About Coastal California Weddings


We've been in the small wedding business for over 10 years!  The Central Coast is our home, the place where we fell in love. We take care of the planning and coordinating wedding ceremonies. We create a relaxing and stress-free day so you can enjoy the fun parts like finding your dress, saying I do and celebrating with a glass of champagne!


If you want a simple, small wedding on the beautiful Central Coast of California, let’s chat about getting you married!


I'm Natalie, nice to meet you!

Elopements hold a special place in my heart. Both sets of my grandparents eloped, both grandparents didn’t let anyone know they were getting married, and they lived happily ever after! I should have probably eloped (that’s another story!), but I decided to have a small wedding so we could celebrate with close family and friends.


I started Coastal California Weddings to help take the stress away from couples during the wedding planning process. The first wedding I helped plan was many years ago for a friend. She wanted to get married in 3 months, had a small budget, and wanted a small guest list of just close friends and immediate family. I took on the challenge as the maid of honor and wedding coordinator. We made a lot of the decorations, I put together the flower centerpieces, and even took photos at the reception. For my wedding, I remember what it was like to be on a budget, but wanted something beautiful and memorable. It was stressful to contact venues and vendors that weren’t in my price range. After searching high and low, from Portland to San Diego,  I found that perfect place to say I do and it happened to be on the Central Coast.


Now, you will find me coordinating  weddings, answering any question that come up, playing a bit of tour guide with giving my favorite recommendations, and smiling and even crying happy tears as I attend your special day. The Central Coast holds a special place in my heart since I was married there and went to school there.


No matter the size of the wedding, planning can be stressful. I enjoy the planning part and helping couples to see the vision of their wedding day all come together.


Meet your team of wedding professionals

I am lucky to have such a great team helping to make the weddings extra special!  I'm the coordinator and lady who wears a lot of hats.  I enjoy interacting with each of our couples and finding out more about their love story. I'm the main contact person for weddings and am the coordinator.  I've also done every job that has to do with weddings - from photography to being the officiant, to sourcing the flowers, and all other parts that go into planning a wedding ceremony.


Julie is our wedding photographer and has been working with us from the start of the business.   I actually met Julie in the hospital after I had my daughter. Julie was also doing newborn photographer so she's been a special person in my personal and professional life. 



We are lucky to have 2 officiants - Lynda and Elaine.  Lynda was a retired teacher who joined us as an ordained officiant when  I first started the business. She writes and preforms very heartfelt ceremonies and puts extra love into the ceremonies. Elaine is new to our team and has been helping with weddings since last year.  Elaine's powerful voice and modern ceremonies reflect the joy the couple feels to be married. 


Hun is our main florist. She's been in the flower business for the last 25 years.  Her flowers create that wow piece and match the style of the wedding and the dress of the bride.  Her designs really do complete the look of the day and make the bride even more beautiful!


Sara and Jennifer help us out with bookkeeping and emails. If I'm out working weddings, they may answer emails or texts.  She's been in the wedding business for a long time and wanted a quieter pace of being behind the scenes.  Hun is our talented florist.  She carefully crafts each bouquet and creates the wow piece for the bride. 


Why small weddings and elopements?

I love small wedding! Since I've been in this business, small weddings have been what I've offered to couples from the start opening Coastal California Weddings.  I was planning small weddings before the pandemic and thankfully didn't have to adjust what I was already doing.


Why small weddings and elopements? I feel that small weddings are more intimate. It allows the couple to enjoy the guests at their wedding, to make it more of a celebration, and to share lasting memories. Simple weddings really focus on love and the joy of the first day the couple will spend on their journey through marriage. It reminds me of a quote, “I want a marriage more beautiful than my wedding.” I believe that a wedding doesn’t have to cost as much as a car – you can still be on a budget and have an amazing wedding celebration and beautiful future.New Paragraph

Frequently Asked Questions

See below for answers to some of your questions.

  • What areas do you service?

    We provide our services on the sunny Central Coast, in San Luis Obispo County  Most of our weddings take place in Pismo Beach and Shell Beach.  But, we are available for Avila Beach, Montana de Oro, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria, and Avila beaches. Some locations have a larger permit fee or travel fee. We have a variety of different locations to choose from.

  • How do the packages work?

    Most of our locations are in Pismo Beach and Shell Beach. To view all the locations click here .

    For other packages, you can pick your location from our locations page.

  • How far in advanced should we schedule our elopement or small wedding?

    Sooner rather than later is always the best. If you are thinking something last minute, we like a minimum of 2 weeks to coordinate your ceremony. We understand elopements can sometimes be very last minute so we will do our best to work within your time line.

  • Are there any extra fees?

    Nope, the price of the package is the price you will be charged!  We list out everything you will get with your package on the contract and explain all the services you get for the price.

    We put all services in a contract so clients know  what they will get from the start.

    However, we do offer extra decorations and details for an additional charge. Once you book your wedding with us, we will give you a list of the extras and pricing. 

  • Can we add our own touch to the wedding or write our own vows?

    Yes! We actually encourage couples to find ways to make the wedding more of a representation of themselves. If you wanted something special to  the ceremony, you can write your own vows, read a love letter to each other, involve family and friends in the ceremony, or  have a special blessing for your children to make the day more personal to the two of you.

    If you have another request, please ask us and we will let you know what we can do.

  • What do we need to be responsible for?

