Elopement Planning
When Jill and Collin reached out to me to photograph their Big Sur Elopement in January, I knew that they would plan the most intentional day with the most thoughtful details. They knew eloping was for them. They did not want a high pressure day pleasing family members and friends. Instead, they wanted a day to truly honor their connection and the support they received from Jill’s parents was immeasurable.
It’s hard to describe a day where everything just works out seamlessly. If you know Big Sur, you know that the weather can turn on a dime, and it had been raining for 2 weeks leading up to Jill and Collin’s elopement. I was implementing Plan B’s, getting out rain gear, and prepping some soggy weather. And then, we got the best weather forecast! 72F and sunny with a light fog that rolled in at the end of sunset. They arrived from the East Coast on what happened to be one of the warmest stretches after a long bout of rain and they soaked it up! Exploring San Francisco, driving the PCH, and enjoying Carmel was the preface to their trip to make sure they adjusted to the time change.
Getting Ready Photos
They knew they wanted a place to stay with epic views, so they stayed at the Tickle Pink Inn, which has rocky bluffs backdrop out of every room’s balcony. I met them at their room, handed off their coffee orders, and started with some detail shots and getting ready photos for the bride. They did a first look in matching sweatsuits and prepared for their day. We also met Mike the seagull who hung out on their balcony for 3 days straight.
Vows in the Redwoods       Â
They had envisioned themselves being married among the towering, impressive Redwoods. They had picked the Big Sur Lodge to have their ceremony. So after the gettingready was complete, we headed to have their ceremony among The Redwoods. We arrived, got Jill dressed and ready to go and started the ceremony with Dean Liapis as their officiant and Jill’s parents as their witnesses. The creek rushing by in the background gave the perfect serene setting for their ceremony. After they made it official we headed off to explore the Redwoods for some portraits!
Portraits on the Beach
Everyone was getting hungry, so we headed to Garrapata Beach to have a picnic set up by Forage Picnic Rentals, pop champagne, and hang out on the beach. Followed by a beautiful early golden hour on the cliffs of Soberanes Trail. Just after, a light fog rolled in, giving them that true moody Big Sur experience. But the night wasn’t over yet! We headed over to Gold Coast Tattoo in Monterey for matching ring finger tats! Afterwards, I said goodbye and they headed out for a celebratory dinner! It was the perfect way for these two lovebirds to celebrate their day, keep the pressure low, and focus on their connection.
FilmÂ
J + C requested film scans to be included in their gallery, also. You can see a few favorite 35mm film shots from their elopement day in Big Sur!
Vendor List
HMUA:Â @lilianbeauties
Florals:Â @fancypansyartdesign
Ceremony:Â @bigsurlodge
Officiant:Â @elopewithdeanliapis
Picnic setup:Â @foragevintagerental
Cake:Â @tartandtin
Tattoos:Â @goldcoast1977
Dress:Â @thecurvybridenj
Thinking of eloping in Big Sur? Check out resources and informative blog postshere.