Flying Caballos Ranch Wedding | San Luis Obispo, CA
A Christ-Centered Wedding in SLO–
It’s always so incredibly special when we get to document a wedding day of a couple who shares a faith with us! There is a sense of depth and shared knowing of every intricate detail that, not only has gone into their wedding day, but into their relationship as a whole. Getting to know Anna and Jacob this past year, leading up to their Flying Caballos Ranch was such a joy!
When we discussed their timeline with them, Anna and Jacob let us know they were more into prioritizing photos late into the reception, as opposed to getting ready photos to begin their day, which is why you won’t see any of those in this gallery. Anna and her bridesmaids got ready in the Flying Caballos Farmhouse, while Jacob and his groomsmen opted to get ready in their shared college house at Cal Poly, just a few miles down the road!
We arrived just before Anna shared a first look with her dad and brothers, before heading down the hill for her first look with Jacob in the tree tunnel on property. We had dense fog (very typical of SLO in June!) for the beginning of the day, which provided even lighting through all first looks and family photos. This allowed us to document some of the day on parts of the Flying Caballos property where lighting can be spotty– a bit of a dream for two photographers who work at this venue often!
The sun broke through just as guests arrived for Anna and Jacob’s ceremony overlooking Islay Hill, and we had gorgeous light and a gentle breeze as Anna and Jacob promised each other forever. A friend played all the music during the ceremony (including leading worship), and then led guests down to Flying Caballos’ barn for the reception, where he also treated us to live music.
We loved how Anna and Jacob prioritized time for themselves on their wedding day, taking cocktail hour as an opportunity to share a moment just the two of them in the midst of their wedding day. The barn at Flying Caballos makes for a warm and inviting reception space, and over dinner, special dances were shared and toasts were delivered. Wanting to serve all their guests, Anna and Jacob chose to hand out everyone’s plates at the beginning of the buffet line.
It was a big priority of Anna and Jacob’s to spend as much time dancing as possible, and party we all did. Other than the brief moment in which we snuck them away for sunset photos (one of the most golden sunsets I’ve ever seen!), they were right in the middle of the party, celebrating with all their people. The night concluded with a flower petal sendoff, and off went our newlyweds to begin their forever!
Here is what Anna and Jacob had to say about their experience working with us: “Poppy and Vine were the best photographers we could have asked for. Katie was so kind, responsive, supportive, and skilled. Joseph brought such great energy and it was so cool to watch the two of them work as a team! I could not recommend them enough. They fit right into our wedding day, and delivered just wonderful pictures. We are so thankful!!”
We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband and wife team, and San Luis Obispo 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 SLO, we’ll travel anywhere 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!
Anna & Jacob’s Dream Team — the best SLO wedding Vendors!
Venue - Flying Caballos Ranch / Planner - Events by Miranda / Photography - Poppy and Vine / Floral Design - Lori Boe / Beauty - Tami Bernard / Catering - Old SLO BBQ / Bar - Bottles & Ice / Entertainment - Nick Shorts / Rentals - Avenue Twelve and All About Events
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 Flying Caballos 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 Flying Caballos has to offer. Keep scrolling to see more!
The One with the Horses — Camille & Gordon — May, 2025
A Spring Wedding in the Lush Hills of San Luis Obispo—
Flying Caballos Ranch is certainly a Central Coast favorite for so many reasons— the modern barn reception space (complete with a disco ball), the ceremony space with Islay Hill as the backdrop, and the ability to spend all weekend surrounded by your people! It is one we love to recommend to our couples (and friends) as they tour wedding venues on the Central Coast, and we were so excited when Camille and Gordon shared with us they’d be getting married there too! Camille was one of my Cal Poly sorority sisters, so I have had the pleasure of being her friend for many years now! We all love a good old fashioned San Luis Obispo homecoming, and this was one we happily said yes to! After taking their engagement photos last summer in Oregon, we entered full planning mode for this gorgeous spring day in SLO!
Before we get into talking about Camille and Gordon’s Flying Caballos Ranch wedding, I would love to take a little bit of time to touch on wedding venue selection! If you know anything about us, you know we feel strongly about helping couples have as stress free of a wedding weekend as possible, for their sanity mostly, but also because this directly translates into more natural, happy photographs. One of our biggest pieces of advice for couples searching for a wedding venue is this— if budget allows, choose a wedding venue that allows you to stay on site all weekend long, and a bonus if your family and/or bridal party is able to stay on site as well. Being able to stay in one place for your entire wedding weekend eliminates so much logistical stress, and provides space for more quality time with your people too. Everyone loves to talk about how their wedding is that one elusive gathering of all their favorite people, so being able to gather everyone, conveniently, in one place for an entire weekend is so incredibly important! There exists so many wedding venues that only allow couples to be on property for a few hours on their wedding day, adding the stress of a time crunch, extra logistics, and less time to spend with everyone invited. This affects every part of a couple’s wedding day, and is something not everyone knows to avoid, if possible. We really love that Flying Caballos does full wedding weekend rentals, and has tons of space on property to house lots of people as well! If you are looking for a full weekend wedding venue rental in San Luis Obispo, we highly recommend adding this one to your list!
Memorial Day Weekend in SLO is always a special one— the hills are still holding on to a little bit of green, the coastal breeze is still rolling off the ocean, yet it is warm and sunny too! Camille and Gordon had a gorgeous day for their spring wedding. They chose to keep their guest count on the smaller side, because they wanted to prioritize quality time with everyone at their wedding. Camille and Gordon and their bridal party stayed on the Flying Caballos property all weekend, which made the morning of their wedding so much more calm and relaxed. We joined them for the tail end of getting ready, before heading down to the covered bridge for their first look and private vows. Another incredible thing about this property is the variety of different spaces and landscapes to be used for different parts of the wedding day (and photos!). The sheer size of the venue also allows for more intimate parts of the day, like a couple’s first look, to remain truly intimate. We loved using our bigger lenses to capture this moment, giving Camille and Gordon space to feel like it was just the two of them, especially as they exchanged their vows to one another!
Camille also did a first look with her dad and brothers on the farmhouse lawn, before we jumped into formal portraits. Because Camille and Gordon opted to see each other before their ceremony, we got to knock all these important photos out beforehand, giving them space to be married and celebrate afterward! I will always love Flying Caballos’ massive lawn with views of Islay Hill for a wedding ceremony. This space is gorgeous in the early afternoon sunlight, and gets a sweet breeze from the coast. One of Camille’s oldest family friends married her and Gordon, before everyone made their way to the farmhouse for cocktail hour. I just love how the light was sparkling through the trees on this May afternoon, making everything look so ethereal. The hugs captured during this time are also something I can still feel looking through these photos! The more intimate nature of this wedding really photographed gorgeously.
As cocktail hour drew to a close, we and Camille and Gordon’s guests made our way down to the modern barn for their reception. I love how Flying Caballos’ barn is more upscale than rustic in nature! The big windows on the perimeter also let so much light in, making this space truly magic during golden hour. The warm atmosphere was tangible as guests toasted over dinner and the afternoon turned to evening. We danced and laughed with Camille and Gordon, so excited to finally celebrate these two being married!
A special thank you to the incredible team who made this day possible, some of San Luis Obispo’s very best wedding vendors.
Venue - Flying Caballos Ranch / Floral Design - Bella Bloom Events / Catering - Haute Skillet / Bar - Mixed Events / Beauty - Kelly Mendoza / Rentals - All About Events / Dress - Bella Brides
Lola and Samy met in high school and have quite literally grown up together, falling ever more deeply in love with each other over the years! They held a Wes Anderson themed wedding at Riata Ranch in SLO.