This Monterey Beach Station Wedding for Gabby and Phill was long-time planned. From the very beginning, they knew that they wanted a beach wedding with their friends, family, and Frenchie Howie. The Monterey Beach Station was a perfect spot for exactly what they wanted. The day went perfectly planned, and it was so incredible to see Gabby and Phill enjoy their day and have a great time!
Getting Ready at the Monterey Marriot
To start the day, Gabby and her girls got ready at The Monterey Marriot, just a few minutes away from The Beach Station, In fact, you could see the venue from their hotel room. It’s a great hotel to block off for your guests to stay at, with a great location in Monterey close to shops and restaurants.
The getting ready moments for this Monterey Beach Station wedding was low-key and stress-free. The girls all had great vibes, and were just so happy to be there and be part of the day. Sir Howie the Frenchie of course, hung out with the girls all day.
After spending a few moments getting into her dress with her mom, Gabby was ready to head to the Beach Station to get this wedding day really started!
Wedding Party Portraits
Before the ceremony began, we focused on doing wedding party portraits at The Monterey Beach Station. Gabby and Phil did not want to do a first look, and that is something I can always respect. To save time after the wedding, we made sure to get as many images as we can without the bride and groom seeing each other. Thanks to the great vendor team, we made it happen, and got some lovely images before the wedding began!
Later on (after the ceremony), we call came together to take some photos of the whole wedding party. Everyone was so great and attentive, and made this go by quick – so they can go enjoy the party!
Monterey Beach Station Wedding
It was finally time to start the wedding, and it could not have gone better! The weather was perfect, with clouds rolling in to give shade from a bright sun, and beach guests made sure to stay out of the way. There was no rain, and even with a little bit of wind, the temperature was perfect.
The wedding party arrived and walked down the aisle, followed by the bride. This was the first time that Phil would see Gabby, and his facial expression said it all. He mouthed “oh my god” to himself, and could not keep her eyes off her. It honestly gave me goosebumps.
Their Monterey Beach Station Wedding Ceremony was short yet personal. They said their own vows, exchanged rings, had their first kiss, and walked back down the aisle together as husband and wife, along with Howie tagging along behind them.
It was the perfect wedding for who they are and what they wanted.
Bride and Groom Beach Portraits
Because Gabby and Phil did not do a first look, we made sure to set up a time during golden hour to take photos of just them together. In Monterey, during June, golden hour is more so “June gloom” but, with a small hint of light along the coastline, it was a great time to get photos of them. We set about 30 minutes for photos of these two, and got so much done in that time, ensuring we got everything Gabby wanted as well. Here are a few favorites!
Monterey Beach Station Cocktail Hour and Reception
The rest of the evening was focused on the couple having a good time with their guests, dancing, and just enjoying the night! Guests loved hanging outside on the patio and around the fire pits making s’mores, dancing on the dance floor, enjoying late night snacks, and the fresh beach air well after sunset. The vibe was around time spent with family and friends. It was the perfect way to end the night!
I am truly so grateful to have been Gabby and Phil’s Monterey Wedding Photographer for their beach station wedding. It was so great getting to serve these two and their guests. Each person I met was so kind, fun, and easy to talk to and connect with. Gabby and Phil, I hope you two had a great time, and I wish you both all the best as you live your life fully as husband and wife!
Destinations With Dana
Hey, Dana here! I am a wedding photographer based out of Florida who travels often for weddings all over the U.S and parts of Europe. I have been doing full-time wedding photography since 2018, and truly love what I love. Getting to serve couples like Gabby and Phil make me so happy. If you are the type of couple who may be quirky, or classy… and love to have a wedding photography experience that is rich in connection and light on stress, reach out to me and let’s talk about your day!
Best,
Dana Arnold
