Intimate Destination Wedding in Big Sur
Two "incredibly stubborn" (+ sweet) lovebirds, a transatlantic love story and one of the coolest weddings in the history of SMP - some days, my job is just wayyyy to easy. Think destination I do's in the sands of Pfieffer Beach, a laid-back, yet totally stunning reception held at Big Sur Bakery and a gallery of heartwarming images captured brilliantly by Mirelle Carmichael. Head to The Vault for more.
From the Brides... We met in March 2011. Erin thought Serena was amazing, and Serena thought Erin wasn't that bad. By June, we were both smitten and spent several weeks traveling the country together. Our summer romance was in jeopardy, however, as Serena had already accepted a job offer in Morocco. We said our goodbyes at a train station (yes, really) in Montana and went our separate ways. Serena flew to Africa and Erin started her life as a Ph.D. student in Maryland.
It's a good thing we're both incredibly stubborn.
Our next two years were filled with transatlantic visits, adventures in Morocco, a road trip across Europe, hiking in Italy, and a whole lot of mint tea. In December 2012, Erin made the trip to Morocco one more time and moved in.
We had a lovely apartment with an equally lovely Moroccan cat, and ate delicious food every day. Turns out eating tagine and couscous doesn't count toward a Ph.D, nor do international road trips. In July 2013, we packed up our bags and the cat, headed back to Baltimore, and Erin resumed her studies. Pretty soon, we were ready for an even bigger adventure.
We wanted to get married in a place that captured the best moments of our life together so far. Big Sur was a natural choice because the dramatic cliffs and rocky beaches reminded us of our favorite coastal hikes in Cinque Terre (Italy) and Cornwall (England). The Mediterranean climate was reminiscent of our home in northern Morocco and the location was perfect for Erin's friends and family on the west coast. We opted for a small, early morning ceremony on Pfeiffer Beach and a casual evening reception at Big Sur Bakery.
Choosing Mirelle as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made. We were totally enamored with her photojournalistic style and the wonderful way she works with light and color. We contacted her and hit it off right away. Over the months we got to know Mirelle better, from her great sense of humor and love of dinosaurs, to her delightful and talented family. (Including her sister, Cheryl, who is her second shooter and a fantastic photographer.) On the day of our wedding, it felt like we had two extra friends there with us who just happened to be incredible photographers.
We lucked out with gorgeous weather on the beach. Our first look photos had a rush of wind and the ceremony itself was set against a backdrop of crashing waves. In the evening we had pasta, pizza, pastries, and a lot of embarrassing speeches at Big Sur Bakery. Mirelle captured the warm glow of the patio, the scrumptious food, and--most importantly--the sense of celebration and love surrounding our party. We could not have imagined a more perfect day.
It's a good thing we're both incredibly stubborn.
Our next two years were filled with transatlantic visits, adventures in Morocco, a road trip across Europe, hiking in Italy, and a whole lot of mint tea. In December 2012, Erin made the trip to Morocco one more time and moved in.
We had a lovely apartment with an equally lovely Moroccan cat, and ate delicious food every day. Turns out eating tagine and couscous doesn't count toward a Ph.D, nor do international road trips. In July 2013, we packed up our bags and the cat, headed back to Baltimore, and Erin resumed her studies. Pretty soon, we were ready for an even bigger adventure.
We wanted to get married in a place that captured the best moments of our life together so far. Big Sur was a natural choice because the dramatic cliffs and rocky beaches reminded us of our favorite coastal hikes in Cinque Terre (Italy) and Cornwall (England). The Mediterranean climate was reminiscent of our home in northern Morocco and the location was perfect for Erin's friends and family on the west coast. We opted for a small, early morning ceremony on Pfeiffer Beach and a casual evening reception at Big Sur Bakery.
Choosing Mirelle as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made. We were totally enamored with her photojournalistic style and the wonderful way she works with light and color. We contacted her and hit it off right away. Over the months we got to know Mirelle better, from her great sense of humor and love of dinosaurs, to her delightful and talented family. (Including her sister, Cheryl, who is her second shooter and a fantastic photographer.) On the day of our wedding, it felt like we had two extra friends there with us who just happened to be incredible photographers.
We lucked out with gorgeous weather on the beach. Our first look photos had a rush of wind and the ceremony itself was set against a backdrop of crashing waves. In the evening we had pasta, pizza, pastries, and a lot of embarrassing speeches at Big Sur Bakery. Mirelle captured the warm glow of the patio, the scrumptious food, and--most importantly--the sense of celebration and love surrounding our party. We could not have imagined a more perfect day.
