A castle by the sea, does it get more romantic than that? B + A originally had an entirely different wedding planned in Oregon, but when their accommodations fell through, it didn’t feel right. It was so important for them to find a place where their families could spend the week together, so they started looking far and wide for the perfect place. Amidst their search, they were reminded of how much they loved their time spent on the coast of California. And when they found this castle by the sea, with towers rising into the sky reminiscent of Hogwarts, bookcases filled with tomes, and hidden doors with countless rooms to explore, this Slytherin and Ravenclaw couple knew this was it. Check out the rest of their Pebble Beach intimate wedding below!

M + J met the old-fashioned way - not through dating apps, but through Instagram DMs. They had a shared passion of travel, so M chose to propose on the Big Sur coast, an epic location that reflected the mountains, the water, and the trees they loved so much on their adventures. Check out the rest of their romantic proposal below!

​Sometimes life gets crazy, but that doesn’t mean major life milestones have to be put off! In the midst of buying a house, moving, and yes, even E graduating med school in a few days, these two got to slow down and take a day to celebrate their love story. We adventured, we laughed, and we shared stories of our respective goldendoodle fur babies, a perfect day. Check out the rest of H + E's Alila Ventana Big Sur elopement below!

When B saw D playing guitar in a music video, little did she know that this man would one day be her husband. A love story straight out of a novel, these two fell in love when he crossed oceans to start a new chapter in LA. When they started to plan their wedding, they knew they wanted something intimate, something meaningful in a place that epitomized their love of California's landscapes. With his family all flying from overseas, they wanted to show their families the beauty of the place they lived. Big Sur became the perfect place for them. They started their day with a private first look in the redwoods, then had a beautiful sunny ceremony overlooking the coast, and ended with sunset overlooking the water. Check out the rest of their Alila Ventana Big Sur wedding below!

When J planned to propose on their trip to Big Sur, he could not have predicted that Highway 1 would have a slip-out and close for a month and a half. Their trip was planned for the week that the highway was set to reopen, but he couldn't take any chances. Since no cars were able to go into Big Sur except through twice daily convoys, he looked into hiring a helicopter. But in a twist of fate, the highway reopened early, and they were able to go to Big Sur after all. In a last minute plan to find an epic spot to propose to his parter N, we decided upon this lookout spot that overlooked the bridge and the coast. It was exactly what he envisioned. And their proposal could not be complete without their two pups! We headed out to the beach after, where they had a blast just running around with their fur babies, spending time with each other doing what they loved. Check out the rest of their Big Sur proposal below!

D + C had originally planned a completely different day - they were supposed to get married in the redwoods at Glen Oaks Big Sur. They had always been drawn to the incredible landscapes of the Pacific Coast, and knew they wanted a day surrounded by nature. We had plans to drive up the coast and adventure on the cliffs before heading back to the redwoods for their ceremony. Highway 1 had other plans for us though - just a month before their wedding, the highway had a dangerous slip out on the same weekend that they came to visit their venue. They managed to get out of Big Sur in time, but all traffic was closed to Big Sur. The day after the slip out, they visited Holman Ranch, a winery located in Carmel Valley. It became their new venue, and in just a month, they moved everything from Big Sur to Carmel Valley.

Just a few days before their wedding, the weather forecast had another surprise for them. It was forecasted to be sunny all week, but on their wedding day - just that one day - it was expected to rain. Though this could've easily put a damper on most people's wedding days, I found these two in such good spirits when I arrived. They decided to keep their ceremony and reception outdoors, and we even braved the rain and drove down Highway 1 to see the coast. Though we originally had a different coastal location planned, I had an idea for a last minute change that would get them closer to the coast without needing to trek through the mud. It ended up being the perfect stop, and the rain even let up! Soon after, the sun came out and we had a beautiful rest of the day at Holman Ranch. Check out the rest of their wedding below!

Exactly one year since their proposal, K + J got married with just their immediate family as their witness. The ocean served as their backdrop, and they even spotted an otter mom and baby swimming on the coast! It was little moments like that, or their nephew walking down the aisle with his ring security box, that made their day feel so intimate and meaningful. While we had to change locations last minute due to highway closures, we got to experience the magic of spring in Big Sur - yellow and white wildflowers lining the trails, calla lilies growing in the valley, and of course, the epic cliffs and coastal views that Big Sur was so famous for. Check out the rest of their Carmel and Big Sur elopement below!

D + C told me that it was important to them that they got to just be themselves - to savor the quiet moments, the warm embraces, the subtle looks, the gentle hand touches, the genuine awe of taking in the landscapes around them. They weren't the type of couple to run around with the biggest laughs, but instead found a safe home in each other where they feel at peace. So when it came to approaching photography for their day, I wanted to make sure that I respected their story - and it was exactly those quiet moments that made their day feel so authentic. They got ready together in a romantic cabin in the woods, cut a little cake together, changed into boots to explore the seasonal calla lilies, and got to see the Big Sur coastline (and even a cute little otter swimming below them!) If that all sounds like a dream Big Sur elopement for you, check out more photos below for inspiration!

Picture this, you are sitting in a small cabin in the woods on a snowy day. There's a fire burning in the hearth, with a pot of blackcurrant juice heating up over it. You’ve just come inside from the snow, and you shed layers and warm up by the fire with a sweet drink. Not your vibe? No problem. You are in a small coastal city with a group of friends. The sun is shining and the weather is perfect for a picnic, so you pack up your things and you all head to the canal, rent a boat and picnic in the middle of the harbor. Still want more? Okay try this. It’s nearing midnight, and you’ve just woken up from a nap. Your bag is packed by the door while you heat up a drink to put in your thermos. Your phone starts buzzing with alerts, and you look out your window into the sky to see the faintest streak of green light cut across the starry night sky. You grab your things, race to your car and drive just 10 minutes away from town to an open clearing. The sky is ablaze with lights of green, pink, red, and purple. If you like any or all of those things, then check out our Nordic Country Travel Guide, which covers Finland, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. If you want to plan an even longer trip, you can check out our Norway and Faroe Islands Travel Guide!

P reached out to me about scheduling their engagement session, but little did she know that V planned to secretly propose to her! We set the date and location for the session, on the beach just like some of their favorite memories spent exploring the California coast. She didn't expect the proposal at all when I had her turn around! Check out the rest of their beautiful sunset proposal session below.