A Simple Bodega Bay Wedding

A while back, I sent Kathryn of Snippet and Ink a picture from this wedding for her week of Beach Wedding inspiration boards, and she used it on a stunning Northern California beach board. But this wedding just wouldn’t stop haunting me, with it’s striking Northern California beauty, it’s quirky style, and it’s simple joy. So I decided I had to share this Bodega Bay wedding, as photographed by the talented Jude Mooney.
This bride clearly had her own personal style, and I love that you can see it in the way she dressed, and the flowers that she held. Sometimes I think that wedding dresses can serve to muffle your inner sass, and wrap you up in the perfect bridal package, but that is so not going on here!
One of the things that I love best about small simple weddings, is that the focus is put back where it belongs. A wedding is, in essence, a sacred ceremony followed by a celebratory party, and when you strip back all the details and extras, that is what you see.
I love that giddy joy when couples are walking back down the aisle, newly married.
This is one of my new favorite wedding pictures. I walk on San Francisco beaches every day, and they have a rugged charm that is all their own. By not dressing up the ceremony site, they let the natural beauty shine right through.
Joy… both the best wedding makeup, and all you really need.
The simple beach ceremony was followed by a celebratory restaurant dinner. That gives you the feeling of being in Tuscany sharing wine and good food with family and friends.

This wedding is magic to me. The pictures capture exactly what we want: to be ourselves, to be with our loved ones, to have a simple and sacred ceremony, and then to eat and toast with much laughter and mirth.

The rest is really just details.

**Update: So I’m sure you’re not going to be shocked by this info, since cool couples often roll like this, but the bride made her awesome dress right before the wedding, and the groom found his suit in a thrift store. Thanks to Jude for the info. Northern CA brides, check her out!**

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