A Natural Wedding at Cayucos Veterans Hall in Cayucos, California

Alissa Backman (28 and a chemistry PhD candidate) and Daniel Murray’s (27 and a chemistry PhD candidate) simple and natural wedding was filled with personal details that made their day that much sweeter. Every piece of the wedding, including their Cayucos Land Conservancy ceremony spot, was tied to a memory. “My husband lived in Cayucos for seven years while working on his degree at Cal Poly,” Alissa says. “We often visit this little town and the spot where the ceremony was chosen because it overlooked my his favorite surf spot." The couple shared personal and traditional vows overlooking the beach before ending the night in a dance party at Cayucos Veterans Hall. Alissa and her mother personally collected each piece of driftwood for the tented reception. Succulents, greenery and white stock flowers accented burlap runners as black-and-white table numbers popped from the center. Each was inspired by a different element on the periodic table. Alissa and Daniel’s wedding cake had a few brighter hues. A bold design covered the single-tier confection as pink spider chrysanthemums surrounded the base and served as the topper. A. Blake Photography captured this detail and more, below. For future couples, Alissa shares a tip: “The simpler, the better. I think loved ones appreciate a more genuine and heartfelt wedding than a big, expensive one.”