A Forest Green Winter Wedding in San Luis Obispo

We first met Abbey and Sam on a Friday night last summer. We were in the middle of one of the busiest seasons of our lives, and were on a bit of a roll when it came to booking clients and photographing couples and weddings. Our conversation with them, however, totally stopped us in our tracks. That evening, we learned of their love for each other, their hearts for marriage, and how much they wanted to honor Jesus with their lives and wedding day. When we got off the phone with them, we immediately wondered how we’d be the lucky ones to be a part of their wedding day.

Fast forward to a warm Saturday in February, our first wedding of the 2022 season, where we found ourselves those lucky ones. This day was something special in so many unique ways. Typically, our wedding shooting style is to split up and photograph the guys and gals separately, coming together once the bride and groom have finally seen each other. This day was different, however. Abbey and Sam desired to incorporate as much intentionality and culture into their wedding day as they possibly could, and so Joseph and I got to document this whole day side by side.

The morning began at Sam’s parents’ gorgeous house in South San Luis Obispo County. Their lush backyard provided the perfect setting for the Mexican wedding custom of the groom’s parents blessing their son right before he headed off to the church to be married. It was here that Sam’s groomsmen also surprised him with a journal full of hand written prayers Abbey had been writing since the two of them met.

We then headed up to Abbey and her girls at a picturesque AirBnb in Arroyo Grande, where we got our first taste of the absolutely gorgeous color palette she chose for their day- a mix of moss and emerald green, complimenting the emerald engagement ring Sam proposed to Abbey with. The gals were so excited for the day, and were in such a bright and happy mood as we photographed them all together.

We headed to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Pismo Beach for their ceremony next. So many joyful hugs were given before the ceremony, as family and friends who had come in from near and far reunited. As we explored the church, we stumbled upon Sam in one of the back rooms. He removed himself from all the fun for some time to mentally prepare for the wildly important moments that were about to ensue. He wanted to be fully present as he married Abbey, and we couldn’t be happier for him!

Sam’s brother is a priest, and he married Abbey and Sam in a beautiful bilingual wedding mass. So much of Sam’s Mexican heritage was honored during their ceremony, and it was beautiful to have a front row seat (literally haha) to it all!

After the ceremony, we headed up to Oyster Ridge in Santa Margarita for an absolute fiesta. The bright green hills, still alive from the winter rain, complimented the green and gold color scheme Abbey and Sam chose. The reception space- an outdoor patio and a large barn- were perfect for gathering the couple’s many excited and loving people. The evening began with a sweet first dance between Abbey & Sam as everyone watched, and then moved in to some hilarious and touching speeches by the best men, maid of honor, and both Abbey and Sam’s parents.

After dinner came golden hour, and Abbey and Sam asked us one of our favorite questions we’ve ever been asked:

“Would you mind if, instead of taking a bunch of prompted photos at sunset, if we went off and soaked in a moment alone together? You can still take pictures, we just want to pause and be intentional.”

My little photographer heart has literally never been so happy. These two understood the gravity of their wedding day, and knew it was about so much more than photos! We got to ride out into one of Oyster Ridge’s many open fields, dotted with giant oak trees, and shoot these two from afar as they got their first moment alone all day. The light filtering through the trees and tall grasses was simply magical, and the moment was so organic. These will go down as my favorite golden hour bridal portraits we’ve ever taken.

After the sun set, the party was on. A dueling DJ and live band provided the entertainment as Abbey and Sam’s many guests celebrated the newlyweds!