Mary's Guide to California
California Elopement Guide
You want to elope in California? I get it, I did too! California is my favorite because it has such a wonderful variety of landscapes. You can choose to elope deep in the mountains or elope on the ocean. Not only is California filled with gorgeous, wild landscapes, but there are so many fun activities to do, from the best restaurants, wineries, to awesome outdoor activities like rock climbing, fly fishing, surfing, and mountain biking. It’s the perfect place for an adventurous elopement, and I’m excited to share my complete guide to eloping in California.
What is an elopement?
A modern-day elopement is when a couple chooses to get married in an untraditional way that focuses on the experience of the day above all else. Elopements are deeply meaningful, and intimate wedding day experiences.
There are no rules for an elopement, except to fully focus on creating a day that feels good to you.
Some couples choose to have only their closest friends and families in attendance to witness their vows, some choose to just create an adventurous day focuses on them.
Where in California should we elope?
Best Places to Elope in California
Choosing a location to elope can feel overwhelming with all the possibilities. Many couples who reach out to me don’t have a location picked out yet, and that’s totally fine. Many photographers don’t tag specific locations in their social media posts, to help preserve the places they are photographing, and to keep the crowds at bay. Here’s a general list of some of my favorite spots within California to have an elopement. Once we chat, I can begin giving you specific location ideas.
Location
Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It is in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and straddles between Nevada and California. To get to the northern part of Lake Tahoe, it’s about a 30 minute drive from Reno, Nevada. To get to South Lake Tahoe, it’s about a 1 hour 30 min from Sacramento.
Best Time of Year to Elope
My favorite months in Lake Tahoe for warm weather are June-October. July and August tend to get very crowded, but if you are ok with going off the beaten path, there are plenty of secluded places to choose from. I love the fall the most, as the fall colors are changing, and it’s still warm enough to hop in the lake, even towards the end of September. If you are looking for a snowy elopement, the winter months in Lake Tahoe are gorgeous!
Lake Tahoe
Why I love it
I love Tahoe so much, I even eloped there myself! I live close to Lake Tahoe, so I spend a lot of my free time exploring around here. Lake Tahoe, and it’s outlying areas, has many gorgeous, secluded spots to have your elopement. One of the best parts of eloping in Tahoe, is the diversity of landscapes you get to choose from. From lakefront views, to mountain views, to forest views, Tahoe has it all.. I might be biased, but I think Lake Tahoe is one of the best places to elope in Northern California, and I’d be happy to share my favorite spots with you!
Location
There are Redwood forests lining all up and down the coast of Northern California. The biggest parks are Redwood National Park near Humboldt, and Sequoia National Park, further south. I’m happy to share my favorite locations with you!
Best Time of Year to Elope
I recommend eloping in the Redwood forests between the months of May - October. The winter months tend to bring heavy rainfall.
2. Redwood National and State Parks
Why I love it
The redwood forest has a beauty unlike anywhere else I’ve been. The ancient tree’s provide such a calming, and peaceful environment. You feel like you’re in an enchanted forest when you’re within it. I love the redwood forests in Northern California, because oftentimes, you can have your ceremony in a redwood grove, and then drive to the beach for epic sunset photos- there’s nothing quite like a California sunset over the ocean!
Check out this Redwood elopement:
Location
The eastern Sierra stretches from Lone Pine in the south to the Nevada line in the north.
Best Time of Year to Elope
Fall or Spring are the best months to get married here. The summer months tend to get hot, but there are plenty of high elevation mountain passes to hike into. In the winter, get married outside of Bishop, in the high alpine desert, among the giant granite boulders.
3. Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains
Why I love it
The Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains are a hidden gem in California. The 14 thousand ft peaks that surround you can make you feel like you’re in the Himalayas. It’s a high desert landscape, so you can choose be surrounded by succulents and sage as you say your vows, with snow dusted peaks behind you, or do an adventurous hike to an alpine lake in the mountains. There tend to be fewer crowds here than other parts of California, largely because it’s a bit remote.
Check out these Eastern Sierra elopements:
Location
Yosemite National Park sits in the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the eastern central part of California. From San Francisco, it takes about 3 hours to drive to YNP.
Best Time of Year to Elope
I recommend eloping in between September - May. I always recommend avoiding the summer months due to the crowds. My favorite time of year in Yosemite is in mid-October, and mid-March. The park is completely quiet, and it feels like you have the whole place to yourself.
Things to Know
Taft Point and Glacier Point, are extremely popular spots to take photos at in Yosemite. If you want photos done here, you should expect a crowd. Also, the road to these spots are closed will be closed for 2022. However, there are so many more gorgeous places in Yosemite to have your elopement, other than these crowded, Instagram famous spots.
Make sure you apply for your permit well in advance. Click here to download the application and find more information.
4. Yosemite National Park
Why I love it
Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Anyone who has been there can attest to this. From giant granite walls, to cascading waterfalls, peaceful meadows, and giant sequoias, there is absolutely no where else like it, and is guaranteed to take your breath away.
Check out this Yosemite elopement:
Location
Big Sur is on the central coast of California. About 2 hours south of San Francisco.
Best Time of Year to Elope
Big Sur is a wonderful place to elope year round. The rainiest months are December - March.
5. Big Sur
Why I love it
The scenery in Big Sur is absolutely stunning. Big Sur has dramatic, rocky cliffs that jut into the pacific ocean. Not only do you get the coastal views here, but there are redwood forests here as well.
Location
Any area along the coast north of San Francisco is gorgeous. I particularly love the Fort Bragg area, Sea Ranch, and Mendocino coastline.
Best Time of Year to Elope
The rainiest time of year is from December through March. The warmest times of year tends to be Spring and Fall. Funny enough, summer temperatures can be quite cool.
