Happy Real Weddings Wednesdays, everyone! We have a gorgeous wedding right on time for you today, so grab a snack, kick back, and relax! Today, we’re celebrating the beautiful beach ceremony of Andrea + Shawn. With stunning beach photos, first looks, and more, this is one wedding you won’t want to miss. Make sure to keep scrolling so you can read about the couples’ experience planning their special day, and so you can see more amazing photos from Hayley Culp Photography.

Signage.

Bride looking at her wedding dress.

Bride and her bridesmaids posing together for the camera.

Groom and his groomsmen posing for the camera.

Bride and groom touching foreheads after their first look in Carmel.

Bride and groom walking on the sand together after their first look.

Bride posing on the beach after doing their first look at Carmel.

Bride and groom walking in front of their wedding party.

Bride and groom walking along the water.

Tell us a little about you and your beloved.

Shawn and I met on June 13, 2012 while out celebrating my best friend/Maid of Honor’s birthday. February of 2013 we started officially dating. We were both so young that at the time our priorities were to build a strong foundation in our relationship, integrate Shawn into being a bonus dad, travel, and eventually buy a house which we did in 2019. We had a trip to Monterey planned in June 2021. Shawn had found a company at the time who would set up luxury picnics on the beach, so I walked up to a beautiful set up and the perfect proposal. It was the easiest ‘yes!’. We spent the following day doing the 17-mile drive, and walking around Carmel. It was then that we decided that Carmel was a place we held so special to our heart so we wanted to share that with our friends and family.

Wedding arch on the beach at Carmel, California.

Bride and groom holding hands at the altar.

Groom dipping his bride after they say "I do" in Carmel, California.

Photo of the reception venue.

What was the best part of your day?

So many parts! Our first look had so many (excited) nerves going in, having that moment to ourselves was something so special and pure. Our vows to one another had us laughing and crying; having a special moment dancing with my teenage son; seeing friends and family come from afar to celebrate was something we could have never imagined; our signature cocktails were named after our dogs; the signage that came with it. The Photo Booth was a total hit, and we got the copies sent to our emails so we laughed looking back at those. We spent the whole night on the dance floor, you could not pry us off, it was the most epic night we could have dreamt of.

Bride hugging her groom from behind.

Bride and groom walking back to the reception venue from the beach.

What else would you like to share about your big day?

Our bridal party surprised us after our cake cutting to start off the night of dancing, coming out to “Who Let The Dogs Out” holding cut-outs of our dogs’ faces. We couldn’t stop laughing and loved looking back at our dance photos with our dogs in them.

Bride and groom doing their first dance.

Bride and groom sitting together at their sweetheart table during speeches.

The newlyweds sharing a drink together at the bar.

Advice from the couple:

Make choices based off what you want, not what social media influences. Take it all in, it goes by so fast! And let the little things go, it will all turn out beautifully.

The wedding party posing for a photo at the reception venue.

Anything you would have done differently?

Absolutely nothing.

Bride and groom hugging from behind and walking away from their recpetion.

Photos courtesy of and copyright Hayley Culp Photography used with permission.

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