A Snapshot Of My Pismo - Written by Michelle Williams, one of our Coastal California Wedding Brides
Pismo Beach holds a special place in my heart. I have been visiting since I was a teen, and also got married there! I am now an Arizona dweller, but I was born and raised on the central coast. I had the pleasure of introducing my husband to the beauty of Pismo Beach and all of the surrounding areas. He immediately saw why I adore it so much!
You may be on the hunt for the perfect spot to grab a quick dinner. Papi’s Grill is a local favorite for the most amazing tacos. Don’t forget to grab a refreshing agua fesca for the perfect pairing. If a romantic date night dinner is what you seek, try Giuseppe’s Cucina Italiana. You can never go wrong with authentic Italian cuisine. You’ll love watching the kitchen prepare pizzas in the giant wood fire oven. The pomodoro is out of this world, accompanied by their bread and garlic dipping sauce. This restaurant is a must!
If you’re in search of the perfect place to stay, whether its a romantic getaway, or a solo adventure, check out Inn At The Cove. This is where I stayed for my wedding trip!Unforgettable views of the Pacific Ocean await you. They also have their own private rocky beach! Plenty of photo opportunities in this cozy little spot. Another favorite is the nearby Shell Beach Inn. Recently renovated and in high demand. Adorable rooms nestle around the pool. You’re sure to make some new friends during your stay here.
This is just scratching the surface of all there is to do here in this beautiful town! I’m always sure to hit all of my favorite spots during each of my visits, but always try and do something new. Whether you plan to be active, or just sit back and relax, Pismo Beach will not disappoint!
Sunset Image by Michelle Williams
Now, here is her wedding story and why she selected Coastal California Weddings for her Pismo Beach Elopement.
Beach Bride
My husband Mat and I knew right from the start that we didn’t want a big fussy wedding. We don’t have huge families or dozens of friends, this was just for the two of us. Not to mention, we had a tight budget so we had to plan within our means. We were content with a small ceremony. Just us, tying the knot on the beach sounded perfect. Living in Arizona, we were ecstatic to escape the desert for a different view. We tried to price out photography, officiant, the whole works. We came to find these things do not come cheap! We needed to find a company that could do it all for us. We initially booked a package with a company in Santa Barbara for a small wedding at Butterfly Beach. I soon got that gut feeling, it just didn’t feel right. Although we knew it was beautiful, neither of us had ever spent any time in Santa Barbara. We needed a place that was close to our hearts, so I suggested Pismo Beach. Having gown up on the central coast, Pismo just seemed like a warm hug, like going home. We took to the internet and stumbled upon Coastal California Weddings. A small intimate elopement at a price we could agree with. So, we pulled the trigger and booked our big day…again!
We planned for October 12th, 2018, giving us an eight month engagement. Pismo weather cannot be beat in the fall. Natalie at Coastal California Weddings made everything so easy for us, effortless actually. We picked our package, our wedding location and we were set. I picked out and booked our hotel, Inn At The Cove, for our trip. A most excellent choice if I do say so. I found my gorgeous dress and we were all set, nothing left but to wait for our day.
My morning started with a trip to the nail salon where I picked a perfect nude polish to compliment my nude and lace dress. Then, a girl has to get her hair done, so off to Glassbox Salon I went. A beautiful and sleek blowout for a simple and elegant look. Mat was such a sport, and accompanied me during my day of beauty. Back at the hotel, we just lounged until our sunset wedding time.
I slipped on my dress and took a look at myself. I never felt so beautiful in my whole life. A body hugging, strapless lace number that was simple, yet elegant. I put the finishing touches on my make up and walked out to present myself to my soon to be husband. Hand in hand, we headed to the tide pool beach location. My heart was racing with so much excitement and anticipation. It was as if I didn’t want it to start yet, because I didn’t want it to end.
Natalie welcomed us at the entrance to the beach, bearing my incredibly beautiful bouquet, to which she added the special touches I had requested. Down on the sand, Mat, Natalie, and our officiant Linda waited at the waters edge. It was the most picturesque scene of all my life. Not a breath of wind, the sun just starting to lower in the sky, down behind scattered clouds. Perfect streaks of sherbert colors as a back drop for the most special day of our lives. Linda gave us a ceremony that was short and sweet, leaving us wiping away tears of joy. At that moment I thought back to how people kept telling us that marriage was nothing more than a piece of paper. It was actually the most sacred and special bonding experience we could imagine. I now felt whole and complete. And for the record, yes, it does “ feel different” once you are married. It feels amazing.
We then changed our clothes and proceeded with our wedding date night. Mexican food is our absolute favorite, so we went to Zorro’s, naturally. Its our top Pismo restaurant pick, so it was perfectly fitting to enjoy it on our most special day. We then spent the rest of our evening snuggling on the balcony at our hotel, just listening to the waves crash on the shore. I don’t think there was a single thing I would change about this perfect day, start to finish.
A few months later we embarked on our honeymoon…to Disney World! A first for the both of us, and an absolutely incredible experience. So amazing in fact, that we continued a yearly tradition trip ever since. So every year we get to celebrate our anniversary at Disney. Cheers to happily ever after!
