This beautiful Northern California Elopement Photography was a unique and intimate day. Maggie & Brian chose to Elope Among the Redwoods, and created a day that was incredibly beautiful and relaxed, while staying true to themselves. 

Like so many of my couples in 2020, Maggie & Brian’s intimate wedding plans took an unexpected turn thanks to the pandemic. And, just like every single incredible couple who trusted me to help plan and capture their elopement last year, they took the changes in their stride. Brian and I connected through our love of Priest Lake in Idaho – we both spent a lot of our childhoods there – and that was where he & Maggie, who is from Bulgaria, had originally planned to host their intimate wedding. As it became clear the pandemic wasn’t going away anytime soon, they decided to do something closer to home and planned a Northern California Elopement. They still created a really beautiful day, that was wonderfully unique to them, and their parents were able to join them for their ceremony overlooking the wild North Pacific Ocean.  

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Northern California Elopement Photography

The coastline of California is endlessly famous for a reason – from the white sand beaches of San Diego to the wild rocky outcrops of the Northern California coast. So, if you’re looking to plan a coastal elopement, the Golden state is well worth considering. Maggie & Brian live in San Francisco and they were eager to explore something a little different, but still within driving distance. They found a beautiful bed & breakfast in Mendocino that looks out across the Pacific Ocean and that’s well within reach of California’s famous redwood forests. 

The bed & breakfast, the Agate Cove Inn, has a really sweet rambling garden that made for a beautiful backdrop for their ceremony. The pair were perfectly framed by two magnificent coastal pine trees as waves broke in the background, which made for spectacular Northern California Elopement Photography. Meanwhile, their parents looked on proudly, while Brian’s stepdad officiated.

Elope Among the Redwoods

It was important to Maggie & Brian that they include their parents in their wedding ceremony, but they also wanted to spend time exploring this incredible piece of coastline. Of course, the California Coast is known for its towering redwood forests, and so we started the day with a trip on the Skunk Train. This old-fashioned train was a really fun little introduction to the redwood forests, before we spent some time exploring a couple of local beaches. Later on, we decided to spend some time in a more intimate setting, hiking a short trail into a redwood grove once the pair had changed into their wedding clothes. 

If you’ve ever stood in a redwood grove, you’ll know that the atmosphere is somehow magical and humbling all at once. The combination of the redwood forest’s vibrant colors and the tree’s towering heights seem almost impossible, and it’s a truly incredible experience. If you’d like to Elope Among the Redwoods, there are so many wonderful groves to explore along the Californian coast, any of which will provide the most intimate backdrop for your Northern California Elopement Photography. 

Unique California Elopement Timeline

Something that was really fun and unique about Maggie & Brian’s elopement is the way they planned out their day. They knew they wanted to make the most of their time in Northern California, and so we started their Northern California Elopement Photography even before the ‘getting ready’ part of the day. We started the day with a portrait session on the Skunk Train and at the beach, before heading back to the Agate Cove Inn. While Maggie & Brian got ready, I took some detail shots, and we headed out to explore the redwood forest and a few different spots along the wild coastline. Finally, we made our way back to the bed & breakfast where the pair shared their vows just before sunset. A violinist, one of Maggie’s Dad’s colleagues, played through their ceremony, and afterwards, they shared a champagne toast, using beautiful napkins from Brian’s grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration. We were never in any rush, just enjoying every beautiful spot and all it had to offer, and Maggie & Brian were able to include some really lovely details while being true to themselves.

Maggie & Brian’s unique California elopement timeline is just another great example of why you don’t need to worry about convention or ‘rules’ when it comes to planning your elopement. Your elopement should be a day that stays true to who you are as a couple, and that makes the most of whichever location (or locations!) you choose. 

Are you planning to Elope Among the Redwoods? I’d love to help you make the most of your day. Just get in touch to find our more and start planning! 

Did you love Maggie & Brian’s Northern California Elopement Photography? Let them know in the comments below!