Point Pinos Lighthouse

Wedding Ceremony

Reception

Swan Song Ranch

Wedding Celebration

Summer

Our Wedding

Ceremony

Friday&nbsp;6.20.2025&nbsp;&nbsp;4pm80 Asilomar Ave, Pacific Grove, CA WeatherCoastal weather can vary so please bring extra layers to wear. It could be foggy &amp; cool, or sunny &amp; warm (we’re hoping), or possibly windy. The weather can also change drastically from moment to moment. Attire Dressy causalWe want our friends &amp; family to be comfortable for our outdoor ceremony on the lawn, and therefore to wear what your definition of “dressing up” is. Since we will not be having bridesmaids/groomsmen, please don’t hesitate to wear any color you’d like. ParkingA parking lot for lighthouse visitors is available on the lighthouse grounds. Enter through the driveway under the archway “United States Coast Guard Point Pinos.” The parking area is well-maintained dirt. PetsPer lighthouse regulations, pets are not allowed. (Sorry, our 4 pets will not be making their star appearance)

RECEPTION

Friday 6.20.2025 following ceremony7985 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel, CA Travel time will be approx. 30 min from the lighthouse to the ranch, depending on traffic DirectionsLook for colorful giant pinwheels on Carmel Valley Rd to mark the driveway you’ll be turning into After crossing the street gate at Carmel Valley Rd, drive straight up the road and look for the overhead sign&nbsp;Swang Song Ranch WeatherFestivities will be outdoors and it will likely cool off as the sun sets, but there are heat lamps. That extra layer of clothing you brought to the lighthouse might come in handy here. ParkingParking will be on a dirt pasture. Parking attendants will be available. Carpooling encouraged.

Lawn Party

Saturday 6.21.2025 12pm-4pm7985 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel, CA Celebrate our marriage with even more friends and family! WeatherThe ranch is inland from the coast and Carmel Valley is typically sunny &amp; warm in June, but it can also get hot. Not a bad idea to pack an extra layer, however, in case the morning fog lingers longer than usual. AttireSummer casual. Some may opt to wear the same attire from Friday’s ceremony, while others may opt for something else. ParkingParking will be on a dirt pasture. Parking attendants will be available. Carpooling encouraged. AnimalsThe ranch is home to numerous farm animals! As a result, pets are not allowed. The ranch animals are not allowed to be fed or petted without accompaniment by an agent of the ranch.

Directions

The CeremonyPoint Pinos Lighthouse is on the point of the Monterey Peninsula. It can take time to get to as the Peninsula has two roads in/out - one through downtown Monterey and the other off HWY 1 atop the ridge between Monterey and Carmel. Plan to give yourself extra time to get to the lighthouse, and if you get there early enjoy the nearby coastline - if is clear you could likely whale watch while waiting!

To get to Swan Song Ranch will take you 25-30 minutes, possibly more if traffic gets backed up into Carmel. be patient and take your time. Once you get onto Carmel Valley road it will be smooth sailing! We have included images below of the gates and pinwheels we will have out to help you find your turn as well as a detailed map that shows you where to park at the ranch. A quick reminder - please carpool to the ceremony and to the reception if possible.

Helpful Info

&nbsp;Chapter one: The meeting&nbsp;We both had been trying online dating and we both had the experience that pretty much everyone we connected with were at least an hour away from Monterey.&nbsp;We had both grown discouraged by un-impressive long distance connections and weird/bad dates. When we realized that we were both in Monterey and the first few emails weren't too weird, we decided to meet.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We met at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, one of both of our favorite beaches, and took a walk on the recently storm damaged coast. We quickly got lost in interesting and meandering conversation. After a nice walk and parting ways, we both seem to have kinda liked each other, and we quickly planned another day out on the coast. Chapter two: Dating&nbsp;&nbsp;Our first “real” date was down Big Sur and out into a big storm with giant waves, wind and rain, we had a nice warm impromptu Italian dinner on our way back through a deserted and rainy Carmel. Our next few adventures were drives north and south along the coastline after more wicked storms that the winter of 2023 is remembered for. We took walks in the rain, watched giant waves, saw snails, rainbows, mushrooms and beautiful stormy sunsets. We still kinda liked each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;Over the next few weeks we met each other's pets, made some great dinners and became quite fond of each other.&nbsp; Chapter three: The big decision queue dramatic scoreInsert a little life chaos; the things that challenge relationships!&nbsp;&nbsp;After the failure of a company that Mica worked for he found a job several hours south of Monterey, and moved out of the house he was renting in Monterey. Our relationship continued to grow and he would spend the work week out of the area, then return on weekends so we could spend time together around Monterey. As he searched for a place to live in/around San Luis Obispo Emily decided she and her pup would take a leap &amp; move in with him and his 3 cats to see how things would go.&nbsp; Chapter four: Growth&nbsp;Although we have many fond memories of our early days meeting, dating, and being outdoors on the Monterey Peninsula, we’ve now been living together in San Luis Obispo for longer than our time in Monterey, where we still consider home. We’re outnumbered by our pets 4:2 (Emily’s dog + Mica’s 3 cats). And our car ratio is 3:2. We were nearly outnumbered by our combined cache of KitchenAid mixers 3:2 but we have since reduced our stash to a single mixer. We are slowly combing through our redundant kitchen gadgets and hardware to find the best for our future adventures together which so often revolve around a good home cooked meal.&nbsp;Over the two years since, we have enjoyed traveling to places like Santa Barbara, Kauai, Sequoia National Park but we have also loved exploring local areas and sights together, time with Emily’s family, collecting succulents and cacti, fun drives in our sports car, wine tasting, hikes and photography outings.&nbsp; The next chapter…&nbsp;We’re looking forward to the next phase of life, and our marriage and we’re thrilled to be celebrating this milestone with you, our loved ones!

