intimate wedding at the pearl hotel in san diego

Kyle + Kate.

The Pearl Hotel Wedding

These Midwesterners planned a small, minimalist, fun wedding with bright florals and synchronized swimmers (!!!)

They've been together for 6 years and consider themselves two peas in a pod. They live in Minnesota but with a sister in San Diego, visit the West Coast often. A couple years before their wedding, they decided to get away from the cold and made a trip out to San Diego, staying at The Pearl Hotel. The Pearl had recently renovated and Kyle + Kate loved the look of it all with the Mid-Century touches, neutral color palette and overall cool vibe.

From the beginning Kate told us they didn't want a big wedding. She didn't want all the fuss. They planned for 50 guests, their family and closest friends only, and wanted it to be a laid back, fun day. With a majority of them being from out of town, they booked out the hotel (we love when couples do that, see another wedding that did that here) and it felt like a dorm with all their friends popping in out of rooms, family watching football in one room, and their 7 year old just making the rounds.

Six months before their wedding we got an email update from them saying they booked the Aqualillies, a synchronized swimming group, to perform during cocktail hour. Hey, planning a small wedding doesn't mean you can't be extra! They were a surprise for the guests but when we arrived they were out in the pool already practicing, "they rent out the pool to practice" was the excuse and no one thought anything of it.

Kate's girlfriends helped her get dressed while Kyle got ready with his son. They did their first look in their suite and afterwards we made the rounds around the property for more photos. 30 minutes before the ceremony started everyone slowly came out of their rooms, no longer in sweats but dressed so fashionably, getting drinks at the bar with continued lively conversation.

Later when the sun was long gone, the dance floor opened up, shoes kicked off, and the pool party was just beginning. First it was only one, then once Kyle + Kate jumped in EVERY ONE jumped in. Late night snacks of hamburgers and fries were served and it made for a perfect ending to the night.

Kyle + Kate sure know how to throw a wedding.