A Seaside Micro Wedding Along The Coast Of Del Mar
It was so special getting to document not just this couple’s Del Mar wedding, but also their surprise proposal, and their engagement!!
Instead of a massive production with dozens (or hundreds!) of guests, this couple chose an intimate micro wedding with just their immediate families. Even though the guest list was small, they still made the day feel so FULL. Between a full church ceremony with a sword arch exit, gorgeous sunset photos up on the bluffs of Del mar, and a cozy and intimate backyard reception, their day felt completely intentional, personal, and meaningful from start to finish.
A Catholic Ceremony, a Marine Tradition, and a Hidden Nature Trail
The day started at a nearby Catholic church, where the couple exchanged vows in front of their closest loved ones.
Then since the groom is a U.S. Marine, his fellow service members honored them outside the church doors with a traditional sword arch. It was such a memorable part of the day and something I hadn’t had the chance to photograph before!
With the ceremony complete, we set aside plenty of time for family photos and their couple’s photos at places that held a lot of real meaning for the two of them. This couple had spent so much of their time together at the beach, exploring the sand, the waves, and walking along the shore that we planned two beach stops!
First, we drove over to Beacon’s Beach. This was the exact spot where the groom originally proposed, so taking their family photos and their very first photos together as a married couple right on those same cliffs brought everything full circle.
As sunset approached, we made our way back into Del Mar. Rather than sticking to the main beach, we walked up an overlooked, somewhat hidden trail near Del Mar Dog Beach. Perched high on the bluffs away from the crowds, we captured their couple’s photos right as the sun was lighting up the ocean with that soft glowy golden hour light. The views from up there are absolutely phenomenal, and having that quiet stretch of path along the preserve trail to themselves made the images feel personal and intimate and truly beautiful.
Dinner at Il Fornaio & a Backyard Reception
After the sun went down, everyone headed to Il Fornaio in Del Mar for a relaxed family dinner overlooking the water. Choosing a great local restaurant for dinner is one of the best parts of keeping a guest count small. You get fantastic food and ocean views without the stress of catering logistics!
To end the night, the whole group of about a dozen people went back to the couple’s backyard flat for a cozy, intimate reception.
They had all the special parts of a traditional wedding reception, just scaled down in size and curated for what mattered most to them:
The bride’s brother played acoustic guitar and sang their first dance song.
Everyone sat together, shared cake, and gave some lovely toasts.
I think one of the things that I loved most about this day was that there was zero rush on the timeline. No venue restraints on timing, no jumping from one agenda item to the next every 15 minutes, no getting bogged down with a million wedding planning to do’s, just plenty of time for celebrating with the people that they love.
Making a Micro Wedding Feel Complete
A lot of couples worry that choosing a small guest count means their wedding won’t feel like a “real” wedding day, but this day was such a great example of how that can actually be the exact opposite of what happens with a micro wedding. Keeping the guest list small gave them the freedom to visit meaningful locations, take their time with sunset photos on the coast, and actually spend quality time with every single person who attended.
If you are planning a Del Mar wedding and want a day that feels relaxed, personal, and focused on the moments that matter most to you, an intimate approach might be the way to go.
Having documented this couple’s journey from the proposal to the wedding day, I’d love to help you capture your own unique story! Pop on over to my contact page and let’s get chatting!
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