the way from Finland for this wedding, and Erin and John wanted to make sure they had adequate time to visit with every single person they chose to include in their day. We will always cherish days in which our couples free themselves from the pressure to perform in any way, and feel fully comfortable being themselves all day long, even with cameras involved. The result is a collection of photos that capture that love and genuine presence, and I so hope this collection of photographs from Erin and John’s Ella’s Vineyard wedding conveys this very sentiment.

Here is what Erin and John had to say about their experience:
”Poppy and Vine were one of the very first vendors we booked—and hands down, one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day.
From the very beginning, Katie and Joseph made the entire planning process easier and more enjoyable. Their communication was clear and consistent, but more importantly, they truly took the time to get to know us. They weren’t just interested in our wedding—they were genuinely invested in our love story. We had several meetings leading up to the big day, which helped us build a strong connection. By the time the wedding arrived, it didn’t feel like they were just showing up to take photos—it felt like they were stepping right into our story, ready to capture it exactly as we had dreamed. What made them exceptional wasn’t just their photography skills, but how they made us feel. The day never felt like a photoshoot. Instead, they helped us stay present, savor the emotions, and reminded us that this day was all about us. Whether it was giving us a quiet moment alone to soak everything in or gently checking in to see if we wanted to keep taking sunset photos or rejoin the party, they consistently prioritized our comfort and our experience. Every image reflects the joy, emotion, and magic we felt that day. They captured it all perfectly. Choosing Katie and Joseph was one of the most meaningful decisions we made, and we are endlessly grateful to have had them by our side. We can’t recommend Poppy and Vine enough.”

To everyone reading this, we are so grateful 😭.

A few days after their wedding, we joined the newlyweds on their Big Sur honeymoon, and captured an evening of it at Pfeiffer Beach! You can see those photos here :)

A special thank you to the incredible team who made this day possible, some of San Luis Obispo’s very best wedding vendors.

Venue - Ella’s Vineyard / Coordination - Toes in the Sand Weddings / Floral Design - Mauna Florist / Catering - Orale Taqueria / Dessert - Sea Shanty / DJ - Modern Symphony / Beauty - Rhonda Johnson / Rentals - GYC Rentals / Dress - Ivory Bridal Boutique, Anne Barge

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 Ella’s Vineyard—

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 Ella’s has to offer. Keep scrolling to see more!

*Kim and Bruce’s*
*Modern Spring*
*Vineyard Wedding*

This is just the beginning of the stunning details that came alive at Kim & Bruce’s spring wedding at Ella’s Vineyard. Kim, a graduate of Cal Poly, spends her birthday weekend in San Luis Obispo every year. It was only fitting that this year’s birthday trip to SLO also include celebrating her marriage to Bruce surrounded by all of their family and friends. Even better, at a wedding venue that, in our humble opinion, epitomizes the Central Coast— rolling hills, the lush vineyards, and a farmhouse overlooking it all.

Kim & Bruce’s day began in the very farmhouse getting ready. This house has very quickly become one of my favorite for getting ready on the Central Coast because of its giant windows and the amount of natural light they let in. Not only is it the most ideal space for getting ready photos, but, in my opinion, the bright setting further adds to the joy of a wedding day! See more tips for making your wedding getting ready time as best as it can be here.

Another thing I love about Ella’s Vineyard’s farmhouse is the wrap around porch overlooking the vineyard. It’s such a perfect space for those super cute pajama photos with bridesmaids and first looks. After getting dressed, Kim met her father in front of the house for an emotional first look. These two are so close, and she asked for lots of opportunities for photos with and of him. This first look gave her some quality time with him before he walked her down the aisle, and the photos turned out so sweetly.

Then we headed to the back porch where Bruce was waiting, and he and Kim shared their first look overlooking the very vineyard that makes Ella’s Ella’s. This beautiful spot overlooks the ceremony space— a sprawling oak tree in the middle of the vineyard, where we’d head next for Kim & Bruce’s wedding ceremony. We think this vineyard ceremony location is the best among Paso Robles’ many winery venues. The tree provides ample shade during those warm Paso days, and the sun is always shining behind the tree, creating a magical backlit vibe for stunning wedding ceremony photos.

