When it came to grand gestures, P was both subtle and brilliant at the same time. Back when it was near impossible to get Hamilton tickets, P went out of his way to get tickets for M...and her friend. He hadn't even planned on accompanying her after going through all the effort, but that ended up becoming the start of their incredible love story. When they started planning their wedding, they knew they wanted a low-key, stress-free day. One thing that was important to them was starting the day privately - just the two of them, taking in the incredible scenery together and all the little moments in between. And it was those little moments that made their day so special, like the way that M twirled P, or how P would grin from ear to ear in a private moment between the two of them. As the day winded down, they got to sit down for dinner and watch the sunset together with their family and friends. No schedule of activities, just quality time with the people they loved the most. Check out the rest of their Big Sur wedding below!

A + R met in Monterey when he moved to the area to attend the Naval Postgraduate School. Little did he know that A had long picked her dream venue in Big Sur before they even met. She showed him all her favorite spots and they would spend their weekends hiking around Big Sur. Oftentimes they would see couples taking their wedding photos while on their hikes. So when they got engaged, it was finally their turn! It was so surreal to finally be the couple - the couple getting married, with grins ear to ear as these two shared their own private vows overlooking the epic coastline. When our plans to get photos in the redwoods didn’t pan out, I took them to one last spot on the coast just as sunset turned to blue hour. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly as we watched the colors of the sky change right before our eyes. Check out the rest of A + R's Monterey and Big Sur wedding!

​I’m only a little sad that F + A didn’t bring their sweet doodle Theo to their elopement, but it was definitely made up for by all the adventuring we got to do. We started their day in the redwoods, where F + A shared an intimate first look and said their vows to each other privately. They had a short and quick ceremony to make it all legal with their family as their witnesses, and then spent the rest of the day hiking along the Big Sur coast! We were running on the beach until we were out of breath, climbing up and down hills like it was nothing, and scaling the rocks right up against the waves. Check out the rest of their Big Sur wedding below!

C + C reached out to me to capture their engagement session in Big Sur. Though they were living in the San Francisco Bay Area, they couldn't resist taking advantage of being so close to a beautiful destination! Since it was on a holiday weekend, I recommended we explore one of the hidden gems in Big Sur, away from all the crowds. Check out the rest of their Big Sur engagement session below!

S + M came to Big Sur to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. The weather forecasted wind and rain, and we almost rescheduled the shoot due to the atmospheric storms that battered the coast. But we decided to stick with the plan when the rain cleared up for a bit, and ended up getting to experience the most incredible fog bank in the forest. I’ve seen a lot of sun rays in the redwoods, but rarely do I get to see a day like this. So thankful that these two trusted me to capture magic even with the rain! Check out of the rest of their session at Alila Ventana Big Sur.

How do I even begin to describe this incredible day? S + C absolutely loved spending time at the beach, so they chose to end their elopement day at sunset with their hair in the wind, feet in the sand, toes numb from the water but with the most joyous laughter and smiles. They celebrated their wedding day in a way that was so authentic to who they were - and yes, that meant jeans that C rocked as his wedding attire! Burritos on the beach (from El Charrito, my favorite local burrito spot!), popping champagne, and sunset colors gracing the sky…it doesn’t get more perfect than that. Check out the rest of S + C's Big Sur elopement!

A Local Big Sur Elopement Photographer's Guide to Eloping in Big Sur

When it comes to elopement locations in the US, Big Sur is one of the top places people come to get married. With its vast coastal views and redwood forests, it's a place full of wonder and natural beauty. As a local Big Sur elopement photographer who spends countless roadtrips exploring the endless trails in the area, I'm here to help you craft an epic day that feels genuine to your love story. Check out this guide for location recommendations, best months to elope, day-of timelines, and planning tips!

Though Vietnam was not always on our bucket list of travel destinations, it quickly rose to top after reading more about the amazing hiking, culture, and food that this country had to offer. Plus, pho was always my go-to comfort food in the winter (with spring rolls being my go-to food in the summer!) so we were super excited to finally take a cooking class there. It was an incredible 3 weeks in Vietnam and Thailand - we got to ride motorbikes through the mountain passes of Ha Giang, spend a night in Ha Long Bay, explore temples in Ninh Binh, trek through a jungle to camp in a cave, watch the lanterns light up Hoi An, swim in the clearest blue waters of Pileh Lagoon, rock climb at Railay Beach, and hang out with elephants near Chiang Mai. Check out the rest of our 3-week Vietnam and Thailand itinerary below!

When I found out that N and his two brothers had played elven and Gondorian warriors in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and were from Wellington, New Zealand (where Weta Workshop was born - the special effects company that innovated much of what made LOTR so incredible), I definitely nerded out quite a bit! N + A had an incredible love story that crossed countries - N was from New Zealand, and A was from Korea. They met in college 11 years ago, but parted ways when life took them to different countries. When they met back up in Hawaii, the time and place was finally right for these two to fall in love. They brought together their families from across the world for an intimate wedding in Big Sur, California. Though it wasn't the fjords and mountains of New Zealand, I definitely felt like we were walking through Rivendell as the sun streamed through the forest, creating the most beautiful light that made the day feel like it was straight out of a fairytale. And even when the clouds covered much of the sky during our last hour before sunset, we patiently waited and got to see a few quick minutes of sunset that peeked in and out of the clouds before the day ended. Check out the rest of A + N's Big Sur intimate wedding below!

M was looking for a place that felt like Lord of the Rings (since his girlfriend was a huge fan!) and I knew just the place. He originally going to propose in Portland, but he thought it might be too obvious. So instead he surprised her with an impromptu road trip to Big Sur, where he brought the PNW vibes with him to California! Though it rained, these two couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. Check out the rest of M + K's Big Sur redwoods proposal below!