Oh how we love weddings the Belmond El Encanto. The venue is beautiful, and the view from the terrace just can’t be beat! The week leading up there was a 95% change of rain! We all watched the weather and prayed for sunshine, and sure enough, the percent went down and it did not rain on their wedding at all!! The the second we arrived and saw the clear view of the Santa Barbara (you could even see the islands) and the decor of this all white wedding, we knew it was going to be an incredible day! They had a dreamy color palate of all whites and a hint of green, which was the perfect way to highlight the Belmond El Encanto’s beauty! And we had an amazing team of vendors (listed at the end of the blog post), which made the day even better!

Clay and Liz are truly head over heels for each other, and the best of friends! Liz is absolutely stunning, and she is a calm and peaceful woman. When things are great she will celebrate you well, and when things are going crazy, she is definitely the woman you want nearby! Clay is charming and romantic, and he is so in love with his wife! He couldn’t stop telling everyone how beautiful his wife is! During the first look, he kept saying how he couldn’t believe that she was going to be his wife and kept telling everyone around to look at how beautiful she is. And then he did the same at the reception at the beginning of their thank you toast.  Seeing Clay’s love and admiration for his wife was one of our favorite things about their wedding day!

The girls got ready in a suite that overlooks the lily pond, which is where the ceremony took place. Liz is surrounded by such amazing women, and it made the getting ready part of the day so easy! While Jess was photographing the girls, James was with the guys, and Clay gave his groomsmen the coolest gift! He gave them cufflinks, a bottle of Hillrock Solera Adged Burbon Whiskey, and a cigar. And then they all cheers-ed with Old Fashioneds before the first look.  As soon as Liz was in her dress, Jess walked her over for the first look. It was so special to watch their first look reaction on the staircase. Liz said she wanted it to be romantic and like Cinderella, so she descended the staircase and then tapped Clay on the shoulder. It was so romantic, and his reaction is priceless! He couldn’t believe his eyes and couldn’t stop staring at her! But we don’t blame him, she is gorgeous!!  After they had a moment together, he turned to everyone around and said “isn’t she beautiful?! That’s my WIFE!!” Oh how we love couples who are madly in love!

As soon as guests arrived, they were greeted with champagne. We’ve said this before, but we absolutely love when this happens at weddings, because it is a clear sign to your guests that it’s time to start celebrating! They had a beautiful ceremony led by John Ireland and we loved their personal vows too! As soon as the ceremony was over we finished up family photos and headed to the pool for the epic El Encanto pool photo. You know what photo we’re talking about, right?? Then they got to join their guests for cocktail hour, which was on the Channel Islands Terrace and has an incredible view of Santa Barbara. It’s the same terrace where the brunch wedding took place last month. After a few drinks and a beautiful sunset, everyone headed down to the ballroom for the reception, which was perfectly set up for a classy and elegant celebration! Their speeches brought us to tears, and the guests celebrated and danced the night away. And Liz wowed us all with her beauty and class as she switched into a Hayley Paige gown halfway though the night.

We could go on and on about how much we love this couple and how much fun we had at their wedding, but we’ll end with this. Four years ago, Clay wrote a letter to Liz and put it in a bottle covered in sand and told her to keep it safe. She has had it in their home for 4 years and had no idea that this note was in it all along. Clay knew he was going to marry her years and years ago, and wrote her this letter for her to read on their wedding day:

“Dear Elizabeth, if you are reading this, then you already know. We are getting married! I am so thrilled and this is something I’ve been waiting for, for a long time. Now that we are going to be together as long as we are alive, I must say that I got the better end of the stick,. I can’t wait for what life brings us and spending it with you just seems unreal. I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else nor what I want to. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met, and have the sweetest heart anyone could have. I truly am the luckiest man alive to have a woman like you on my side. When great things happen I want to call you. When bad things happen I want to call you. No matter what life throws at me or us, as long as I have you on my side I can do anything. Knowing you has made me the best person I can be. I love you with all my heart and I can’t wait to grow old and gray with you. Getting fat and wrinkled, watching reruns of shows kids make fun of, and after all that, you will still be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I love you Elizabeth Marie Alcorn and always well, till the day I die.”

Location: Belmond El Encanto
Coordination: Wedding Kate
Florals: CocoRose
Hair/makeup: Cheek to Cheek Artistry
Photos: James & Jess
DJ: Gavin Roy
Ceremony & Cocktail music: SB String Quartet
Rentals: Party Pleasers & My Lovely Events
Paper: Lazy Creatives Designs
Linens: La Tavola
Bride Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bride Dress: Hayley Paige and a custom dress