Tara + Thomas
Tara & Thomas did it right and said ‘heck with wedding planning, lets bring our family cross country Sequoia for a magical day in the trees’. One of my favorite days in a while, featuring Taras amazing long sleeve dress, hand made hat, Thomas in his bridal leather suspenders, and together both their unmatched Kentucky style. Sequoia Weddings are absolutely perfect for destination weddings!
Skye + Bug | Sequoia Intimate Wedding
Straight from Alabama, Skye & Bug brought their entire crew for a few days of celebration in the forest. It’s easy to come from across the country when you have a whole team planning your Sequoia celebration!
Gloria + Joe | Sequoia National Park Elopement
Gloria and Joe flew from Florida to elope in Sequoia for our ‘all-inclusive elopement’ Sequoia Weddings elopement package. What better way to celebrate privately, and make memories that will last forever!
Lisa + Edgar | Big Sur
Lisa & Edgar eloped in the most beautiful part of Big Sur
The beautiful part of an elopement is being able to create a day that’s perfectly ‘you’, in ever way possible.
Absolutely loved the details of Lisa and Edgars magical Big Sur elopement, in this amazingly perfect gothic styled adventure elopement.
Melanie + Chafic | San Francisco City Hall Elopement
Nothing like a good old fashioned urban elopement in one of the most iconic buildings around. Say congratulations to Melanie and Chafic at their beautiful intimate wedding in San Francisco City Hall!
Gloria + Joe | Yosemite National Park
Gloria and Joe, Yosemite National Park elopement
It was obvious that the Sequoia Complex Fire wouldn’t be contained in time, so Gloria & Joe changed plans to to another favorite spot - Yosemite!
Getting married in Yosemite National Park is absolutely wonderful - saying your vows against granite peaks 3,000’ above you is the most amazing thing. And the brilliance of an elopement is that you can change plans at a moments notice, and spend your day having champagne, charcuterie, hiking, laying in the sun, and soaking in the brilliance of your new marriage.
Stephanie + Dan
A beautiful grove of Redwood trees in Half Moon Bay was the backdrop for Steph and Dans elopement.
They read to each other their vows in unison: “You are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give you my spirit, until our lives shall be done.”
Dan & Steph, ‘til death. Slange Var! (Cheers!)
Karis + Ryan | Sequoia National Park
We dreamt for months leading up to their warm summer elopement, considering how amazing it would be spend a full day adventuring together, and finally ending the day with a ceremony. The anticipation of the day gave everyone butterflies, and finally rings were exchanged and vows were promised, as we stood on Beetle Rock while the sun dropped past the horizon.
Just a reminder that eloping gives you all the freedom to do things out of the box - tequila shots while hiking through the woods, charcuterie boards, and a ‘just married’ rock n roll leather jacket.
Here’s to Karis & Ryan, eloping with style!
17 Top Reasons To Elope This Year
17 reasons why to Elope (and one reason why not)
17 Reasons You Should Elope (and one reason not to)
This year has been one for the history books to say the least. Weddings are already so stressful to plan, let alone the chaos of cancellations, rebooking, and the anxiety of planning an event during a pandemic! Covid has changed life for the foreseeable future, and there are so many compelling reasons to say ‘heck with the traditional wedding, let’s elope!’
And we're not talking about your Elvis-in-a-Vegas-Chapel type elopement, we're talking about an Adventure Elopement! So many couples are saying that more than anything, they’re valuing an intimate day, focused on the two of them, without the chaos and politics of planning for hundreds of guests on a day that’s really supposed to be fun and stress-free. You’ll save a years worth of sanity, I promise.
So come on - put on your hiking dress and your wedding boots, grab your partner by the hand and whisper in their ear 'let's go elope in the woods!'
Here are some of my top reasons to elope!
1. Adventure With Your Partner Is Much More Exciting!
Think about the times you've had the most fun with your partner. Was it in a stuffy ballroom wearing clothes you're not comfortable with? Listening to a drunk uncle rambling on during a toast that should have ended 30 minutes ago? Probably not! You're probably envisioning a time of pure-bliss, on some great adventure together, hiking a mountain peak, jumping in an alpine lake, or simply wandering in the woods.
2. Cost Savings
The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is….wait for it… $33,000. Let that sink in for a moment. Yikes! And that’s just the average. There are so many great ways to spend that kind of money as newlyweds - getting out of student debt, putting a down payment on a home, or taking a month long honeymoon in Bali. Let’s face it, millennials are already facing a struggling job market and rising cost of living. The average elopement cost is often close to $5,000, and can even be done for less! I always say - ‘Bigger budget, bigger problems’, when it comes to wedding planning. More money doesn’t equate to more romance on your wedding day, often it can just complicate things and add stress. Which brings us to number three…
3. It’s Just So Simple
The entire experience of elopement planning is just SO. DANG. SIMPLE. A couple key details, some dreaming about locations, and a little bit of logistic prep is all it takes! And if you want to add some extra touches, the skies are the limit! Couples are often surprised at the end of a planning conversation, saying “wait….that’s it?”
