When I think about Shannon and Joe’s luxury wedding in Carmel, the words that come to mind are classy, family-oriented, and confident.

They are Monterey locals and knew exactly what they wanted on their wedding day, which made the whole experience that much more rad.

Shannon reached out to me years ago for their engagement photoshoot and we had a blast running around Ribera beach in Carmel for their engagement. Through getting to know each other well and having a blast during that session, they reached back out to me to see if I would shoot their wedding, which of course, I was HONORED and happy to do! They wanted the works, and so they ended up booking my biggest photo package as well as video with me. It was such a lovely day with a solid vendor team and such a wonderful couple.

Shannon knew she wanted to get married in Carmel, and the La Playa Hotel was the perfect venue for what they were looking for.

It’s an all inclusive event space, meaning everything could be in one place preventing the guests from needing to travel to different locations. From their guest size and the look to the layout and the vibe, it was the obvious choice.

Personally, I love everything about this venue. It's classy, cute, and has such a luxury vibe to it. You would never know that this was right in the middle of downtown. My favorite area is the grass and ceremony space. I love how everything looks wide angle with the beautiful hotel in the background. You can tell the space is very intentional and thought out.

On the big day, we were a little bit nervous because the weather was on the brink of rain. Throughout the entire morning, we were all watching the weather closely and it would be sunny for a moment, then it would sprinkle, then rain, then clear up and be sunny. It was wild! The wedding planner had to find over a hundred umbrellas for all of the guests just in case it would rain on us. During the ceremony the rain did start to pick up, so people had their umbrellas out. Still throughout all of that chaos and uncertainty, Shannon and Joe were steadfast, happy, and confident. Unshaken. Unwavered. Just stoked for the day and up for the adventure. Love that about them!

Another thing I really loved about this luxury wedding in Carmel was the speeches. I don’t say this often about weddings, as people can try too hard to perform or be funny and it doesn’t hit the way it should. But this day was different. Shannon and Joe were intentional to choose the right people for their speeches. They were all honest, kind, and very honoring of the couple. It was such a refreshing and sweet part of their day!

It was such an honor to be a part of Shannon and Joe’s luxury wedding in Carmel.

Not only as their photographer, but also just as a person getting to witness the joy and connection they brought to every part of their day. From the acceptance of the unpredictable weather to the gorgeous backdrop of the La Playa Hotel, it was everything you could want in a wedding. If you’re dreaming up your own celebration, Carmel is truly one of the most magical places to make it happen.