Real Wedding: Cara and Dan

Sometimes a spectacular view is all you need to create a fabulous venue. This gorgeous cliff home is the perfect setting and the ceremony views are just stunning! Add in an adorable couple and it all makes for an amazing wedding!

Cara, the lovely bride, shares all the details:

We wanted our wedding to be elegant, but relaxed and intimate. After spending months searching the Monterey area for the right location, we finally discovered the Point Lobos Ridge Home. The whole area was so peaceful and reminded me of the foothills in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado, but with a spectacular ocean view.

Renting a private house for the weekend meant that we got lots of family bonding time. Prior to that weekend, Dan and my parents had only met a few times. We were able to spend the time leading up to the wedding hanging out as a big family and bonding over last minute DIY projects. Our moms helped Dan’s sister, Kristen, and me prepare the flowers and arrange them into centerpieces, bouquets and boutonnieres. Kristen also made our amazing cake and brought it up from Southern California. It was the best red velvet I’ve ever tasted and the sugar flowers were unbelievable! Dan helped my mom make table numbers and spent hours with my dad perfectly lining up reception cards on a fabric covered bulletin board. And everyone kept me calm as I scrambled to arrange tents and heaters to combat an unexpected cold front. The sense of family set the tone for the day and when our guests arrived felt like we were welcoming them into our home.

Some of my favorite moments of the day include: drinking champagne with my bridesmaids while we got ready; huddling for warmth under my dad’s jacket while he stood lookout for the cue to walk me down the hill to the ceremony; our first kiss and dancing to “All Right Now” played by the Stanford Band; the delicious food; swing dancing with Edwin (the best man/officiant) during the reception; and seeing so many of my favorite people together in the same place.