Stormy winter meetup

Our Story

Photos

This is the closest airport to our wedding, and is within 15 minutes of most places on the Monterey Peninsula.

Monterey Regional Airport

San Jose Airport is the closest major airport and is about 90 minutes from Monterey. San Jose is a very easy to deal with airport and has tons of flight connections making scheduling flights very easy. It also has an easy shuttle to get to Monterey and good rental car service.

San Jose Mineta International Airport

A great location within walking distance of our wedding ceremony is Asilomar Conference Grounds. You could walk to the wedding itself from there, it is on dunes connected to a lovely beach and miles of walkable boardwark. Fun Fact: This is actually where Emily and Mica met the first time and walked the boardwalk together getting to know each other!

Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds

Plenty of hotel options

<a href="https://www.greengablesinnpg.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.greengablesinnpg.com/</a> (Close to wedding location, vintage bed and breakfast feel)<a href="https://www.lighthouselodgecottages.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lighthouselodgecottages.com/</a> (Close to wedding location vintage feel)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pineinn.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.pineinn.com/</a> (Carmel)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.quaillodge.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.quaillodge.com/</a> (Closest to reception and Saturday celebration)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/monterey/mryha/hoteldetail" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/monterey/mryha/hoteldetail</a> (Monterey - close to wedding, very central, on Cannery Row/touristy)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.portolahotel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.portolahotel.com/</a>&nbsp;(Monterey - close to wedding, very central)<a href="https://www.montereyhotel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.montereyhotel.com</a> (Monterey - close to wedding, very central, vintage feel)&nbsp;<a href="http://merritthousehotel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://merritthousehotel.com/</a> (Monterey - close to wedding, very central, bed and breakfast feel)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hotelpacific.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.hotelpacific.com</a> (Monterey - close to wedding, very central and good Spanish style rooms)&nbsp;<a href="https://montereyplazahotel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://montereyplazahotel.com</a> (Monterey - close to wedding, very central, near Cannery Row activities yet still removed)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spindriftinn.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.spindriftinn.com/</a>&nbsp;(Monterey - close to wedding, very central, on Cannery Row row/touristy)&nbsp;

Travel

17 Mile Drive / Pebble Beach

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

This relaxing oasis offers hot/cold plunge pools, steam rooms, sauna, fire pits, &amp; relaxation rooms. It books up fast so best to schedule ahead! Plan to spent a couple hours there, or longer (but be aware food is not allowed, &amp; talking is limited to whispering). Nighttime is Mica’s favorite time to go.

Refuge

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Kelp Forest

Sea Kayaking

Cannery Row

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

Coastal trail running from Pacific Grove through Monterey and beyond, a favorite place we like to walk

Walk the Rec Trail

Carmel Valley Wine Tours / Tours Monterey

Albatross Ridge Tasting Room

Folktale Winery & Vineyards

TONS of great tasting rooms and dining to be had in Carmel Valley Village

Carmel Valley Wine Tasting

Whale Watching

Big Sur Drive

Things to Do

Registry

Wedding Party

Reach out if needed!

If you have ANY questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Emily (831) 277-5109EmilyLCastillo@yahoo.com Mica (720) 934-1590mrspacemonkey@gmail.com Alternate contact Sarah Castillo (Emily’s mother, lives in Carmel Valley)(831) 917-0919sarah.castillo1@sbcglobal.net

Mica & Emily

Mica & Emily

Registry

In addition to the links below, please also see our honeymoon travel fund at: https://www.honeyfund.com/site/gross-castillo-06-20-2025 and additional registry at https://www.surlatable.com/giftregistry-customershow?ID=256f16bbcb34c521587f618cf8