There’s something about sitting on the lawn at the Big Sur River Inn that’s so profoundly relaxing that it makes me want to retire from life and just stay there.

Big Sur has that effect on me in general, but at the River Inn, with the warm sun filtering through trees onto the green grass while the Big Sur River babbles by, well, it’s pretty special.

Blanca and John feel a similar way about Big Sur, and chose to have their wedding on that relaxing lawn next to the river.

And after a touching and intimate ceremony (with more than a few tears), Blanca & John’s Big Sur River Inn wedding turned into a pretty rockin’ party.

So much fun was had. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

John and his groomsmen got ready at the nearby Big Sur Campground and Cabins, a scenic walk away from the River Inn. It was a great setting for photos, with the cabins in the redwoods. Blanca got ready in a room at the Inn, which overlooks the ceremony site, giving her the opportunity to peek out as guests arrive.

After dinner, Blanca slipped away to slip into her tango dress and unleash a surprise on all their guests: Blanca and John had been taking tango dancing lessons for months. They nailed their performance, electing excited cheers from their friends and family.

After that it was time to relax, and the dance floor was full for the rest of the evening.

As the music turned off, Blanca put her wedding dress back on and we all drove north on Highway 1 to the Bixby Bridge for a night photo with the most iconic structure in Big Sur. You can see that photo at the top of this blog post.

See the rest of my favorite photos from Blanca & John’s Big Sur River Inn wedding in the gallery below.