There’s something classic and romantic about a wedding on the beach in California. Having the largest body of water in the world as one of your witnesses is pretty special.

However, as we Northern Californians know, you also have to be a little adventurous to wed on the beach, because sometimes the Pacific can be an uncooperative wedding guest.

Fortunately, Jan and Eldridge are adventurous and the Pacific was polite for their Monterey Beach Resort wedding.

Jan and Eldridge had a beautiful day at Monterey’s only beach-front resort. After the two of them got ready onsite, we started things off with an emotional first look in front of the fireplace in the hotel lobby. After that, a quick drive into Old Monterey for photos at some of my favorite spots led to some gorgeous portraits (including the one at the top of this blog post). The rest of the day was at the hotel, with family photos, a touching ceremony led by Rev. Zia Shapiro, and an incredibly fun dance party.

Jan & Eldridge’s first dance song was sung live by two of their wedding guests who had amazing singing voices. It was a special touch of personalization that fit well with the intimate feel of their reception. Guests had fun with the self-portrait station, we got an amazing sunset and the opportunity for a few more photos of the newlyweds, and the dance party got so good that Jan changed out of her wedding dress and into some dancing clothes.

All in all, an incredibly fun day. Check out my favorite photos in the gallery below.