Hotel Del Monte at the Naval Postgraduate School is Monterey is such an elegant place — chandeliers hang from high ceilings, walls are richly decorated, doors are inlaid with intricate designs, and the grounds are lush and green and expansive.

Haley & Tarus’s Naval Postgraduate School Monterey wedding was as elegant as its venue, with elements of Naval tradition mixed in with lots of fun times.

Haley & Tarus had their wedding day first look in Old Monterey, an area I never tire of photographing. From weather-worn brick to gnarled old trees, we had some of the best backdrops the area has to offer.

Once on base, friends and family gathered for a beautiful ceremony on the lawn. After the knot was tied, the newlyweds passed under a traditional sword arch as they exited the ceremony.

Later in the evening Tarus used a sword to cut the cake, just one of the fun elements of a very fun reception. Haley was serenaded with the song “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ “ during an enthusiastic re-creation of the scene from Top Gun.

Monterey was draped in its traditional summertime fog, which turned the sky orange during our outdoor nighttime portrait. See that and my other favorite images from Haley & Tarus’s Naval Postgraduate School Monterey wedding in the gallery below.