Alyssa and Justin are truly the blueprint for how to plan a surprise wedding! Right from the jump, they knew a traditional wedding was not their vibe. When thinking of creative ways to celebrate, they realized an engagement party on Coronado Island in San Diego would be the perfect hook to encourage guests to fly in for the long weekend… only to then be surprised with a wedding ceremony during the party! With this plan in mind, Alyssa and Justin jumped in headfirst.

A&J’s Surprise Wedding Plan & Design

Justin and Alyssa always knew they wanted food to play center stage at their wedding, so hosting the celebration in a restaurant event space was the perfect venue. Jolie Coronado offers locally-sourced ingredients with a major emphasis on fresh caught fish, a menu that showed off the very best of San Diego to all of A&J’s out of town guests. Alongside the custom bar menu and curated meals, Alyssa and Justin had a vision to totally transform the space. With bright yellow draping, a bespoke bar wrap, whimsical florals in sherbet color hues, and lots of stripes, the restaurant truly became a new venue entirely. One night only, Alyssa and Justin’s world of whimsy and wonder!

At the center of the whole weekend, Alyssa and Justin stayed at the iconic Hotel Del Coronado and encouraged their guests to do the same for a non-stop pool party adjacent to the soft sand and sparkling Pacific. A&J planned their event for a holiday weekend in September, making it an easy “yes” for all the VIPs despite the travel time required for everyone out of state. No one wanted to say no to an amazing engagement party rolled into a vacation. Little did they know, the biggest surprise was yet to come!

On the morning of their wedding, Alyssa and Justin got ready in a gorgeous ocean-view suite at the Hotel Del. Wearing a sparkly mini dress, Alyssa sent tiny flickers of light everywhere she walked as the sunshine hit the sequins. We explored the property and captured some photos of them together in their pre-wedding outfits. Dressy, but not *obviously* for a wedding, you know? Have to keep up the ruse!

We headed to the venue to see the space completely finished down to every last detail. Their initials stamped on an ice cube, Alyssa and Justin said “cheers” and surveyed the room with so much joy seeing the full vision come to life. Guests arrived and cocktail hour mingling began. Everyone was loving the raw bar appetizers and comfy lounge furniture!

The Big Moment

Alyssa and Justin snuck away for a quick wardrobe change in the back room. As they hid, the DJ gathered the crowd for the couple’s “thank you and welcome toast.” All of a sudden, a bride and groom appeared in a wedding dress and tuxedo! Friends and family were shocked and SO excited! Alyssa and Justin beamed as they walked through the crowd towards the front of the room. They announced on the mic, “this is actually our wedding!” and the whole room cheered. A swift ring exchange, “I Do”s, and a kiss later – they were MARRIED! The room was practically shaking from how loud and excited everyone was to celebrate these two. The surprise worked!

After ceremony, I could overhear guests saying to each other, “this is SO them, this makes so much sense.” Alyssa and Justin knew all along what kind of wedding celebration would best reflect their relationship, and it was so sweet to hear everyone agree when they finally learned of the surprise.

Practical Tips on Planning Your Own Surprise Wedding

1. Keep it completely secret – yup, you heard me! No telling ANYONE besides your vendors, and request that they keep a lid on it, too! A secret like this is too good not to share, and telling even one or two of your closest friends risks the news leaking early. Anytime you feel tempted, think about how overjoyed everyone will be to celebrate with you in the moment!
2. Weigh the pros and cons. Are you okay with potentially missing a few key people from your day? If people believe it’s an engagement party instead of a wedding, there’s a chance they may not put the same level of effort into coming as they would for a wedding. You have to be okay with knowing that a few folks may miss the celebration. That said, a surprise wedding also gives you complete freedom in the decision-making process. You get to avoid unwanted opinions and advice as you secretly plan the wedding of your dreams!
3. Let go of tradition. Having a surprise wedding is already a huge decision to ditch the normal progression of wedding planning. It could feel isolating at times as you’re making decisions. I highly recommend leaning on your partner in these moments. Instead of worrying about a big “dress reveal”, why not go shopping together for the wedding day attire? Make every part of the process something you get to enjoy as a couple so you can cherish these memories. Embrace the freedom of making this day completely yours.

Notable Details & Fun Wedding Memories

Alyssa and Justin brought color and whimsy to their entire wedding celebration! Funfetti mini cakes, Dilly’s ice cream truck, and Raising Canes in custom pink and white striped paper cups kept guests snacking all night. An abundance of treats always keeps the party going! Striped tablecloths, custom branded welcome bags for each guest, and yards and yards of yellow draping all tied the theme together in a cohesive fashion. Coastal chic! Seeing the kids and adults dribble ice cream down their hands and gleefully swing around the dance floor made all the surprise planning so worth it.

Vendor Dream Team

Thank you to all the amazing vendors who made this day possible!

Venue: Jolie Coronado / Coronado Fire Station Venue

Planning & Design: Vine & Branch Events Co

Photography: Erin Marton Photo

Florals: Native Poppy

Rentals: Adore Folklore and Catalog Atelier

Signage and bar wrap: Go Wildhouse

Custom Ice Cubes: N-ice Cubes

If you’re loving this story all about how to plan a surprise wedding, you may also like this colorful Rancho Las Lomas wedding! Reach out if you’re planning a wedding (surprise or not) in 2026, I would be honored to document the celebration.