Madonna Inn Wedding | San Luis Obispo, CA
Perhaps the most iconic wedding venue in San Luis Obispo,
and perhaps the most iconic wedding we’ve ever photographed. What made it this way? The answer is easy— in all our years of photographing weddings, we’ve never seen a couple be as truly present with each other and everyone they love all day long. And pardon the photo overshare here, but this is what happens when you live in the moment, every moment, of your wedding day. Aly and Kevin had been planning their Madonna Inn wedding for over a year, and no aspect of it disappointed. These two became dear friends of ours over the process of working together, and we are so grateful to have been part of this beautiful moment in a beautiful love story. Here’s how it all went down—
We began the day with Kevin and the guys at Dairy Creek Golf Course’s Toptracer for a little pre-party while Aly and her bridesmaids got their hair and makeup done. I love the few photos we captured of Kevin and his groomsmen hanging out and beginning the celebration before everything formal began.
After golf concluded, we made our way over to the Madonna Inn, where everyone was getting ready. Aly is a hair stylist and has worked her fair share of weddings before. After witnessing the chaos these wedding mornings are sometimes known to have, she decided she wanted peace in her suite, with just her mom and sister helping her get ready (see the sweet pics of Aly doing her sister’s hair too!). I loved this approach, especially with the hotel setting. Small, dark rooms can really take away from a peaceful getting ready experience, but the quiet, slow pace Aly got to enjoy was incredible. The guys had one of Madonna Inn’s larger suites to get ready, and they kept the party going.
Aly and Kevin were really big on implementing natural transitions into their day, and fabricating as little as possible. With our shared experience of the layout of Madonna, we worked out a way for Aly and Kevin to naturally travel between locations on property and greet their parents, siblings, and bridal party for some more natural “first look” moments. This also gave us really great opportunities to capture the groups walking around together for some more natural, candid photos.
Kevin and his groomsmen made their way down to Madonna Inn’s Secret Garden, where Joseph took their formal portraits, as well as some fun ones of them hanging out. Aly made her way down from her suite and was greeted by her dad on one of the hotel’s iconic spiral staircases. After sharing a sweet moment with both of her parents, she headed out to see her bridesmaids for the first time. Once all the hugs were given, the group made their way down to meet the guys in the garden. Kevin was patiently waiting to see Aly for the first time that day.
When I say this entire day felt like Aly and Kevin were so in the moment they didn’t even notice we were there, or were worried about looking any sort of formal way for their photos, I mean it. This day was such a treat to simply document. One of my favorite moments was Aly and Kevin’s first look. There was such beautiful emotion, and after Joseph and I felt we had captured everything we “needed,” we backed away to let them have their space. These two could have stayed there for hours laughing and talking and soaking in all the excitement that surrounded them. We brought their parents and bridal party down to them after a few minutes, and the love that was exchanged in that moment was so palpable. It was so beautiful, all day long, to see the sheer amount of love that overflowed from Aly and Kevin to everyone around them.
After capturing all our formal family and bridal party portraits (we love getting all this done before the ceremony!!), the whole crew headed back up to the Austrian Suite for more pre-ceremony celebrations. In the midst of all the excitement, Aly and Kevin stole away to the balcony for a moment alone to take it all in. They were not shy about taking these little moments whenever they felt they needed them, and I love that they’ll be able to look back on their wedding day and remember these in the midst of all the big “events” too.
We returned to the Secret Garden for their ceremony, officiated by Kevin’s brother in law, and complete with very sweet personal vows. Not a single person gathered there wasn’t crying. Vibrant emotion was matched with vibrant attire, as Aly and Kevin requested their guests to dress in all kinds of color, a perfect ode to the design of the Madonna Inn. After the ceremony, I headed back up to the suite with Aly, Kevin, and their siblings where they popped a bottle of Dom Perignon (this will go down as the best glass of sparkling wine I’ve ever had, thank you guys 🥲), signed their marriage license, and took everything in with the people closest to them. There were more happy tears as Aly and Kevin reflected on their ceremony. Being invited into deeply special moments like this is really my greatest honor as a wedding photographer.
Now that all the serious events of the day were over, it was really time to party. Cocktail hour and the reception were held in Madonna Inn’s Round and Garden Rooms, and if the many disco balls incorporated into Aly and Kevin’s decor was any indication, this was going to be a real celebration. We cheered at the very grand entrances, we laughed at stories told, and we cried during the special dances. Every single person present was on the dance floor pretty much all night long, and the energy stayed very high, late into the night.
When we planned Aly and Kevin’s timeline with them, they stressed their desire for as many candid photographs as possible. Sunset photos with the bride and groom tend to be a big ticket item on the usual timeline, but Aly and Kevin were less interested in those than our average couple. They knew our documentary approach would give them so many photographs of them in the moment together throughout their day, that these more “formal,” posed golden hour images held less importance. During our final call before their wedding, they told us one of my favorite things I’ve ever heard as a wedding photographer— they wanted to preserve their presence at speeches and things of that nature vs. being taken out for “perfect” lighting. Even if their “sunset” photos were in the dark, they would rather enjoy their people than be removed for photos.
We opted for another natural transition, when Aly and Kevin went back to their room to change into their second outfits. We took the long way up and back, capturing them throughout some of the more iconic locations on the property, like with Madonna Mountain in the background, and in front of the iconic Madonna Inn sign. These “portraits” feel so natural and like them, and I am so happy these two chose to prioritize being present over Vogue-esque photos. I think they turned out so much better than the alternative, too 🤷🏻♀️.
A vibrant dance floor concluded with a private last dance shared between Aly and Kevin (more tears for all of us) while their loved ones staged outside for their cold sparkler grand exit. This truly was a perfect day, and I am so proud of this gallery! I am so happy Aly and Kevin and everyone they love will have so many raw, candid photos to remember every single moment of this day. We hope you enjoy this collection of our favorite’s from an iconic Madonna Inn wedding!
MEET THE BEST SAN LUIS OBISPO WEDDING VENDORS!
Venue & Catering - The Madonna Inn / Planner - Tutt Events / DJ - Crush Events / Dress - Mareh Couture / Groom’s Outfit - Men’s Wearhouse
LOOKING FOR A SLO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? EXPLORE OUR PACKAGES AND INQUIRE WITH US!
Hey party people! We’re Katie & Joseph, a husband & wife team, and traveling wedding photographers based in Arizona.
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 Phoenix, 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!
