Planning Your Dream Wedding at Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo
For anyone who’s ever driven through Camarillo, in California — you know that Ventura County offers a magical, Tuscany-like beauty that meets the ocean. Rolling hills of green, native old growth oak trees, vineyards, and a marine fog that settles in sporadically throughout the day all conspire to make this the perfect spot for a wedding destination. Spanish Hills Club, located in the heart of all this magic, is the Tuscan-style wedding venue of ALL of our dreams.
If you’re a sucker for mediterranean architecture, and want all the Tuscany without the flight, look no further.
Though I had never been to Camarillo before shooting Gabriela + Elijah’s wedding, I have spent quite a bit of time out in Ojai, which is only around a 35 minute drive from Spanish Hills Club! What I love about that is whether you’re the bride and groom looking for a gorgeous nearby stay after the day of your wedding, or want to ensure that your guests have somewhere unique to stay if they’ve traveled from afar, it’s so close and such a beautiful town to get away to — so now you’re not only planning for the perfect wedding venue, but you’ve also encouraged people to plan a trip around it, too!
Spanish Hills Club is a private, world-class wedding venue and golf course, making it appealing for all types of people, not just couples planning a wedding. I think that’s what makes it such a perfect spot, is the diversity that it offers. From vineyards with wine tasting nearby to golfing, to turquoise waves on the coast a few minutes away, it fully actualizes the dream wedding. Again, your guests have a plethora of trip options here!
Ok, ok, so let’s get into G + E’s magical day… it all started with a first look.
Gabriela wanted clean lines, and a timeless black and white chic environment for her and Elijah to have an intimate first look before their wedding. The Spanish Hills Club has this amazing hallway with lofted ceilings and archways perfect for this moment, with light pouring in through the windows. Needless to say, it was an emotional and special moment for the 2 before their wedding! And, as fate would have it, her father accidentally used this hallway right after their first look, and we were able to capture their father-daughter first look as well as his soon to be son-in-law… it was absolutely unexpected but one of my favorite moments from their wedding day.
After this special moment, everyone came together to celebrate their love in what one could only describe as a winter wonderland of California, with moody marine fog setting into the mountains behind them during their ceremony. They laughed, they danced, and they sang the night away at this magical union of love.
3 Elopement Tips For Crafting An Unforgettable Experience
Wear The Outfits YOU Feel Best In
I can’t stress enough the importance of letting all tradition fall behind — should you feel called to that — when planning your elopement. One of the beautiful things about planning an elopement in California, is that the weather is usually cooperative, and if you want to dress it down, dress it up, not wear a white dress; that’s all up to you. If you want to a wear a sexy, timeless, black dress on the ocean, then do just that! At the end of the day, this elopement is about your and your partner, and what makes you guys happy, what makes you feel beautiful, and the commitment between the two of you.
Create Something That Outlives The Ceremony
Bay Area Landscape designer Anastasia Sonkin and her now husband, Alexander, also in the landscape architect industry, held a moment of silence during their intimate ceremony, surrounded by their closest loved ones. Everyone was standing in a circle in a path that he had cleared on his parent’s property where a rural pasture met the forest.
Why the silence? For gratitude. Gratitude for the moment, for the day, for everyone in their lives being able to witness their love. After the moment of silence ended, they had their niece come around with a woven basket full of seed packets. One by one, everybody opened up these seed packets, containing wildflowers that meant something to Anastasia and Alexander. After opening the packets, everyone (including me!) got to throw the seeds up into the air, where they’d land at random on the ground.
For years to come, during spring, Alexander’s parents will be able to see these wildflowers grow in a circle, remembering the day they shared with their son and his wife, and all of their closest loved ones.
Let Your Friends + Family Get Involved
Planning on having a few friends or family members attend your elopement? Let them help! Some of the most beautiful elopements and micro-weddings that my team and I have shot have been collaborative experiences. The bride’s best friend hand-crafted ceramics for candles at dinner. The groom’s best friend officiated the wedding. The bride’s mother made her dress. The groom’s uncle played guitar as they walked down their aisle together. The sky is the limit with this one! Think outside the box and get creative. Have fun with it. Everybody getting together to curate the elopement of your dreams is the best way to enjoy the day, and it makes for an unforgettable experience with the most nostalgic memories that everyone will cherish forever.
Denise + Jamie's Laguna Beach Engagement
Where do I begin?! D+J’s energy was nothing short of magnetic. Their love was so obvious; palpable, and radiating. They came from Arizona to enjoy California’s warmer than usual winter. We met up right before golden hour in Laguna Beach for what turned out to be one of my favorite couples shoots to date. The autumnal, relaxed earth tones of their outfits paired with the sun, the movement of the sea and the textural boulders made for one epic beach engagement session. And how easy on the eyes are they?! From dancing, laughing, bear hugs and letting the waves crash around them, we captured beauty until the sun went down. In just a short year’s time they’ll say I do!
