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!

These two met at the restaurant she was working at - he was coincidentally walking in to hand her his resume! But just a few months later, he left to attend a master's program and they stayed friends. Five years later, they ended up in the same place and reconnected. With long distance on top of the pandemic, K + R took a leap of faith. They moved in together and the rest is history! For their Big Sur elopement, they got ready at a cute A-frame cabin in the redwoods. The day was so full of emotion and tears - from the letters they exchanged during first look to their personal vows during their ceremony. You could just feel the emotion through through their day. Check out the rest of their Big Sur elopement below!

These two absolutely loved spending time in the ocean, so Big Sur was the perfect place for them to elope! Though they were originally from the East Coast, they moved to California and fell in love with the West Coast. Their roadtrips up and down Highway 1 were some of their favorite memories together, and they had even dived the Monterey Bay! On their elopement day, they kept it simple and just took in all the beautiful wonders of the landscapes around them. Though they had been to Big Sur before, I got to show them so many new spots and hidden gems. We witnessed the most dreamy light in the redwoods, and an epic sunset over the beach. It doesn't get more beautiful than this! Check out the rest of S + W's Big Sur elopement below!

Sometimes you meet a couple and they just radiate an incredible love for each other. T + C was that kind of couple. When these two met, it wasn't love at first sight (in fact, their first date was full of anxiety!) But as they got to know each other better, they grew into perfect partners for each other. When Keith, my husband and their officiant, asked them separately what they loved about each other, they both said that they found someone who matched their ambition - not for career or prestige, but for love. And that was true throughout their entire wedding day. From the moment that they saw each other for the first time, they were immediately overwhelmed with emotion. C was full of tears as they said their vows to each other privately in a sweet moment before their ceremony. Even the way they wrote their vows said so much about their love story. It wasn't just a small booklet, but rather a journal. One that they had written in with a few entries all the way up to their wedding day, jotted down with love letters that they could read back in years to come. With just an intimate group of 20 of their friends and family present to witness their day, they got to savor all the big and small moments with their favorite people. Check out the rest of their fairytale redwoods wedding at Sparrow Valley Retreat below!

These two liked to joke that they loved to suffer through the most difficult hikes - they had even done a 100+ mile hike through Europe! As Bay Area natives, they decide to get married in Big Sur and were so excited to explore the redwoods and the coast on their wedding day. We started their day in a romantic European style inn by the sea, where they got ready and had their first look. We all then drove down the coast to Loma Vista Gardens for an intimate wedding ceremony with just a few of their family and friends. After cake cutting and lunch, we spent the rest of the day hiking and climbing up and down the coastline. Check out the rest of their Big Sur wedding below!

Sometimes you get lucky and the light shines through the redwoods trees just right, forming beams of light that pierce through the trees. And sometimes you get lucky and someone just happens to light a campfire while you're eloping in the redwoods. For K + J's elopement, they knew they wanted something simple, something outdoors. This was their 13 year anniversary together, and being in the redwoods was something that was meaningful to them as Bay Area natives. On their very first date, K won a carnival game, and many coincidental moments later all which brought them to getting married in Big Sur, they got to experience one of the most magical scenes. Check out the rest of their Big Sur redwoods elopement below!

When A + D started planning their elopement, one of the most important things to them was including their two dogs, Umbra and Oliver. They dreamed of spending their wedding day out in nature, surrounded by the beauty of the redwoods and the ocean. So getting married at Alila Ventana Big Sur was the perfect place for them! They got ready together with their two pups, had a sweet ceremony in the circle of redwoods, cut cake (and fed their dogs their own cake!) on the beach, and ended the day watching the sunset over the coast. Check out the rest of their Big Sur elopement below!

When it came to choosing a wedding date, R + M had a special date in mind - June 12. It wasn't their anniversary, but rather they chose it because it was Loving Day, the day interracial marriage became legal. It was important for these two to honor that day, and they chose to celebrate it in a way that felt authentic to them. As we started planning their day, R + M told me that they wanted to get married somewhere with trees. I sent them a few options, and they decided that they wanted to check them out before deciding on a location. So the day before their elopement, I got an email from them. They were going to have the ceremony at the Airbnb instead! It was perfect - they had booked an Airbnb in the redwoods, and the owners had kindly offered to let them have their ceremony there. We had the most beautiful ceremony on the redwoods deck, where both of them couldn't help but tear up as they said their vows to one another. After adventuring around the Airbnb, we headed out to the beach where we got soaked by the waves, and ended the day on the coast. It was a day that had started off with very loose plans, but ended up being one of the most fun days where these two just enjoyed in all the little moments together. Check out the rest of their Big Sur elopement below!

How many couples can say that they met in 6th grade?! These two started dating their senior year of high school (just like my husband and I!) Almost a decade later, these two knew they wanted to get married somewhere that represented their love of the outdoors. They had visited California once before, but didn't get to see much outside of LA so Big Sur became the perfect destination for them. What's funny is that these two were jetting off to Cabo for their honeymoon after their elopement, but joked that they should've cancelled the trip and put it toward spending more time in Big Sur instead. That's how you know you chose the right place to get married! We ended the night at the beach for sunset, where these two laughed and ran into the ocean as the beautiful golden hues colored the sky. Check out the rest of their Big Sur elopement below!

How many people can say they drove their car all the way from the East Coast to the West Coast for their elopement? N + M got their rad red Corvette just a few months ago, and knew they wanted to include it on their wedding day. Highway 1 to Big Sur was of course, one of the most epic drives in the world! So they drove their car all the way from New Jersey to California (funnily enough, a similar to journey to what Henry Miller, the famous author, made). They said their vows in a beautiful redwoods setting at Henry Miller Library. After celebrating with an intimate group of family and friends, they adventured to the coast to see the rest of Big Sur. Check out the rest of their Henry Miller Library Big Sur elopement below!