Wedding | Emma & Patrick

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We are both teachers living in Northern Virginia, on a boarding school campus tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Emma is an English teacher and rock climbing coach, with a passion for the environment and being out in nature. In the summer, she doubles as an assistant director for an all-girls rock (music) camp in Southern California. Patrick is a high school music teacher and drummer. His summers are spent on tour as an instructor for a competitive drum and bugle corps. 

We went to high school together, but reconnected over our first winter break in Fort Wayne, IN. We are parents to our little angel, Mimi, a tabby we rescued from a storm drain in downtown Cincinnati.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

After making the decision early on about the size and format of our wedding, the whole world really opened up as far as an actual location. We looked locally in Virginia for some time before realizing that we had a unique opportunity to really shoot for the stars with our venue. Emma does a fair amount of work out in California and is well in tune with some of the lesser-known gems like Sea Ranch. The guiding principles of the community, its emphasis on nature, peace, simplicity, and intentional design, felt deeply aligned with us.

Sea Ranch Living homes are local designer homes just 5–10 minutes from the venue, many tucked into the hills overlooking the ocean. Booking these allowed us and our families to stay together in what were truly some of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. The homes came equipped with vintage games, vinyl collections, and art supplies, making them perfect for cooking meals together, movie nights on the projector, and sharing cocktails around the fire. We loved being all together, it also made the trip more accessible for our families.

Emma started her wedding morning in the hot tub with her best friend and sister, breakfast burrito in hand, watching whales. Patrick enjoyed Scrabble, whiskey, and the Cincinnati Reds game in the woods. It really doesn’t get better than that.

How many guests did you have?

12.

What was your budget? 

A simple family celebration, planned on a teacher budget.

Tell us about your outfits.

Emma wore an Anthropologie wedding dress paired entirely with borrowed pieces, choosing everything the morning of. She wore her sister’s thrifted bracelets, her best friend’s vintage shoes, and her mother’s own wedding garter. She brought a few options and simply went with what felt right in the moment. No regrets!

Patrick went with a classic black suit with a double-breasted jacket from Suit Supply that carried an essence of nautical prestige for the seaside venue. I’ve always admired simplicity in fashion and general aesthetic.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

Our biggest priority was the non-tangible, an intentional ceremony, music we loved, and time with our people. Choosing the venue set the tone for everything else, making it easy to keep things simple, sustainable, and within our budget.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Music was the element we cared about most. It’s always been something that brings us together. We even asked for vinyl records instead of gifts at our engagement party. For the ceremony, we walked in to “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin and walked out to “Watch Me” by Labi Siffre. Our first dance was to “If Not For You” by George Harrison. We were also lucky to have live music from family, which made everything feel even more personal.

We made playlists for the whole night, from cocktail hour, filled with everything from Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell to Ebo Taylor, Chicano Batman, Celine Desberges, and Ciao Ciao Marigold, to late-night dancing. Honestly, curating the music was our favorite part of planning. Sitting together with a bottle of wine, making playlists late at night, was actually the first thing we did. It feels backwards, but it ended up setting the tone for the entire day.

Our photographer, Erin from Thereafter Photo, as you can probably see, was out of this world. Her process felt collaborative. She listened to our creative ideas and captured so many important, candid moments. She went above and beyond while still being incredibly accommodating and flexible with our budget. In addition to Erin’s film, I carried my own film camera all week. Having candid shots through my eyes, from the rehearsal, the car rides, my plate, the bathroom with the girls, are shots I’ll always cherish. Highly recommend!

One of our best friends, Adam, also used his Super 8 to gift us a video of the day. We feel so lucky to have such cool and talented friends. 

Any tips for couples getting married?

Focus on how you want to remember your wedding. If you build around your own experience, then everything else will fall into place. Also, don’t underestimate the impact of having genuine, caring people present as vendors. Their passion for what they do will translate to the feeling that the whole world is on your side.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Our florist, Jen’s Garden by the Sea, provided the absolutely most gorgeous arrangements we could’ve imagined, utilizing local flowers, wild plants, fruits and vegetables. She is incredibly creative and talented, helping transform some of my ideas into reality and breaking away from the typical wedding flower scheme. Giving her full creative freedom was key.

Our celebrant, Candace, was incredibly thoughtful. She took the time to get to know us and crafted a ceremony that was both beautiful and deeply personal. Truly memorable and perfectly us.

Photographer: Thereafter Photo @thereafterphoto | Flora: Jen’s Garden by the Sea @jensgardenby

thesea | Ceremony Location: Sea Ranch Chapel @searanchchapel | Reception Location: Sea Ranch

Lodge @searanchlodgeca | Celebrant: Candace Leila @shiningconnection1 | Cake: Franny's Cup And Aaucer | Suit: Suit Supply @suitsupply | Veil: Anthropologie @anthropologie | Engagement Ring: Rubini Jewelers @rubinirow | Wedding Rings: June Metal @junemetal | Wedding Party Attire: Meshki @meshki & Anthropologie @anthropologie