Bridget + Tyler
Wedding Date & Location:
June 26, 2024 at the Santa Barbara Courthouse
For our real bride Bridget, creating the perfect wedding didn’t mean sticking to tradition—it meant staying true to what felt right for her and Tyler. After going back and forth between eloping and a full wedding, they found their dream middle ground: an intimate micro-wedding at the stunning Santa Barbara Courthouse, followed by a backyard dinner at an ocean-view Airbnb. From a private, photographer-free first look to sharing pizza and sunset toasts with their closest family and friends, every detail of the day was intentional, low-pressure, and deeply personal. Their wedding proved that letting go of expectations can lead to something even more beautiful than imagined.
What was the vision for your wedding?:
When we started planning our wedding we went back and forth between eloping and wanting a larger wedding and celebration. We landed at the perfect middle for us which was an intimate micro wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse with our immediate family and closest friends. The Santa Barbara Courthouse provided the most stunning backdrop for our special day. The goal for our wedding was an intimate day celebrating our love surrounded by the people closest to us. We decided to keep our wedding more simple and after choosing the Santa Barbara Courthouse for our ceremony, we found a beautiful AirBNB that looked out at the ocean that allowed us to host a dinner in the back yard for our guests. I don't think either of us could have asked for a better wedding day because it felt simple and comfortable from start to finish. We got to focus on the love we had for each other as well as being surrounded by our most important people. One of my favorite parts looking back is how little pressure we felt during the entire process and on the wedding day. I think because we focused on how we wanted the day to be and we didn't try to live up to any expectations and standards of any wedding we had been to before the day truly came together to meet our vision of the perfect wedding.
How did it go on the day-of?:
The wedding day was so perfect and was an easy and comfortable day which truly matched our personalities. It might not have been conventional, but we spent the night before together and got to wake up together and share all our excitement for the day before saying goodbye to go get ready. We opted for a private first look with no photographer at our AirBNB overlooking the ocean. Again, a little unconventional, but in that moment we got to be truly present with one another and not worry how it would look on camera. We headed to the courthouse to meet our wonderful photographer Kaitie who took all of our couple photos in and around the beautiful Courthouse. Our ceremony was held in the iconic Mural Room of the Santa Barbara Courthouse and as we made our way upstairs, we got to hug and greet most of the guests and family as they were arriving and share in their excitement for us. We both enjoyed so much how we felt surrounded by the love and support of the very closest people in our life throughout the entire day. Our ceremony was made so special by William Yun who played the violin for our guests and the ceremony. Tyler and I didn't have a lot of nerves for the ceremony, it was nice being in front of our closest family and friends and made us both feel very comfortable. After our ceremony we got to take pictures with all of our guests which have turned into such wonderful memories with our very most important people. Afterwards our guests headed to a stunning AirBNB for dinner that looked out over the Pacific Ocean. For dinner we had pizza (Tyler's favorite), we listened to our favorite music from a speaker, our family and friends gave us some special toasts, we had cake, watched the sunset, and spent the night talking and making memories with our favorite people. It is true what they say, your wedding day does go by in the blink of an eye!
What is your #1 tip to future brides?:
I have two! Number One, your wedding day is about you and your partner and how you both want to enter married life together, so the entire day should be what you both want. It is so easy to get caught up in current trends and expectations of a wedding. It is also easy to be swayed by what other people in your life want around the entire wedding planning process. Remember to stay true to what is important to you and your partner. Just because your friend did something at their wedding or you see something on social media doesn't mean you have to have it at your wedding. Weddings are so expensive and it becomes way more special and personal when you do the things you love that are for yourself and the person you love. Number two, you should spend as much of your wedding day with your partner as you can. Doing whatever feels right for you and your partner and what you want for your wedding day. For Tyler and I we woke up together and got to spend our morning with one another, then we only spent about 4 hours apart to get ready and be with our family and friends before doing a private first look. Any nerves or jitters we had were completely calmed by being together and getting to take in the entire day by each other's side.