After a very athletic dip kiss at the altar and halfway down the aisle, we headed back up to the farmhouse for Kim & Bruce’s wedding reception, featuring very fun drinks and a pretzel bar. We were seated for Santa Maria barbecue as golden hour made her grand entrance, and again we were enthralled with the many different spaces available at Ella’s Vineyard. One really wonderful thing about Paso Robles weddings is that the weather stays warm well into the evening from May to October, and it provides the perfect temperatures for a fully outdoor wedding reception. We are big BIG fans of natural light, and so we really tend to gravitate toward these kinds of wedding days (sorry, ballrooms).

We snuck Kim & Bruce away for their couple portraits in the nearby orchard and had some fun playing with our drone and the symmetry of the landscape! We returned the newlyweds to their reception just in time for toasts as the sun set, and boy did the sky light UP. We pulled out our flashes for their first dance so we could capture the rainbow of colors the sky gave off throughout sunset and blue hour, and then kept them on for the dance party that followed. Absolutely everyone was on the dance floor inside Ella’s cellar room (the venue is also a working vineyard!), and it was the perfect way to wrap Kim & Bruce’s high energy wedding day.

Planning & Coordination - Golden Moments Co. / Venue - Ella’s Vineyard / Videography - Roman Howell / Florals - Mauna Florist / Catering - Auten Boys / DJ - Modern Symphony / Bartender - Bottles & Ice / Beauty - Twist + Co. / Dress - Blush Bridal Lounge / Rentals - Got You Covered

Photographing Megan and Andrew’s Ella’s Vineyard wedding was an absolute HONOR. We got to meet these two last spring at Montana and Sam’s wedding, aka, the gift that truly keeps on giving. We have fallen in love with this friend group, which originated with a rad group of guys at Cal Poly and has evolved to include their wives/fiancees/girlfriends since. These people bring an absolute party whenever they come together, and if their tight-knit nature means we get to photograph all their weddings, I will happily stay in this profession forever :’)

Today’s story is all about Megan and Andrew, who met in kindergarten and quite literally grew up together. By high school, they began dating, and survived long distance (Megan went to UC Davis while Andrew attended Cal Poly!!!). The distance eventually ended as they began their careers together back in the Bay Area. An engagement, buying a house, and adopting their doodle Avery round out their almost twelve years together, leading up to their wedding weekend in San Luis Obispo.

We met up with Megan and her bridesmaids on her wedding morning as they were getting ready in the farmhouse at Ella’s Vineyard, such an ideal place for getting ready! The farmhouse sleeps 14 people and has massive windows throughout, allowing for all kinds of natural light (a wedding photographer’s dream!). Megan got into her stunning ball gown style dress, giving major Love Story vibes, before sharing a sweet and emotional first look with both of her grandmas (see photos below!!). She and her girls hopped in a limo and made the drive down to Mission San Luis Obispo, where Andrew was eagerly waiting to marry her.

In an early afternoon wedding ceremony in the heart of downtown SLO, these high school sweethearts were finally married! Before leaving the iconic mission, we took a few family photos in the lush back gardens, and bridal party photos on the front steps of the historic building. Then, it was back up to Ella’s Vineyard for the party to really begin! Before guests arrived, we captured some golden bridal party photos (these bridesmaids and groomsmen were so fun to photograph and came with the best ideas for photos, see below!!) and enjoyed some relaxed time in the farmhouse.

As guests arrived at Ella’s Vineyard, drinks and appetizers were passed, along with a very special set of sunglasses. Megan and Andrew put us in charge of the custom heart shaped specs and asked us to photograph as many of their guests as we could. This originated as a Tik Tok trend, but we think every couple should do this! How special it was for Megan and Andrew to receive a gallery with smiling faces of every one of their favorite people to look back on forever! If you’re reading this and wondering if you should include some fun travelling photo prop like this in your wedding, we say GO FOR IT!

Summer in Paso Robles means long, warm nights, perfect for a fully outdoor wedding reception. Megan and Andrew transformed one of Ella’s Vineyard’s lawns into their dinner space, and it was just magical to dine, witness toasts, and celebrate as golden hour settled in for the night. We also had a beautiful sunset, during which, we snuck Megan and Andrew away for photos. Believe it or not, this was our first sunny San Luis Obispo wedding all year (what the heck), and we loved every second of being able to take magical vineyard sunset photos for these two! You have to see them.

