Flying Caballos Ranch Wedding | San Luis Obispo, CA
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
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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 Arizona + 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!
