West Coast Intimate Wedding at Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga, CA | Camille & Nilsen

Inn of the Seventh Ray | Palihouse Santa Monica | Topanga, California

If you’re planning a West Coast intimate wedding and searching for inspiration in Southern California, Camille and Nilsen’s celebration in Topanga Canyon is the perfect example of how to blend natural beauty, thoughtful design, and meaningful details.

From a relaxed getting ready morning in Santa Monica to a candlelit reception tucked beneath the trees in Topanga, this wedding embraced everything couples love about intimate California weddings, organic settings, curated design, and genuine connection.

From a slow morning getting ready with their closest friends and family at Palihouse Santa Monica to a candlelit ceremony tucked beneath the trees at Inn of the Seventh Ray, every detail reflected who they are, thoughtful, creative, and intentional.

Getting Ready at Palihouse Santa Monica

The day began on the coast in Santa Monica, where Camille and Nilsen got ready surrounded by their closest friends and family. Originally built in the 1920s, Palihouse Santa Monica began as a Mediterranean Revival apartment building before being thoughtfully restored into the boutique hotel it is today. The building’s history and charm create a setting that feels layered and storied, making it an especially meaningful place to begin a wedding day rooted in intimacy and intention.

The day began in the most relaxed way, sunlight pouring through the windows at Palihouse, music playing softly, and their closest people gathered around them. There was no rush, no chaos, just champagne, laughter, and the quiet anticipation of what was to come.

Camille slipped into her dress surrounded by her best friends, while Nilsen shared a slow, meaningful morning with family. The energy was calm and grounding, exactly what an intimate wedding morning should feel like.

Before the canyon ceremony and candlelit dinner, Camille and Nilsen chose to slow the day down with a private first look at Palihouse Santa Monica. Taking time for portraits immediately after their first look allowed them to settle into the day together.

Instead of squeezing photos into the reception timeline, they wandered the halls of Palihouse, letting the vintage interiors and warm textures frame quiet moments of connection. The result wasn’t just beautiful imagery, it was space to feel grounded. Space to remember that before the guests, before the vows, before the celebration, it was simply them.

A Topanga Ceremony Beneath the Trees

Intimate Wedding Ceremony at Inn of the Seventh Ray

Nestled in the heart of Topanga Canyon, Inn of the Seventh Ray is one of Southern California’s most iconic intimate wedding venues. Surrounded by trees, twinkle lights, and the soft sound of a flowing creek, the setting perfectly captures the organic romance couples envision for a West Coast outdoor wedding.

Camille and Nilsen chose to keep their guest list small, allowing the day to feel deeply personal and emotionally present. With fewer guests, every moment carried weight, longer embraces, meaningful toasts, and a dinner that felt more like a candlelit gathering than a traditional reception.

Topanga has a way of feeling both coastal and woodland at the same time, earthy, romantic, and slightly wild. Inn of the Seventh Ray, nestled in the canyon, provided the dreamiest backdrop. Twinkle lights hung above long wooden tables, the creek softly running nearby, and candlelight warming every corner.

But what made the day unforgettable weren’t just the surroundings , it was the intention behind every detail.

Thrifted, Handmade, and Deeply Personal

Camille and Nilsen didn’t just “plan” a wedding, they curated it.

They spent months thrifting the perfect décor pieces: layered vintage rugs for the ceremony aisle, eclectic candle holders, textured linens, and small found objects that felt like treasures. Nothing felt mass-produced. Nothing felt generic.

Nilsen handmade their invitations, Camille designed custom matchbooks, and carefully sourced pieces that told their story. The design felt collected rather than styled, romantic without trying too hard. Every element had meaning.

What truly set this West Coast intimate wedding apart was the design.

Camille and Nilsen intentionally curated their décor by thrifting meaningful pieces and creating handmade elements throughout the planning process. Their approach is a beautiful example of how intimate weddings allow couples to prioritize personalization over scale.

Instead of ordering everything new, they built a design that felt layered, nostalgic, and storydriven, a growing trend among couples planning sustainable and design forward California weddings. Topanga offers a rare combination of California ease and natural romance. Venues like Inn of the Seventh Ray allow couples to lean into outdoor nature forward ceremonies and organic, textural design.

For couples who love vintage touches, handmade elements, and meaningful gatherings, Topanga is the perfect setting.

One of the most charming touches of the evening was the vintage inspired Moon Photo Booth,

Which felt perfectly at home beneath the twinkle lights at Inn of the Seventh Ray. Designed to resemble an old heirloom camera setup, it added both nostalgia and whimsy to the reception. Guests slipped in throughout the night, capturing keepsakes that felt timeless rather than trendy.

An Intimate Celebration Focused on Connection

With a smaller guest list, the entire day felt intentional. Every guest was someone who truly knew them. The hugs were longer. The toasts were more emotional. The laughter felt fuller.

They shared dinner beneath the trees, clinked glasses under string lights, and moved seamlessly into a night of dancing that felt more like a dinner party with your favorite people than a traditional wedding reception.

Planning a West Coast Intimate Wedding in Southern California?

If you’re dreaming of:

• A Topanga Canyon wedding
• A Santa Monica wedding weekend
• An outdoor Southern California ceremony
• A handcrafted, design forward celebration

Let Camille and Nilsen’s day inspire you to lean into what feels most personal.

West Coast intimate weddings aren’t about scale, they’re about atmosphere, connection, and thoughtful details. And when set against the natural beauty of California’s coast and canyons, the result is effortlessly romantic.

If you’re dreaming of an intimate West Coast wedding filled with personal touches, thrifted finds, and the people who matter most, this is your sign to make it uniquely yours.

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Vendors

Planning & Coordination: @sparklingsoirees @sparklingsoirees_carly
Bride & Design: @camillelenore
Photography : @ardentandelmphoto
Content/video: @mollyalison
Venue & Catering: @innoftheseventhray
Venue Coordinator: @salt_and_sparrow
Photo Booth: @papermoonshoppe
Florist: @wellcraftedflowers
Printed signage: @discopeachdesign
Hotel: @palisociety