A San Clemente Micro Wedding at La Ventura Event Center

Portraits Through the La Ventura Courtyard

Family portraits ran all through the courtyard afterward — the arches, the olive and fern greenery, the red-tile corridor and the carved doors giving them enough settings to move everyone through groupings without anyone walking far. La Ventura sits near San Clemente's sandstone cliffs, so Ziya and Eric slipped away on their own out on the coast, tucking into a narrow slot in the tan sandstone with the walls rising smooth on both sides, her blush skirt bright against the stone and Eric's navy suit beside it.

Back at the venue the courtyard had turned over while the portraits ran. The Bloom of Time had dressed the tables, the light was starting to warm, and by the time the couple came back in, the room was ready for the evening.

Dinner and Dancing at La Ventura, a San Clemente Wedding Reception

As the light went, the courtyard came alive for the evening. A sheer white drape hung behind the sweetheart table, threaded with warm fairy lights and flanked by wrought-iron candle sconces, and string lights ran overhead. The two-tier cake stood in textured white buttercream, dressed with a coral dahlia, pink ranunculus, rust amaranth and greenery, set on a wide wreath of blush and cream roses. A seated dinner got underway, everyone with the time to actually talk.

The toasts came from the people closest to them, one bridesmaid in rust satin reading from a folded page while Ziya wiped her eyes at the table, and then the first dance pulled Ziya and Eric back to the middle of the room. From there the floor opened up and stayed busy, guests in navy and terracotta dancing under the lights, one groomsman throwing his arms overhead mid-song. They cut the cake, and the night ran late in the warm courtyard, unhurried at the table and alive on the floor.