4. Covid Is Here To Stay
We have to face it, life isn’t going to get easier anytime soon. Do we really want to plan a traditional wedding where our family has to social distance on the dance floor? Or take family photos wearing masks? Not really. Ditch the crazy big event, elope, then have a backyard family party sometime afterwards!
5. Complete Day Of Adventure
When you elope, you can focus on the ‘feelings’ that you want your day to hold. It could be a crazy day of adventure, hiking to a 14,000’ summit and saying vows on the top of Mt Whitney. Or it can be a cozy day starting by writing vows together in a cabin, in front of a fireplace. A floatplane to a hidden beach, a walk beneath Sequoia trees, or helicopter ride to the top of an Alaskan Glacier!
5. You Can Focus More On Your Marriage Than Your Wedding
By the time some people get married, they’re sometimes so overwhelmed by the wedding planning process that it takes a toll on their relationship. When you choose something simple, you can really focus on the things that matter - your own hearts and minds.
6. Buck The Traditions
Who even know why cake is important on your wedding day. Not sure about you, but I’d rather have pie! There are so many wedding traditions that we hardly know the origin - and I suppose to me, tradition without basis is meaningless. Hold on to traditions with meaning, and create some new ones!
7. Epic Photos
Let’s be honest, this is the real reason we’re doing this, right? When else do you get to have this much attention focused on your beautiful selves? And on a mountaintop nonetheless, wearing your best outfits, on an emotional high? Sounds like the right time for a photoshoot to me!
8. Skip The Family Drama
Wink wink… we already know this is the main reason some of us are arriving at this decision. The politics of wedding planning can be completely overwhelming when family is involved, and makes some people want to just throw their hands in the air and run away. You can tell the family that they can plan a party for you when you get home, and escape to the woods without an overbearing mother-in-law in sight! Most mother-in-laws are awesome though ;)
9. Fun Outfit Options!
There’s no reason to be formal if you’re not interested in that. There are SO many cool things you can wear on your wedding day when you’re not constricted to formal attire. I LOVE when people get creative and wear patterned dresses, rompers, wool jackets, denim pants, leather boots, adventure hats. Let your attire represent who you are, however casual or fancy that might be!
10. Experiences That Normally Couldn’t Happen
Certain events would require so much planning, logistics, and permitting, that it just wouldn’t be possible. Especially if you’re talking about having a ceremony in the backcountry next to an alpine lake, 12 miles from the closest road. You can literally say “what sounds like the greatest adventure EVER”, do it, and happen to get married!
11. Intimacy & Privacy
In an Instagram world, we rarely have any privacy anymore. There’s something to be said for a sacred and intimate ceremony, where YOU have control of what’s shared from your event. No eyes on you during your wedding, nobody asking you to make decisions about silly things - just closeness and intimacy with your partner.
12. You Can Get Married ON Your Honeymoon!
SO MANY people do this and I think it’s awesome! Why not? Choose an epic location, get married there, and then stay for a week! Often your photographer might stay for a day or two extra and document your amazing adventures kayaking, snorkeling, mountain biking, hiking, or just hanging out cozy in your mountain cabin!
13. You Get Time Back
If you think of how many guests are often invited to a traditional wedding, you are reminded how little time you’ll get to spend in conversation with each of them. And if you focus so much on your guests, you’ll realize after the wedding that you had barely interacted with your new spouse!
14. Amazing Locations
What kind of places are important to you? Mountain summit? Top of a icy glacier? Grove of Sequoia trees? Hawaiian Island? Secluded beach? Certain areas are off limits or inaccessible for large groups but perfect for a handful of people.
15. It's Environmentally Friendly
Want to lessen your carbon footprint? Weddings are notoriously wasteful - from the paper invitations, flowers that are thrown away, plastic party favors that are abandoned, tossed food. A typical wedding of around 100 guests usually results in 400-600 pounds of waste. Wanna go green? Start by how you get married! It’s amazing how eco friendly you can be by getting married outside, following leave-no-trace guidelines, and adventuring in responsible ways!
16. Authenticity
For those who don’t relate to a large event, having a small private ceremony is a way to stay true to yourself and your values! Creating a celebration that doesn’t feel like ‘you’ is stifling to the whole experience. Step out of the box, and do something that makes you feel like your true self!
17. There Are NO RULES
I mean, this is honestly the best part. Forget about what anyone else wants for you. You can even disregard my own advice. This is about YOU, and doing something that’s right for YOU and your new life together. Bend the rules, break the rules, forget them completely. You can do what you want. This is your day, and your life!
18. Maybe This Isn’t For Me
I’d be so remiss to say that if this just DOESN’T sound like your cup of tea, and you’ve always dreamed of a big beautiful wedding, than please by all means follow your heart. This isn’t for everyone, but you’ll know if it is. Don’t follow too much peer pressure about ANY part of your wedding planning.
Thanks for reading this far! Check out The Journal for more inspiration, and peek at more Guided Elopement info as well to book your own destination elopement! For more regional elopement information for Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park Elopements head to Sequoia Weddings.
Interested in talking about your own elopement? I’d love to be a part of your love story!
