They got engaged at Timber Cove, and sometime that weekend they drove up to Sea Ranch. They stopped at the Lodge for a drink, wandered around, and immediately liked the architecture. They were already looking at venues — wineries were in the mix — but nothing had quite stuck.

Sea Ranch did.

Part of the appeal was that it felt like the opposite of a traditional wedding venue. They didn't want a stuffy event space, and they weren't interested in a barn. They loved being near the water, but weren't looking for a beach wedding either. They wanted the landscape, the architecture, and the feeling of being somewhere distinctly Northern California.

The Lodge checked all the boxes.

Her cousin, who is particularly into architecture, came along for part of the process and was equally sold. And the more they learned about the area, the more interesting it became. Sea Ranch has been evolving quite a bit in recent years, with new infrastructure and nearby cabins being brought into the mix, but the architecture and landscape that make the place feel so singular are still very much the point.

Their wedding will unfold mostly outside. The ceremony will take place near the barn in the late afternoon, followed by cocktails and dinner in the open field beside the Lodge. They'll stay outside through sunset and into the evening, with an after-party stretching later into the night.

Which is exactly what they wanted: the coast, the architecture, the open air — without turning it into a “beach wedding.”