Shauna and Jon’s ceremony unfolded on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, with the sun dropping toward the horizon as they exchanged vows. By the time their Jewish ceremony ended, the sun had set completely. Family heirlooms were incorporated into the ceremony, adding meaningful touches to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel’s oceanfront setting.

The rest of the day shifted between two distinct settings. Outside, Shauna and Jon envisioned something with a rustic, Italian influence. Indoors, they moved into a more formal evening reception. The approach suited a couple who had spent months collecting ideas, figuring out what they liked and, just as importantly, what they didn’t.

What We Love About This Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Wedding:

• A Jewish ceremony held on the oceanfront bluffs at sunset
• Family heirlooms incorporated into the ceremony
• Separate outdoor and indoor design directions
• Custom roll-up backgammon boards in the welcome bags

A Matchmaking Story That Started With Their Moms

Shauna and Jon didn’t meet through an app or by crossing paths at a party. Their introduction came through a mutual friend of their mothers. “She was at Shauna’s parents’ house one night when Shauna was there and told her that she had a nice boy in mind for her,” they shared. “She told my mom, who told me, and the rest is history!”

When it was time to plan their wedding, family remained part of the process. They worked with a planner while also turning to close relatives whose taste they trusted. Mood boards and Instagram posts helped them narrow their ideas over time, giving them examples of both what they wanted to use and what they preferred to leave out.

Two Different Settings for the Ceremony and Reception

Shauna and Jon described the overall direction as “thoughtful, detail oriented, and chic,” but they didn’t want every part of the day to look the same. 

For the outdoor ceremony, they gravitated toward a rustic, Italian-influenced look that suited the coastal surroundings. Once everyone moved indoors, the atmosphere changed to an elegant evening reception.

The location itself had been a major consideration. The ceremony site on the bluffs overlooking the ocean was one of the primary reasons they selected the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

The Sunset Disappeared Just as the Jewish Ceremony Ended

Of all the moments from the day, Shauna and Jon singled out their ceremony as especially memorable. Held outside overlooking the ocean, it coincided almost exactly with sunset. “The sun was setting as it happened and disappeared just as the ceremony ended,” they shared.

They also incorporated family heirlooms into the Jewish ceremony. Against the blufftop setting at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, those family pieces became part of a ceremony already shaped by tradition and an unusually well-timed California sunset.

Venue, Music, and Food Led the Priority List

With a long planning process ahead of them, Shauna and Jon were clear about the areas where they wanted to concentrate their budget: venue, music, and food.

Their planner took the lead in helping them find much of their vendor team, while a few choices came directly from work the couple had already seen and liked. Junebug vendor EFEGE was one of those selections, as was Eli’s Band.

Their wedding weekend also started before the ceremony. The day before, Shauna and Jon rented poolside cabanas and invited their guests to join them for a pool party, giving everyone a chance to spend time together before the formal events began.

Custom Backgammon Boards Made Their Way Into the Welcome Bags

Shauna and Jon put particular effort into what guests received when they arrived. As people who love games, they skipped more conventional welcome bag items in favor of something they would genuinely enjoy themselves: custom roll-up backgammon boards printed with their monogram. It was a specific, useful detail that guests could take home after the weekend, tucked into welcome bags the couple had spent considerable time assembling.

Their advice for other couples comes from that same willingness to stay involved throughout a long planning process. “It is a long planning process, but stay together and make it what you love,” they shared. “The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.”