La Cuesta Ranch wedding, San Luis Obispo photographer

A La Cuesta Ranch wedding in San Luis Obispo is the quintessential SLO wedding. The old barn, the rolling hills, the location, ALL of it, totally San Luis Obispo. What made it special for Sierra and Krishna, was that she grew up on the other side of the hill.

la cuesta ranch wedding, san luis obispo, ca — la cuesta ranch, bride and groom, wedding, san luis obispo, higuera ranch, ranch wedding

As we have entered this new decade, I sat down to do a few blog posts … and though back on my favorite weddings during the past year. While SO many of them are special for their own individual reasons, Sierra and Krishan’s rose to the top, for one simple pure characteristic: L O V E

My dear friend, Colleen Rosenthal, referred me this wedding. Colleen is an insanely talented and accomplished wedding photographer, and for her to trust me with such a close family friend, was a pure honor. She warned me, this wedding will be unlike any you have ever shot!!!! She was on point. After 20 years in the industry, I still do not assume to have experienced everything there is to encounter at weddings, every.single.one. is very special.

The L O V E on their day was paramount. The vibe in the air was unmistakably peaceful. Sierra walked down the aisle by both of her parents, meeting Krishna and his parents at the end of the aisle, and joined by the biggest GROUP HUG and tears, one could imagine.

At the end of their day, I kept thinking, “I want my family to be like that!!!!” It was that loving, that peaceful and joy filled. It’s almost hard for me to put my finger on the perfect description, hopefully you can see it in the photos!

The one spot Sierra desperately wanted to work into our sunset images was the lone oak, where she and Krishna were engaged (for the second time!!) Her family home overlooks this particular tree, and she’s spent her entire life watching it grow.

If I told you the adventure of getting to this lone oak, you probably won’t believe me. Firstly, we shot on the hilltop. After that, we went to descend to the hill to this special spot, and got stuck! Literally we were 15 minutes from their wedding reception site, back in the hills, seriously the middle of nowhere. Thank the good Lord Gabe (one of the ranch owners) had his phone with reception and was able to get us a ride in a different vehicle. This was a first time getting stuck with a bride and groom, but we made good use of the time!!!

About La Cuesta Ranch

La Cuesta Ranch is a rustic wedding venue based in San Luis Obispo, California. With a stunning landscape and rolling hills, this venue features a quaint old barn with large wooden doors for the unique, farm-style couple that desires a cozy, ranch-style wedding! This space offers impeccable service and a welcoming atmosphere.

Facilities and Capacity
La Cuesta Ranch can accommodate up to 500 wedding guests. With a charming, large wooden barn, this venue space features giant surrounding trees along the premises to hang delicate lights for an added glow. It also adds a hint of privacy and shade. They also hold expansive grassy lawns for outdoor receptions with the barn as a lovely backdrop. La Cuesta Ranch wedding, San Luis Obispo photographer

From the bride and groom ….

You spend the better part of a year planning your wedding…and then before you know it, it’s gone in a flash. You wake up on a Sunday and realize that the last 48 hours have been a blur. Having a great photographer lets you remember and savor all of those special moments even months later, when everything has turned into an amorphous, happy blob in your memory. Allyson Magda is that photographer. Allyson was such a joy to work with, and made the whole process so much fun. She came highly recommended by a family friend who’s a wedding photographer and it’s clear why Allyson was the person we “had” to work with (we may or may not have arranged our wedding day while keeping her availability in mind). Her portraits are phenomenal, her candids were beautiful, her aesthetic and framing impeccable.

We got so many incredible photos from our wedding celebration. Every time we look back through them, we relive the incredible joy of the day. She’s also just a blast to spend time with. We both had so much fun taking our portraits with her before and after the wedding ceremony, and she was completely unobtrusive during the wedding ceremony (which was very important to us).

Allyson made it feel easy instead of stiff or staged, and was truly a master of lighting. Allyson’s formal training in art and decades of experience are clear. If you want to work with someone with world-class talent and reliability, work with Allyson!