Chelsea + Jaquelyn | Sequoia
My absolute favorite thing is thinking outside the ‘typical’ wedding box. It was Arbor Day - the day before Chelsea & Jaquelyns wedding. Because of their love of trees, and the fact that they purposefully chose the day after as their wedding day - we booked it up to Sequoia to spend an intimate afternoon documenting their intimate ceremony, with just the two of them. Not only did they get a private moment together in the midst of busy wedding planning, we had a blast exploring giant sequoia trees and celebrating the essence of Arbor Day.
Want to plan a special day together with the love of your life? We can help!
Brianna + Kevin | Sequoia
Eloping in Sequoia? What could be better - especially in October, my favorite month in Sequoia (shhhh don’t tell anyone!)
My favorite venue in Sequoia/Kings is Wuksachi Lodge - so it was perfect that Brianna & Kevin could stay here the weekend of their elopement, since it’s so close to all the best photo locations and most importantly the grove of trees we planned on hiking to for their ceremony.
It was so beautiful watching them help each into their outfits and prepare for their ceremony. The simplicity of elopements is just the best - no wedding day drama, timeline chaos, or family feuds. With just each other to focus on, they could focus on what really matters…. not the wedding, but the marriage.
Officiant: LJ Lara
Lodging: Wuksachi
Matt + Nataly | Yosemite
Any session that ends with a Taft Point Sunset always gives me goosebumps.
I fell in love with this couple and their passion for each other, and it was so easy to make these images while they interacted naturally on the edge of a Yosemite cliff to celebrate their engagement.
This session doesn’t need any more words - you’ll enjoy for yourself the evident beauty of Matt & Nataly
Hannah + Jeremy | Sequoia
Part of the magic of getting married in the High Sierra is the unpredictable weather. Whether it’s snow flurries in July, a sunny february morning, or a thunderstorm from nowhere.
Nothing made Hannah & Jeremys Sequoia wedding more special than an intimate ceremony with just their family, gathered under the Sequoia Trees. The mood was perfectly set on this beautiful stormy day, with a light drizzle that lifted right when the ceremony started and dark grey clouds that lasted until sunset.
Coming all the way from Lousiana, I was so thrilled to show Hannah & Jeremy some of my favorite places on earth. I’m always so honored to be a part of celebrations like this, what better way to make new friends than to be embedded in the most special day of their life.
Ashley + Dustin | Sequoia
The perfect beauty of an intimate wedding underneath the trees - it’s always the best.
It was absolutely a dream, spending the day with Ashley and Dustin - getting married under the Sequoia boughs.
After a ceremony at the Parker Group, we explored Crescent Meadow, ending up at Beetle Rock to open a bottle of wine at sunset.
Samantha + Chad
A three piece suit is seldom seen in these parts, but when it is, you always stop people in their tracks with a juxtaposition of class and raw natural beauty.
Samantha and Chad got married during an epic road trip through the western states. I’m so happy they chose Sequoia to say their vows - we spent the whole afternoon wandering the trees and taking in the beautiful smells of the magnificent groves after saying their vows under the Parker Group.
Ann + Dawson
Ann & Dawson flew to Sequoia from Texas to fulfill their dream of marrying each other under a grove of Sequoia trees.
Elopements like this are always so special - reading each other handwritten vows, exploring the gigantic trees, popping champagne under a high sierra sunset… there really is no ‘box’ you have to stuff your wedding into.
JACQUES + LISA | Yosemite
Two months freshly engaged, Jacques, Lisa, and I hiked a little over a mile to Taft Point - one of my favorite Yosemite destinations. We sat on a ledge, watching the sun set on the hazy horizon, and sipped canned wine through altitude-induced laughter.
Moments like this are so beautiful - spending time with lovers outdoors.
A Fierce Love | Yosemite Engagement Photography
Nichol + Preston | Big Sur
There's a certain magic in the air, on the coastal stretch of Highway One known as Big Sur. Ceremonies like these remind you what the essence of marriage is really about. And when you can get away from cell service to watch two souls intersect, it's as special as it gets. Under a stand of redwood trees on the California coast, Nichol married Preston at the Grange in Big Sur.
Flowers & Styling - Mountains to the Sea Co Events & Styling
Ceremony Venue - Big Sur Grange
Reception & Catering - Big Sur Bakery
Ashley + Brad | Banff
We were up at 5:00AM to be greeted by the stillness of Vermillion Lake, in Banff National Park.
Bald Eagles hunting overhead, and beavers swimming the marsh - Ashley & Brad stood on a dock and told each other the sweetest handwritten vows I've heard.
To travel to Alberta in celebration of his marriage was such an honor.
Adventure elopements like this are one of my favorite things on earth.
Jamie + James, Rattlesnake Ridge
The beautiful simplicity of eloping is always such a joy to be a part of.
With little effort spent on elaborate decorations, catering and stressful schedules, you're able to focus on what's important - your marriage, relationship, and love story.
Jamie & James decided upon a romantic PNW elopement, and they married each other at sunrise in a garden of mossy stone and blossoming trees behind the willows lodge.
Unusually sunny for Seattle, we trekked up on a mystical hike up through the swaying trees to Rattlesnake Ridge for some portraits.
Enjoy a few moments from our magical day together.
