Raphael & AJ did their Central Coast destination wedding right. The Southern California-based couple decided on a relaxing, excursion-filled wedding weekend in Cambria, renting out a big house to serve as a home base for their closest family and friends. Their destination wedding included a small ceremony in one of the most gorgeous clifftop locations on the Central Coast, a lovely reception at a local famed restaurant, and some fun, local excursions for their family and friends to get to know each other and explore the area. Central Coast Gay Weddings recently sat down with Raphael & AJ to hear more details about their wedding experience. Here’s what they shared.
California Central Coast LGBTQ-supportive Wedding Venues and Vendors
Ceremony Venue // Fiscalini Ranch Preserve // Preserve Manager, Carlos Mendoza
Reception Venue // Robin’s Restaurant // Events Director, Shelley White
Photographer // Debbie Markham Photography // Debbie Markham
Florist // Events by Lilies of the Field // Ranay Marie Schmandt
Cake // Provided by Robin’s Restaurant // Dressed by Florist
Excursions // Piedras Blancas Rookery // Ragged Point Inn // Hearst Castle // Harmony
Tell us about your ceremony location – what an unbelievably gorgeous place to say your vows!
When we first visited Fiscalini Ranch, we knew it was the ideal place for our intimate ceremony. Small groups are allowed near, but not on, the cliffside, so we knew everyone would be safe and were still able to take advantage of the beautiful natural backdrop. There’s ample parking and a beautiful boarded walkway. Amazing views. Just a gorgeous location.
Did you need any kind of official permit to have a ceremony out there?
We did have to get a permit from the County Office, which also required us to have insurance for the actual ceremony. This sounds like a chore, but actually wasn’t a big deal at all; and the cost was minimal, especially considering that we weren’t otherwise paying for a ceremony venue. A representative from Fiscalini Ranch Preserve met with us ahead of time, walked us around and showed us all the areas where ceremonies were allowed. If you have a bigger crowd, they also have an area where vendors can come in and set up chairs. Carlos Mendoza, the Preserve Manager, was accommodating, responsive and extremely helpful with all our questions.
The pictures from your wedding are awesome. Tell us about your photographer.
Debbie Markham was truly a find for us. Her online portfolio caught our eye and we loved that her pictures came across as genuine and not overly posed or planned. Her photographs also had a modern sensibility. We wanted her without question.
What was Debbie like to work with?
Debbie has an impeccable eye and she is a true professional. Her excitement for us on our big day really warmed our hearts. She was extremely easy to work with and her insights helped us create our timeline for the entire day. She suggested our ceremony time and reception time so we could take advantage of as much natural lighting as possible and maximize California’s natural coastal beauty. She captured our day perfectly and also captured a number of a natural landscapes that were more stunning than we could’ve imagined.
How did you decide on Robin’s Restaurant for your reception?
Robin’s perfectly fit our simple, rustic theme. Their open garden also worked with our desire to integrate California’s natural beauty. The international menu and wedding package suited our small and diverse group. I’m convinced Shelley, the Events Director, is an angel sent to help couples plan their big day. She was gracious, professional and extremely accommodating. Her input was invaluable and she gave us a truly memorable and special day. She is genuine and has a wonderful heart.
Was anyone else involved in your ceremony and/or reception who you want to give a shout-out to?
OMG, yes – Events by Lilies of the Field! At first we thought of Ranay as our florist. By the time we were done, we realized we hadn’t fully appreciated her role. She’s a phenomenal artist. We spoke with Ranay and discussed what we wanted, what feeling we were trying to create and how we thought that might look. After a few quotes, our initial sticker shock was mitigated by Ranay and her ability to hear her clients and fulfill their needs. She worked with our budget and gave us a few options. One was an option most people would not consider, but it worked for us. She asked us to trust her with our flower choices based on our conversations and current market day values. Yes, Ranay chose our flowers for us the day of the wedding, sight unseen by us, GASP!!!!!! We called it the blind box package.
At that point, we’d reviewed her portfolio and welcomed her creative, modern twist on traditional wedding design. We’d also discussed numerous plant and flower options and she had a pretty clear idea of what our tastes were like, our color preferences, and what we were leaning towards. It was a wonderful proposition that paid off. We were thrilled with the results and her artistry. Her choices were perfect and we were thrilled with the prospect of a surprise and something we had not over planned to death. We don’t suggest this for most people. This only worked out because we were flexible with our choices, had a small budget with a very small reception, and our theme was simple and rustic, requiring only local flora. It also helped that we trusted Ranay wholeheartedly. She provided our buttoners, Jr. Bridesmaids bouquets, centerpieces, decorative backdrop for our cake table and dressed our three cakes. Her services were above and beyond anything we expected.
Your wedding day sounded amazing. How did you and your guests enjoy the rest of the weekend that made up your Central Coast destination wedding experience?
Besides actually getting married, the thing that made our wedding weekend so sweet was having all of our family and friends together under one roof – making meals, playing games – and then getting to explore some of the Central Coast together. We came up with an itinerary and tried to keep it casual with a mix of activities that were either free or really cool and affordable. We caravanned up the coast to visit the elephant seals at the Piedras Blancas Rookery, which the kids really loved, then kept driving north along the coast and stopped at Ragged Point Inn to take in the views. We also ventured up to Hearst Castle for a tour (amazing!) and then did some wine tasting in Harmony. It was just nice to take our time as a group and for everyone to get to know each other before and after the wedding.
A huge thanks to Raphael & AJ for sharing their Central Coast wedding destination experience with us and to all the LGBTQ-supportive wedding venues and vendors who helped make their day amazing.