6. Coastline North of San Francisco
Why I love it
The part of this coastline reminds of Big Sur, without the traffic and crowds. You get dramatic, rocky cliffs, and gorgeous ocean views, along with gorgeous Redwood trees. It’s easy to find secluded, private spots to have your ceremony in, and amazing airbnbs to stay in. In the mornings, it can get foggy, giving it a moody, PNW vibe. I have lots of secret beaches along the coast that I can recommend, where it’s likely you’ll have the entire beach to yourself.
Check out this Sea Ranch elopement:
How do we elope in California?
Elopement Planning Checklist
Follow these steps to begin making your dream wedding day come true! Planning an elopement is still work, but it’s a lot less stressful than planning a wedding for 150+ people.
1. Brainstorm your dream wedding day
Make it a date night, and brainstorm your dream wedding day together.
What do you want your day to feel like?
What would your wedding day look like if you could do anything in the world?
Think about the best days you’ve had together, where were you and what did you do together?
Guestlist - Do you want it to just be you, or have your closest friends and family? Follow your gut with this one. Only invite people that make your heart the happiest, and are up for whatever adventure you’re dreaming up. There are a lot of ways to include loved ones who weren’t able to make it, following your ceremony.
2. Hire your elopement photographer + guide
Elopement photographers are often the utmost experts at elopements and can help you with everything from picking a special location, to hiring vendors, getting the right permits, and all other practical information that goes into elopements.
Hire a photographer who has experience photographing adventure elopements, and the whole planning process will be much smoother.
3. Choose a general location and date
Once you have your dream wedding day in mind, make the decisions that will affect your wedding day the most, like where you’ll get married, what time of year, and how long your trip will be. If you’re having trouble picking a place in California to elope, I can help you narrow down some locations. Here is a list of some of my favorite spots to elope in California.
Consider a weekday elopement. Weekdays are amazing for elopements because you’ll have much more privacy, less traffic, easier reservations, and more vendors available. Also, it’s a chance for you to make your trip a longer one, and combine your elopement with your honeymoon!
4. Plan out the details
Vendors
If you haven’t already hired an elopement photographer, do so now! They can help with so many aspects of the planning experience, like recommending great vendors who specialize in elopements.
Consider hiring a videographer. Your loved ones who can’t attend will appreciate it!
Hire a florist, and hair and makeup, if that’s your thing! Or begin to learn to do your makeup yourself (like I did!) Naomi from Beyond the Literal offers virtual makeup lessons and is absolutely amazing.
Book your flight and lodging
Flights - I love using google flights to find the best ticket prices. Search with “flexible dates” to see the best prices for flights.
Lodging - I love booking places using the websites below, for unique spots to stay in, in beautiful locations, off the beaten path.
Outdoorsy If you’re feeling more adventurous, rent an RV, or camper van to stay in for your wedding adventure.
Elopement attire
Wedding dress - Choose a dress that you feel comfortable in, and extra bonus if it’s flowy. Flowy dresses look amazing in outdoor elopements, because the wind can pick it up and it adds a whole other element to the photographs. This is your day, and I encourage you to choose whatever attire feels the most like you! You can be funky, or traditional as you want. The most important part, if feeling comfortable in what you’re wearing, because we’ll move around a lot on your elopement day. When you’re trying on dresses, move around a lot, to make sure you feel comfortable.
Suit - Grooms, pick a suit that you feel comfortable in as well! This is your chance to have a suit tailored specifically to you. Choose an outfit that fits well with your fiancé’s wedding dress, with complementary colors.
Color palette - For color palette inspiration, think about the landscape you’ll be getting married in and choose colors that blend well with the environment. I can help you with this if you have no clue where to start!
Weather - Think about the season you’ll be getting married in. Will it be winter? Will it be hot outside? Make sure you think about these things when planning your outfits. I want you to be comfortable, and relaxed on your wedding day, and be properly prepared will set you up for the best day ever. If you’re getting married in cold weather, consider sizing suits up a little bit for warm layers underneath. I always recommend for my winter brides to wear nude fleece leggings underneath their wedding dresses.
Shoes - Wear something you can move around easily in. Make sure you feel sturdy in your shoes so that we can capture those epic photos. Feel free to wear hiking boots, and if you want some photos wearing kickass heels, bring those along in your backpack! If you’re getting married on a beach, go barefoot!
5. Ceremony planning
Will you be hiring an officiant? Or having a self solemnizing ceremony? In California, you need someone ordained to sign your marriage license. (I’m ordained, so I can be your witness if you want to have a self solemnizing ceremony in California.) Even though there are two spots on the marriage license, you only need one witness to sign your marriage license in California.
Write your vows. Make them personal!
6. Apply for a marriage license
- In California, your marriage license is valid for 90 days after receiving it. There’s no waiting period after applying to get married.
-You and your fiancé must both be physically present when applying for the license.
-Bring a valid photo id, your social security number, and cash or a credit card to pay the fee - the price depends on the county you apply in, licenses range from $35-$110.
-You only need one witness over 18 to be at your elopement in California. If it’s just you two, I can be your witness! (I’m officially ordained)
-You can apply in a different county than the one you are planning to elope in.
-Visit here for more details on marriage licenses in California.
Tip - If you aren’t sure if you want to change your last name, tell them this when you’re applying, so they can give you the option to change it later on without much hassle. Even if you think you don’t want to change your last name, I recommend at least giving yourself the option later on, because you might have a change of heart.
5. Finally… Get married!
After all the planning, now is the time to have the best elopement day ever!
Where I'm Going
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Travel is an important part of my practice and I’m happy to share my travel & location knowledge with you. Here’s where I’m going next. Want me to add your elopement or wedding to my travel?
Where I'm Going