    We coordinate the wedding and work with you during the planning process to make sure all the things you need are handled. We take care of any permits that are needed, provide all that  is included in the ceremony package, answer all questions you have, and keep you on track with the wedding details.  We have time lines and planning guides. The only thing the two really need to be responsible for is applying for your  wedding license (which we help you with) and making sure the two of you are on time and ready to get married. We make it simple!

  • What happens if it rains?

    I’m sure we all wish it would rain in California…just not rain on our wedding day!  Unfortunately, we cannot be in control of the rain. I even think I heard somewhere that if it rains on your wedding day that is considered good luck. We can  go over a plan b, but changes would need to be decided quickly and extra fees may come up with a new location.

  • Do you provide the wedding license?

    We take care of filing your wedding license for you, however  you will need to go down to one of the California City Halls to get your wedding license. If you are visiting from out of state, the closest place in San Luis Obispo County is the City Hall in San Luis Obispo. You can also choose to get your wedding license the same day you get married. Just allow some extra time for the paperwork. Once you get your wedding license, make sure to bring that with you to the ceremony.

  • How do I get a marriage license?

    We will help with the marriage license process.

    We’ve legally married couples from other states and countries!


  • Can you provide us with a witness?

    Yes, California law says you only need one witness, besides the officiant, to sign the wedding license. If you do not have a witness, one of our staff members that day can witness your wedding.

  • How do I book my wedding or elopement?

    Contact us to make sure your date is available. Once we confirm an available date, we will send over a contract and ask for a deposit. A signed contract and deposit paid means your wedding is officially booked.


    The deposit acts as the first payment. The rest of the payment is due at certain times before the wedding.  The deposit is non-refundable and will secure your wedding date.

  • Do I meet with you to book our wedding?

    Nope, the contract and deposit info are all done electronically.  An interesting fact is that we only meet about 5% of our couples before their wedding date. We are really good a working with couples who don’t live locally!

  • How long can we stay at the ceremony location?

    Some locations have limits on time and others don’t. If your location requires a permit or venue fee, most of the time you are limited to the time you can stay out there.  Let us know in the planning stages if you are planning to stay at the location after pictures are taken. That way we can make sure you have enough time.

  • Can we have a wedding rehearsal?

    Since the weddings we perform are small, a rehearsal is many times not needed. However, we can add a wedding rehearsal on to your package.

  • Are chairs necessary at a wedding?

    About half the weddings we do are ones without chairs. Guest gather around the couple on either side of the aisle and watch the ceremony.  The ceremony is around 15 minutes so the guests aren’t standing for too long.

  • How small is small when we say small weddings?

    When we say small weddings, we like to keep the number of guests around 30. However, visit our contact us and packages page to see how many guests we are currently allowing.

  • Can we bring our own photographer or minister?

    Our team has an amazing energy and have worked together on many weddings.  Having our team at your wedding makes sure you have the best experience possible! We understand that you might have a personal relationship with your own minister, but we get to know our couples and personalize the ceremony, if you’d like.  If you want your minister  or officiant to be part of your ceremony, how about involving them in giving a talk about the two of you or maybe even a blessing over your marriage.  Having your minister officiate the whole ceremony doesn’t work well with the flow of our services and our vision for your wedding.  The same goes  for the photographer.  If you friend is a photographer and you are inviting them to the wedding, please let them enjoy the ceremony as your friend and not as the  main photographer. You can use your friend to take getting ready pictures or detail photos at the ceremony and reception. It’s ok for any guest to have their camera ready.

  • What is the best way to contact you?

    The quickest way is through email at hello@coastalcaliforniaweddings.com. 


    We don't have a set schedule on days we work since weddings are any day of the week. If you don't hear from us in 3 days please reach out again. 

  • Do you offer discounts?

    We pride ourselves on offering cost effective, budget friendly weddings for couples and have taken that into consideration when coming up with the pricing of each package.  Each wedding is special and it takes time to plan all the parts of the ceremony.  I truly value the work I do and don’t offer any discounts. We do have some mid week packages that are available at a lower rate.

  • Is there a space for the couple to change in?

    It is best to arrive already dressed and ready to go.   A few of the locations have bathrooms and some are at hotels.  .

  • Are the locations private or open to the public?

    Some locations like the gazebo, winery, and a few beach locations are a little more private.  Other locations  are a little more open to the public (the beaches are not private beaches so there is the risk that there might be people there). We do know some off the beaten path beach locations where there might not be as many people.

  • Are permits required to get married on the beach?

    It depends on the beach.  Some beaches require them and others don’t.  Let us know what beach you are interested in and we can give you more information.

  • Are pets allowed at weddings?

    We love having pets at weddings!  Most locations like the beach, cliffs, and gazebo allow pets. Your pet just needs to be on a leash and you need to clean up after them.

  • Where are the closest airports?

    San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria are the closest airports.  Larger airports like LAX and SFO are about 3 hours away.  San Luis Obispo flies to Denver, Phoenix, and Seattle and San Francisco.  Santa Maria flies to Las Vegas on certain days. Santa Barbara flies to Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Portland, and San Francisco.

  • What type of payments do you take?

    We take credit card, debit card, and Venmo.

  • Is there a deposit?

    Yes, there is a deposit and the amount depends on your package and extras.  We will let you know the deposit amount before the contract process.

    The deposit goes towards your total amount due, so it is not an extra fee, but part of the package price.