Wedding at the Switzer Farm in Westport, California

Megan and James was held at one of the most private venues on the Mendocino Coast. Perfect for their small and intimate wedding.

Intimate Outdoor Wedding Inspiration

“I had always imagined getting married outside, but both James and I did not want our wedding to be a huge spectacle. We wanted it to be an intimate outdoor weekend long party with our closest friends and family (30 in total).”

'‘I wanted the wedding to be bohemian, DIY, while still being semi-formal. We also wanted to incorporate aspects from both of our home states, New York and California. Working in the design and illustration field, detail is very important to me, so we incorporated small things with special meanings, like a tattoo station will special illustrations, signature cocktails inspired by our two dogs, willow from Santa Cruz laid across the tables, home state corn hole boards, beer made by our guests and from the brewery my brother works at, it's- it's for dessert, etc.”

Switzer Farm Mendocino Wedding

“Growing up in Santa Cruz, CA, I knew I wanted to get married by the ocean in California. Currently living in New York City, we wanted to get away from the busy city and be surrounded by nature. We looked along the coast of California, from Big Sur to Mendocino, and once we found Switzer Farm, we knew we had found the perfect venue for us and booked the only available weekend left for 2019 without even seeing it in person. 

“The house is absolutely stunning and had everything you could ever need for an outdoor intimate three day wedding weekend and checked all the boxes on our list. The property has multiple outdoor areas overlooking the ocean and forest for all of our events, welcome drinks, ceremony, reception, and farewell brunch. And it was important to us that our family and bridal party were able to stay at the venue and that all guests could walk from their hotels to the venue. “

Handmade Wedding Dress

“This was actually my second dress after having major dress regret. My original dress had a crochet top, but a tulle bottom. I put that dress on 3 months before my wedding and knew that it was not me. I am not a tulle princess, I have a very bohemian style and needed a dress that fit my personality. I had been eyeing a dress designer on Etsy, Trista Smith of Reclamation, and knew that she was the one who needed to design and make my dress. I reached out to her and she was able to make my dress in a month! Trista was amazing to work with. She sends you photos of vintage lace and crochet and you work with her to create your dream dress, and this was my dream dress. “

Favorite Wedding Moment

For both James and I, it was walking down to the cliffs and watching the sunset over the water with our guests as a married couple. It was a beautiful moment on a beautiful day. 

Wedding Tattoo Station

“When I throw parties, I kind of go all out. I have a few tattoos and wanted to give my guests the opportunity to have one for themselves.  I illustrated, designed, and printed all the tattoos in my NYC apartment and each tattoo has a special meaning. We had the state flower from both of our home states, Rose for New York and Poppy for California. I have a luna moth tattoo, so I made one available for our guests and also included a monarch, which migrates through Santa Cruz, CA, my hometown. I had to include our dogs, whose nicknames are Sheevashark and Nemobutt. And I thought how fun would it be to have our faces as tattoos!”

Vendor Dream Team:

Photograher: Joshua Grant Rose // Venue: Switzer Farm / Florals: Windy Hollow Farm // Caterer: Wylder Space // DJ: Bart from Moments to Memories // Vintage Camper Photo Booth: Penny and Co.