Getting ready for a wedding day used to just be in hotel rooms and now Airbnbs, but now there are limitless options! R + C rented the most rad Airstream to start off their wedding day, where the bride got into her incredible blue and purple mermaid dress and slipped on matching Converse shoes. They spent the day running along the beach with their dog Indy, where they said their vows against the crashing waves. When I asked them if they wanted to have their ceremony farther from shore as the waves were unpredictable, they confidently said that they didn't mind getting their clothes wet - in fact, they planned on it! After the ceremony, their friends surprised them with a cake and custom cookies made to look just like them. Check out the rest of R + C's Half Moon Bay elopement!

Most couples are terrified at the thought of rain on their wedding day, but not these two. M + T loved every second of it - the moody fog that set into the redwoods, the pitter patter on the tent as they shared memories with an intimate group of loved ones, even the rain soaked dress that gathered bits and pieces of the forest with her as she walked. It was a day full of joyful tears mixed with rain, and nothing could dampen their spirits of how important this day was and what it meant to them. The sun even came out for them the next day for a session on the coast, where we ran into the ocean waves, got our feet soaked, and watched the sunset. Check out the rest of M + T's Santa Cruz redwood wedding!

J + Z knew they wanted an intimate group of family with them on their wedding day, so they rented  an Airbnb with multiple rooms to spend the weekend with their family. It was a beautiful setting out in Carmel Valley - a barn decorated with a circle of flowers served as their ceremony site, and the wildflowers were blooming all over the hills. And of course they had to include their pup Winston, who stole all the attention and even made an appearance on their custom cake topper! Though they thought they wouldn't cry on their wedding day, the moment hit them when they said their vows, and the joy they felt when they finally got to call each other husband and wife was so incredibly beautiful. After toasting to their families, they continued onto the coast of Big Sur to spend some time with just the two of them. Check out the rest of J + Z's Carmel Valley and Big Sur elopement!

S + R had always loved driving down Highway 1 - they would often spend weekends stopping at turnouts to explore and adventure on the California coast. So when it came time to propose, R knew that he wanted to do in Big Sur. With the calla lilies just at the end of their blooming season, they came just at the right time for a sunny (albeit a bit windy) day on the coast. Check out the rest of S + R's proposal and engagement session below!

When E + J's daughter started bawling at her parents getting married, there wasn’t a single dry eye in sight. Moments like these are what makes wedding days so special, even with just 8 people to witness these two get married. Moments like the these two sharing a first look amongst the giant redwoods of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, the bride reassuring her father she wasn’t at all concerned about her dress dragging the entire forest with her, or the groom (who successfully held in the tears even through the ceremony) when his eyes started watering the moment his daughter started crying, or when the bride’s mom had to pause in between the reading, or all the sniffles I heard throughout the ceremony from their loved ones. So happy for these two who had the most beautiful day in Big Sur, celebrating their story in a place that reflected their shared love of adventure and their new family. Check out more photos from E + J's Big Sur Lodge wedding below!

Would you rather elope in: 1. Amongst the tall redwood trees 2. Overlooking the coast or 3. In a field of calla lilies? One of the best parts of Big Sur is that you can feel like you're transported to an entirely new place, even when just driving 15-30 minutes from one spot to another! E + C chose to start their day by getting ready at Glen Oaks Big Sur, where they shared a first look and said their vows in an intimate ceremony at Big Sur Grange. One of my favorite moments was just watching them have their first dance as they rested in each others' arms, feeling so content and joyful at getting to finally call each other husband and wife. After adventuring in the redwoods and climbing over logs, we spent the rest of the day checking out all the best sights of Big Sur. Having been to each of those locations countless times, I loved getting to just see their look of awe and wonder as they got to experience the magic and beauty of Big Sur. We ended right at sunset overlooking the coast. Check out the rest of E + C's Big Sur elopement below!

A knew that his girlfriend would want to be dressed up for the proposal, so he came up with a brilliant plan to make sure that she wouldn't suspect a thing. He told her that they were going to a yacht party, so they dressed accordingly and made their way down to Big Sur to stop and see the views. When they arrived at the hilltop, he surprised her with the proposal and she could not believe it. My favorite part of the story was when he introduced me as the photographer - she said "Lynn, you mean Lynn Lewis?" I was confused at how she knew who I was - turns out she had been pinning my photos on Pinterest, but he didn't even know! He had found me completely separately through researching Big Sur proposals. Check out the rest of their Big Sur proposal below!

When A + R first started planning an intimate wedding with just immediate family, they envisioned eloping in the Big Sur redwoods. Together we went over different venue options, and they booked the beautiful Bridge House at Glen Oaks Big Sur. But as all things go in COVID times, they were forced to change their plans when Glen Oaks Big Sur couldn't accommodate groups until later that year. So we went back to the drawing board, and I helped them look through alternative options.

We finally pivoted plans to Sparrow Valley Retreat, a cabin Airbnb deep in the Santa Cruz mountains. It became the perfect setting for their wedding, allowing them to have their own private space for everything from getting ready to reception. With a handmade deck amongst the redwoods, they shared their vows in a place that felt just right and couldn't stop laughing throughout their day. The cherry on top was two wandering cats on the property, who came to say hello to them after their first look and might've knocked over a sign or two. Check out the rest of their Sparrow Valley Retreat wedding below!

A common misconception is that elopements are just long photoshoots. But an elopement is so much more than that - it's a day meant to be experienced, celebrated, and spent with the one you love. And sometimes, it's also a day with stories to tell of how everything went wrong, but somehow went right.

So what do you do when you want pizza delivered to the beach in a place with no cell service? Go the old-fashioned route of finding someone on Craigslist. When we started running a little behind, we tried to get ahold of the delivery guy but couldn't reach him. So we headed over 30 minutes late, fingers crossed that he would still be there. When we finally arrived at the meeting spot, there was no pizza and no delivery guy to be found. But then - as luck would have it - a few minutes later, someone pulled up right behind their car. Their delivery guy had arrived, and the only reason he wasn't there earlier was because he had driven around trying to find them. We then headed down to the beach where they got to pop a bottle of champagne and eat their favorite meal on their elopement day.

When we headed back to the car after sunset, I asked if they wanted a few shots in their Jeep. It was their own car, one that they had driven all the way up to Big Sur and had spent many weekends adventuring and off-roading. Though we hadn't planned for it, capturing these two at the end of the day with their arms wrapped up around each other sitting on their beloved Jeep, became some of my favorite moments. What a day - check out the rest of their Big Sur elopement below!