Cypress Sea Cove Wedding in Malibu
Malibu Wedding at Cypress Sea Cove
Austin & Lauren were one of the first weddings I booked for 2018 and it could not have set the tone for my year any better. These two are the kind of people that become your instant friends. We met up at a local cafe for a consultation but ended up staying for close to two hours just talking anything and everything. That’s how you know it’s going to be good. Lauren is one of the most uplifting people, someone who would cheerlead on even a stranger, and Austin is so kind and you can see the complete adoration he has for her- even 9 years into dating her. It’s no wonder they were meant to be.
Austin & Lauren had a vision for a beach wedding held in Malibu overlooking the ocean. They chose Cypress Sea Cove as their wedding venue and it was perfect. I had never heard of it before this wedding, but one look at those sweeping ocean views and I instantly fell in love with this wedding venue. The best little secret is it has a steep, winding staircase that goes down to the beach where we got the most incredibly romantic photos of the bride and groom at sunset. Read on to see more from Austin & Lauren’s wedding at Cypress Sea Cove in Malibu…
How the Bride & Groom met...
From the bride: We met in high school, sophomore year in the business academy. We both joined an academy which meant we had the same classes and teachers during our sophomore, junior and senior year. It wasn’t until senior year that we started to become closer in our friendship as well as trying to pursue something more serious. Austin pursued me while I was more skeptical because he ALWAYS flirted with me and I didn’t think he was serious! We went on a senior trip to New York together, and it was on that trip that I realized Austin never left my side and held my hand pretty much every day. We acted very coupley on that trip and when we came home we decided to commit to each other on our graduation day which was June 16th, 2010!
We were together for 8 years before engagement. I think because we met so young, we needed those 8 years to not only grow together but to figure out our future goals and have a career path set.
How he proposed...
From the bride: Austin proposed the night AFTER our 8 year anniversary. We went to our favorite ever restaurant El Cholo! If he was going to propose, I thought he would have asked me there and had my family there to surprise us. But to my surprise, it didn’t happen so I figured “not this year”. Getting a proposal was heavily on my mind around this time because I was SO ready! We drove back home, which at the time was my parents guest house, and no one was home because everyone had their plans. The light in the garage was on, and I was so freaked out because it was strange that the gate was open and the light was on. Austin acted protective and made me wait behind the gate so he could make sure everything was okay and no one snuck in our backyard! He started to kind of giggle almost? And asked me to come in the backyard, I really had no idea what I was walking into.
Long story short: I had a very real feeling that my little sister bought a duck and had it in the garage. (That’s a whole other story! Lol) but anyway, when I went in the backyard there was a path of rose petals leading to a huge heart made up of petals and candles! Austin was standing in the center and I just knew. I could barely walk, and I remember Austin had to tell me to put my purse down because I was so nervous!! When I got to the center of the heart with him, he had the sweetest speech prepared and I remember I could barely breathe as I was trying to memorize every single detail of the moment!! After he proposed we hugged, and suddenly my entire family came out of the house to surprise me with the most lovely engagement party. It was perfect. (Better than having done it at the restaurant!)
What was the inspiration behind your wedding day?
From the bride: Austin and I would go to the beach so often in our first four or five years together, before he got his career started. He had a GoPro and loved to take pictures inside of the ocean waves. So I would tag along and tan on the beach. Haha, we loved the beach and I feel like it was always our spot.
How did you decide on Cypress Sea Cove as your wedding venue?
From the bride: We knew from the moment we saw Cypress Sea Cove, that this was it!! Every other beach wedding venue or location felt very public. Austin and I are very private and wanted to have a very intimate wedding for us and our guests. I don’t care to have too much attention and Austin REALLY doesn’t like attention, so it made perfect sense for us to pick a venue that was secluded from onlookers and beach goers and Cypress Sea Cove was just that!
What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?
From the bride: My favorite moment from our wedding day had to have been the first look. The moment we locked eyes, every stress I had just floated away. I felt very still and at peace. I think it was the first moment of the day where I truly took a breath! A very close second was after we walked back up the aisle as husband and wife, we took a few moments alone in the bridal suite. We could not stop smiling and laughing and kissing! (And crying) ! We didn’t need to share a lot of words, but we couldn’t stop looking at each other. It was very special.
What is your favorite thing about each other?
From the bride: My favorite thing about Austin is his heart. It is pure and BIG. I love the way he thinks about the world and about love and how he truly and deeply cares for those closest to him. I feel lucky to be loved by him because he does it so well! He puts people in his life above himself often and I feel like we balance each other out because there are those times that I have to force him to put himself first! But every time I do it, it reminds me why I love him so much. I feel honored and proud to be with a man like Austin. And there is a close second favorite thing and that is his drive. He has such a thirst for things that interest him and it’s so attractive to watch him learn new things. He wants to learn how to do many things and instead of hiring help he is always wanting to learn how to do it himself! I feel very taken care of when I watch Austin trying to better himself which will ultimately better our future children. He will have lots to teach them! :)
From the groom: It’s hard to decide on just one thing I love most about Lauren. She’s incredibly happy and positive, even when she frustrated and mad. She’s sooooo caring. It’s unbelievable how patient and understanding she is too. It’s hard to put a finger on one thing I love about her for those reasons. But I think the closest answer I can give you is this: Whenever I’m gone for too long, whether that’s a few seconds, hours, or days....there’s always a moment where I literally can’t see where I would be in life without her. That time doesn’t exist! Life wouldn’t make sense to me! And whenever I think about missing her, I think about how lucky I am that I get to call Lauren my wife for the rest of my life. I get to start a family with her and grow old with her. It might sound cliche but I guess my favorite thing about Lauren is how much she makes me miss her. She doesn’t know it either. I just know that when I miss her, all I want is to be with her and love her and kiss her and hold her. I love that woman endlessly. That’s what I love most about her! :)
Any advice for brides planning their wedding day?
From the bride: Start wedding planning early (annoyingly early) and do it in sections!! I found that I bounced around so much, but it was very easy once I focused one task a week that I had to get done! And surround yourself with close friends or family members who have been married or in the industry to help ease your mind. Being able to vent about the stress to loved ones who understand wedding planning was amazing. They were able to reassure me when I needed it. Also, relax and remember that this is fun! Your wedding day is so freaking fun so create a space that is purely meant to be about you and your partner! All we wanted was to show our friends and family exactly who Austin and I are as a couple. We took every chance we got to make our wedding specific to us as a couple.
Wedding Highlight Film
Wedding Video by A Fabled Event
All photos captured by Orange County Wedding Photographer Lovisa Photo. If you liked this Malibu wedding at Cypress Sea Cove, you may also be interested in this intimate wedding in Oahu and this Colony 29 wedding in Palm Springs.
Wedding Vendors:
Wedding Venue: Cypress Sea Cove
Photography: Lovisa Photo
Hair and Makeup: Sara McKenna
Dress: Grace Loves Lace
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu
Videographer: A Fabled Event
DJ: Invisible Touch Events
Wedding Invitations: Zazzle
