Santa Barbara Getaway

Sorry to be MIA yesterday. We took another 3 day weekend to head down to Santa Barbara for my cousin's wedding on Sunday. It was a gorgeous day and an equally beautiful ceremony with lots of fun touches that were perfectly the bride and groom. Here's to a lifetime of happiness, Cat and Justin!

Their wedding venue was so spectacular that I just had to share. The bride and groom got married and held the reception at the same place, Elling's Park. It is the largest privately funded park in the U.S. (according to the website), and the huge site encompasses two baseball diamonds, a dog park, and a BMX race track. Their wedding was held on a peak at the top of the park overlooking all of Santa Barbara. The panoramic, 360 degree views were simply breathtaking; you could see the ocean on two sides, downtown Santa Barbara right below the ceremony site, and the mountains that cradle Santa Barbara were at eye level.

Of course, I forgot my camera. (We were running late.) But thankfully the website has some beautiful pics I can share with you all.

The weather cooperated (even though it was raining as we left town and foggy when we rolled into SB), so thankfully no tents were needed. Instead, we played bocce ball on this grassy knoll, where the food and libations were also set up.

Cool wedding idea: My cousin and her groom had their favorite wineries and brewery on hand to offer tastings throughout the night. Since the cocktail hour is always their favorite part of weddings, they also decided to food set up immediately after the ceremony so that people could mingle and graze throughout the evening.

We ate under these stately oaks overlooking the sea and the hills.

Once the sun set, this area was turned into a dance floor. My family dominated the dance floor; we sure know how to get our groove on!

It was a sweet way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and if you are ever in Santa Barbara, go check out Elling's Park. It would be the perfect spot for a hike and a picnic lunch.