La Playa Carmel and Church in the Forest Wedding

La Playa Carmel is the perfect wedding venue, whether it be for your pre-ceremony photos, or a full wedding day. It sits in one of the main streets of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and it is routinely rated as one of the top wedding venues. Nick and Maddie chose La Playa for all of their getting ready moments, as well as their couple portraits. It was a beautiful November day, so we utilized the outdoor lawn, fountain area, the iconic indoor stairways and moody lobby. I highly recommend doing flash photography in their amazing sitting area inside- it’s so timeless and glam!

For their ceremony, they chose the most beautiful ceremony venue in Pebble Beach, The Church in the Forest. The church is a unique non-denominational church, most known for its stunning full wall off windows behind the altar, revealing forest views. There are some on-site outdoor portrait locations, both on the deck and the area out back, though I would encourage most of your formal photos to be elsewhere, whether you chose a nearby beach or a getting ready venue, such as La Playa Carmel. After the ceremony, the couple and their guests headed to Grasings in Carmel-by-the-Sea for their wedding reception. They reserved the private dining area upstairs, which has beautiful views of the ocean. The space was perfect for the intimate dinner for their ~25 guests, and even had a small space for their first dance and cake cutting.

Lastly, you’ll see how sweet this small wedding was. Maddie and Nick knew they wanted an intimate feel for their day, and didn’t want to deal with a large wedding party. Their wedding day was completely theirs, and because it was all about them, we got to be flexible with timing to take advantage of the best light. If you are planning your Monterey area elopement or wedding, reach out here.

Getting Ready Venue: La Playa Carmel
Ceremony Venue: Church in the Forest, Pebble Beach
Reception Venue: Grasings