Madonna Inn Wedding Photos: A Whimsical Springtime Fairytale

Weddings at the Madonna Inn are always so storybook, romantic and so much fun. This classic 1950s hotel and California destination wedding venue is an iconic landmark in San Luis Obispo, CA. known for its unique and trendy decor, it’s retro vibe, and it’s timeless ambience. If your a couple that loves an out of the box wedding vibe, enjoys whimsical and quirky things, or just wants an affordable wedding venue with all inclusive services, this is a great venue for you. Couples have been coming from all over the world to get married at the Madonna so many years, and the staff really knows how to do a wedding right.

From their excellent wedding catering to their adorable pink wedding cakes, guests will enjoy a wedding weekend full of delight. Not only is the hotel itself a ton of fun for your wedding guests to explore, they also have all of San Luis Obispo at their fingertips. I have shot so many weddings at the Madonna Inn over the years, but this secret garden wedding is absolutely one of my favorites because of the colors and overflowing florals done by Lilies of The Field– I don’t know if I have ever seen such beautiful flowers at a wedding before!

The Secret Garden is The Perfect Fairytale Wedding Location

The Madonna Inn Secret Garden isn’t known to everyone (hence it being a secret), but in my opinion, it’s the best place to have your wedding at The Madonna because it is so beautiful and full of flowers, and it feels like stepping into a fairytale dream. It’s the perfect setting for a garden wedding in SLO with whimsical paths, stone statuary, and tranquil pond, and a built in arbor. Alison and Gabriel chose a color palette straight out of a fairytale and the flowers were just absolutely the stuff of fantasy. As a huge fan of pastels, they absolutely blew my photographers mind and made me SWOON.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many peonies, ranunculus and wildflowers all in one place, especially in a pastel color palette as gorgeous as this. If you’re looking for inspiration for a whimsical pastel spring time wedding, this is your absolute dream come true. Decorating the arbor in flowers were such a brilliant move, and it made it feel like you were stepping into another world. The ceremonies at the Secret Garden are so peaceful, situated right in the middle of so much nature, and the sound of birds you can ask for a prettier setting to say your wedding vows.

Friends and Family Are What Really Matters on Your Wedding Day

Gabriel and Allison met when they both worked at Disneyland. Needless to say, their guests and friends were all of a really fun, sweet and kind disposition-just like them. It is definitely a group of people that truly believes in happily ever after, and isn’t afraid to be themselves and have fun.

Allison chose to get ready in a nearby Airbnb with her bridesmaids, and there were so many sweet moments between her and her girl tribe and her parents. I captured an adorable moment so full of happy tears between Allison and her father when he saw her in her wedding dress for the first time- first looks with the FOB are my favorite! After the gals were ready, we all headed over to the Secret Garden where she did a first look with Gabriel. They were able to do all their family pictures before the ceremony which allowed them to go to their cocktail hour, always a great perk of doing a first look. Their ceremony was so full of love and emotion that it definitely was hard to keep from crying myself!

Sunset Pictures On Madonna Mountain at Golden Hour

After the ceremony, the bride and groom joined their cocktail hour in the Madonna Secret Garden, and enjoyed some of the delicious wedding food that the Madonna Inn is world renowned for. They made their grand entrance onto the dance floor, after which they sat down to dinner, and we snuck out together for some sunset photos right as the sun went down.

There is a beautiful area right on the back of the Madonna Inn where you can look out over the San Luis Obispo mountains and the sun sets at the perfect angle for some gorgeous golden hour photos. They laughed and twirled and danced together and made more fun memories from their day taking photos- and then they rejoined their guests on the dance floor and partied the night away for what was a beautiful and intimate Madonna Inn wedding, perfectly fitting for a bride and groom that love fairytales themselves.