Morgan and Luke’s central coast wedding is full of so many artful details, it’s hard to offer you a proper intro! But scroll through the images by Samantha Dean Photo and you’ll find: a ceremony with wild, organic florals leading to a stylish cocktail hour and then to an intimate candlelit reception, all culminating into one unforgettable dance party. And the fashion: bridesmaids shining in hues from yellow to chartreuse, guests dressed in their best black tie attire, and finally, our couple stunning in Vera Wang and custom suiting. Swoon over all the details of this Carmel Valley Ranch wedding, below!
A Carmel Valley Ranch Wedding
Originally, Luke and I had planned to get married in Ireland as that is where my dad was born and much of my dad’s side of the family still resides there. Throughout the planning process we fell in love with our planner and designer, Sophia Goff and she is from California so she was very familiar with the venue options in California. We ended up choosing California so more of our people could be present. Luke and I have spent a lot of time in California throughout our relationship and I even moved out there to LA when we first started dating and Luke and I had road tripped there at the very beginning of our dating relationship.
Sophia sent us Carmel Valley Ranch as a venue option. We wanted a place where all our guests could stay and relax. We had never been to Carmel but had heard nothing but amazing things. Luke and I saw photos and decided to go for it. It gave off a Texas—Cali —Irish “thing” and it just felt RIGHT. Texas because we got married on a literal ranch with animals and rolling hills, and Irish because Carmel does resemble the coast of Ireland. But when the wedding finally came – what really made it the place was all of our people being together in a stunning atmosphere that most of us had never been to. We even had much of our Irish family come over from Ireland which made it an even better party! It exceeded every dream and expectation we had ever envisioned. The weather was unreal, the vibes were 10/10 and it was the wedding of our dreams and more. Truly magical.
The Wedding Ceremony
Our intention for the style of our wedding was viewing it from the perspective of how the decor made us and our guests FEEL most importantly. We wanted everyone to feel so much love, warmth, connection and even though we had a guest count of around 180—we wanted the whole thing to feel intimate. Thankfully we achieved that feeling. Luke and I are both very creative people! We love unique art, shapes, and doing things that you don’t see everyday.
For the ceremony, we chose a wild and organic design for the florals focusing on lots of lavenders and greens and pops of color in between. I chose a citron palette for my bridesmaids. I had them choose their dresses/looks on their own and some leaned more green and others more yellow. I still can’t get over how beautiful they all looked and how well they came together. What was most important was that they each felt like themselves in every way.
Found Floral absolutely killed it with the lush, organic wedding floral design! This organic, floral lined aisle made such a beautiful statement for the ceremony at Carmel Valley Ranch.
Can’t get enough of this bridal party look! As for Morgan’s gorgeous bridalwear, she paired her mother’s vintage veil with a ruffled tulle Vera Wang gown and Jimmy Choo shoes. Love the pearl beadwork in her hair, too!
A Favorite Moment
Walking down the aisle to each other. Luke and I decided not to do a first look. Not only had he not seen my dress or look, but I also hadn’t seen his tux and look at all so it was a sweet reveal for the both of us. Luke had chosen the song that I would walk down to. It was “Lovers in Japan” by Coldplay—the instrumental part. I remember walking down with my dad and the moment Luke and I locked eyes it was like nothing else existed but just us. Time stopped and it really felt out of this world. I’ve never experienced a feeling like that. We both couldn’t stop smiling and crying.
How fun are these custom champagne bottle labels tied with bows for their bar?
Emily Snyder was behind the whimsical, edgy calligraphy and stationery, which when paired with the florals and decor throughout, totally brought their whole moody and romantic look together in the most unique way.
So many beautiful portraits among the beauty of Carmel Valley Ranch.
Dinner + Dancing
For dinner, we wanted it to feel like we were all eating at home in a way. We aimed for warm tones, candles, natural woods and then threw in Judy of Found Floral’s wild and artsy floral arrangements. Luke and I have a lot of black furniture in our house currently so we chose black plates, black place cards and black chairs to add the homey element. And then for the dance/party reception we wanted this to feel like a night out with our friends and family. Fun, romantic, wild and a bit sexy. We had dark brown velvet curtains on the wall which made the room feel all of those things.
We both LOVE to dance so our dance floor was the main focal point of the room. We had some velvet couches for guests to lounge on and even some coffee tables with comfy chairs. Also, the room opened up to the terrace patio which felt like walking out into the backyard – keeping that “homey” feel throughout the night. And who doesn’t love a good bar?
Another favorite moment for the two of them? The moment they walked into dinner to see all of the above. They hadn’t seen any of the setups in advance, so the whole thing was one big, magical surprise. Morgan says, We walked in and everyone stood up cheering and it was just amazing that all of our friends and family were there for us cheering us on. Forever and Always played by Shania Twain and it will forever be a memory in our hearts forever.
Wedding Saves vs. Splurges
Their main splurge was entertainment: they hired a band and a DJ to keep the party going, and offered guests an open bar so everyone could indulge. Furniture ended up being somewhere they saved: Morgan originally wanted some more expensive options but chose to save here instead… And everything turned out even more beautiful than imagined!
Another nod to Texas with these light-up cowboy hats… Reminds us of another epic dance party: this Texas wedding.
Lastly, advice from our bride…
If I could give any advice about planning I would say try your best to be a team through it all. You get this experience one time together and remember WHY you are doing it. To celebrate your love. Yes the decor and style and food choices are all a part of the process, but everyone is there for the two of you and that is what matters. People will not remember the little details or the type of fabric you chose, they will remember how they felt and the love they witnessed on the big day. Also, show each other and yourselves grace. It’s a beautiful time and an overwhelming time. Lastly, the only opinions that truly matter are yours and your partners. What is most important to the two of you? It’s your day!
Congratulations to Morgan and Luke!
Photography: Samantha Dean Photo | Venue: Carmel Valley Ranch | Design & Planning: Sophia Goff Events + Design | Video: Sarah Davis | Florals: Found Floral | Cake: Layers Cake | Stationery: Emily Snyder | Rentals: Found Rental Co. | Theoni | Lighting: Got Light | Draping: Casa Rio | Entertainment: Dart Collective | Wedding Dress: Vera Wang | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Second Dress: LoveShackFancy
