Megan Roup and Morgan Humphrey's Stunningly Simple Micro Wedding in Santa Barbara

Megan Roup and Morgan Humphrey call the process of planning a mid-pandemic "extremely frustrating." After meeting on Hinge in 2014, and getting engaged last December, Morgan, a sales manager, and Megan, founder of The Sculpt Society, had their hearts set on marrying in 2020. And, while it may not have been entirely as they had imagined, they did just that on Sunday, October 18, 2020, in Santa Barbara, California.

"We had many venues cancel last minute, limit the size, and I was told by one that I would have to wear a mask down the aisle, even with an outdoor, socially distanced ceremony of 14," Megan admits. "However, this made us lean into what mattered and be thankful that we are even able to do this at all."

The couple's "new" vision? An intimate celebration with only immediate family. "We ran into so many issues and limitations trying to organize this small event due to COVID-19, that small details and a theme/vision felt secondary," the couple admits. "We focused on the bigger picture, which was to have our immediate family there and be in a place that was special to us and allowed us to be married in 2020."

Keep reading to see Morgan and Megan's simple-but-sweet, 14-person micro wedding, as photographed by Wild Whim.

"I couldn't stop thinking about it and was comparing all the other dresses I tried on to that one," says Megan of her silk chiffon gown by Reem Acra. However, while Megan knew the dress she wanted, she says saying "yes" wasn't entirely seamless—she had to go dress shopping by herself thanks to COVID-19 restrictions!

"Dress shopping was tough because I had always pictured going with my mom and my sisters and making it a really fun experience," she says. "So I instead would Facetime my Mom and sisters in order to get their opinions and make the process feel less lonely."

Megan did her own hair and make up for the wedding, adding a jeweled clip and flowers picked up from a local farmer's market to her signature bun. She wrapped her bouquet, which was made by her mom and mother-in-law, with a family heirloom handkerchief. As another special touch, she wore her grandmother's wedding band and gold bangles and a gold necklace, a gift from her mother that she "never takes off."

Morgan dressed in a deep blue suit and custom shirt from Paolini Garment Company. He added a Brioni tie and his grandfather's gold pocket watch by Waltham.

The couple says picking a location was the "easiest" part of planning. "We always knew we wanted to get married in Santa Barbara," Megan says. "Santa Barbara is so magical, and we were so excited to bring both families together here."

They said "I do" at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. "The SB Courthouse has been a place Morgan and I have always loved to visit, we often will have family croquet games, picnics and there is nothing like the architecture and the ambiance of sunken gardens," Megan says. Dinner was later held at Hotel Californian, where the couple and their 12 guests toasted on a private terrace overlooking the harbor. 

Megan's father walked her down the aisle as a pre-recorded Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3" played in G major.

Bev Roberts, Morgan's godmother, led the ceremony. "She brought such joy, energy, and personal touch to our ceremony that made it truly special," Megan says.

"We both wrote our own vows expressing our promises to each other," Megan says. "Our vows to each other at the ceremony. Both of us wrote our own vows, Morgan’s made me laugh, mine made him cry, and it made the ceremony that much more special."

The couple was joined by 12 guests, who they asked to dress in shades of blue and gray. "Even though it is only a 14-person event, we wanted to make sure everyone who was traveling and attending felt safe and comfortable and we were adhering to the safety guidelines," adds Megan.

"The details of the day were out of our control due to COVID-19, which kept things simple and classic and allowed us to focus on the main reason we were there," Megan says. "We feel so lucky we got to have a wedding at all and to be able to celebrate our love, which is the reason for it all."

At dinner, everyone enjoyed kale salad, burrata and tomatoes, and a choice of sea bass, truffle chicken, or braised short rib. The menu was complete with a chocolate-on-chocolate cake (Morgan's favorite!) and Champagne. However, Megan's sister served the night's sweetest treat.

"My sister put together a special video from some of our closest friends and projected it on the rooftop at dinner," she says. "She had contacted them without us knowing and each of them put together a virtual congratulations from afar. This meant so much to us as we wish so many of our close friends could have been there. "

Morgan handled the reception playlist, which featured a mix of everything from Van Morrison and Eda James to Chis Stapleton and Neil Young. Their first dance song? "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young.

Looking back on their wedding day, the newlyweds have this advice to share: "Keep it simple and don’t stress on the details," they advise. "Make sure to focus on each other, don’t get distracted by the details like the perfect flower, cake, and table settings—you won’t remember those things, but you will remember how you felt, words that were said, looks that were exchanged and the love that was celebrated."