Then we all headed into the barn for the epic dance party, featuring a playlist full of Taylor Swift. It was a whole vibe. Megan and Andrew and their friends certainly came to celebrate a Love Story with such history and yet one that has only just begun. Thank you to the Hodges for including us too :’)

Planning & Coordination - Amanda Holder Events / Venue - Ella’s Vineyard / Videography - Stories Told By Film / Florals - In Full Bloom / Catering - Taste / DJ - Modern Symphony / Dessert - Just Baked SLO / Bartender - Bottles & Ice / Beauty - The Queens Bees & Anna Grimes / Dress - Bo Lee Collection / Rentals - All About Events & Scout Rental Co. / Transportation - Elegant Image & SLO Safe Ride

Ella’s Vineyard, that is, one of the top winery wedding venues in the Paso Robles wine region on the Central Coast of California. And it couldn’t have been a better celebration for a better couple! Jess and Ben are friends of ours, dating back to Jess and Joseph being in the same friend group in college, and it was so much fun to not only photograph this special day for our friends, but to be surrounded by so many people we love while doing so. This was especially appreciated as we documented this day in the midst of one of the biggest heat waves the southwest United States has ever seen, and if you know Paso in the summer, you know this was a hot, hot day.

The weather was very reminiscent of Arizona weddings, and so we entered it excitedly. We met up with Jess and Ben the morning of their wedding at Ella’s Vineyard’s ever classic farmhouse for one big getting ready party. Keep scrolling to see the smiles on their faces as they approached the moment they would first see each other, and then get married. Before they saw each other, however, Jess shared a very special and emotional first look with her dad on the farmhouse’s wraparound porch. We then headed down to the ceremony space for a little calm before the storm moment, for Jess and Ben’s first look.

The moment they’d been waiting for! Ella’s Vineyard’s ceremony space is nestled in the very middle of the sprawling vineyard and naturally creates the perfect setting for a wine country wedding. Jess and Ben chose this spot for their private moment, before all of their people gathered around them, and exchanged personal vows during their first look. It was sweet and full of emotion and allowed them to have this time together without anyone else, to really sit in the moment and simply be together.

Before the ceremony, we also had time to take bridal party portraits, and everyone was so wonderful despite the triple digit temps. We captured some super fun moments with this spirited, simply lovely group of Jess and Ben’s closest friends! Then, we were off again to the ceremony space, where a gentle afternoon breeze began to roll through, and the magic of Ella’s Vineyard really came to life. We laughed, we cried, and we prayed with and over Jess and Ben as they officially became husband and wife. And then it was off to the party.

Jess and Ben intentionally planned their reception timeline to include space for them to personally greet every single one of their guests. So many hugs, so many special conversations, and so many touching photos came from their cocktail hour. We loved that they incorporated what was important to them into their timeline :’). After a golden hour dinner and toasts concluded, Jess and Ben chose to have a grand entrance onto their dance floor to naturally flow everyone there. Guests lined up in the space between one of Ella’s Vineyard’s sprawling lawns and its barn with bubbles, and Jess and Ben ran excitedly through it. We love a natural grand entrance/exit moment, especially one that takes place during the pretty twilight hours instead of late at night!

We snuck Jess and Ben away for sunset bridals in the vineyard, and it was absolute magic. The golden colors of the sunset that capped off the warm summer day were simply everything, and the vines, reaching harvest time, were in full bloom. It doesn’t get more Paso Robles than this!! We returned them to the dance floor where they soaked up the final hours of their wedding day with their people, before we sent them on their way to their tropical Mexican honeymoon!

Planning & Coordination - Gatherings SLO / Venue - Ella’s Vineyard / Catering - Old SLO BBQ / DJ - Nick Shorts / Dessert - SLODoCo / Videography - Mackenzie Smith / Beauty - Kelly Mendoza & Nikki Ramirez / Dress - A Heart’s Desires / Groom’s Outfit - Studio Suits / Rentals - SLO Party Rentals / Bartender - Denise Rojo