Big Sur Elopement | Holly & Trent
Holly & Trent had the most perfect day for their Big Sur Elopement.
Getting to this point involved a ton of changed plans, but in the end, it was beyond worth it. Covid had its way with their original plan for their wedding, but I believe these two truly got the best of every scenario to celebrate their marriage.
We were set to shoot Holly & Trent’s San Luis Obispo wedding this winter, which ended up being postponed. These two still wanted to get married, so they headed off to Reno to seal the deal, celebrating with a relaxing weekend in Big Sur. They invited me up one of the days they were there to adventure around the gorgeous landscape of this region of coastal California, and boy was it just beautiful.
Eloping in Big Sur in the winter is a bit of a gamble for many reasons. The weather can be less than ideal this time of year, and crazy things like mudslides happen every so often. Holly & Trent decided to make an adventure out of it anyway. The weather was absolutely perfect. Soft clouds and warm sunlight made for the most gorgeous setting for their elopement.
We did run into a bit of a problem (which ended up being the biggest blessing in disguise!). Just a few weeks before their elopement, a portion of Highway 1 connecting San Luis Obispo to Big Sur slid out due to the burn scar from last summer’s Dolan Fire. What I first saw as a total inconvenience ended up being the best thing to happen- there was virtually no one travelling through Big Sur.
Holly & Trent truly got to retreat from the hustle of life together. They had Ventana Big Sur’s glamping grounds almost entirely to themselves. When we ventured to Garrapata State Park, we barely had to share the gorgeous bluff trail with anyone. For a place that is often full of people, it was quite empty, and added to the already laid-back, intimate feeling of this sweet elopement.
The Best Places to Elope in Big Sur
I truly developed a new appreciation for Big Sur while scouting locations for Holly & Trent’s elopement. A place I’d visited so often in college, I was now truly viewing it for the first time through an elopement photographer’s lens. It was so fun to hunt for places that would look just as beautiful as they would create a perfect backdrop for this special day for Holly & Trent, and the photos that will forever remind them of the weekend they spent away from the world celebrating forever.
We began their elopement at the stunning campground at Ventana Big Sur. Redwood trees towered around us as the early afternoon sunlight illuminated the woods. We hiked all around the still forest as birds chirped and the creek dribbled through. It was the perfect setting to begin such a relaxed afternoon.
As the sun began to set, we made our way to the dramatic cliffs of Big Sur. Holly & Trent were looking for a mix of forest & coast for their elopement, and Big Sur truly delivers all of the above in the most gorgeous way. We opted to spend golden hour along the stunning bluff trail at Garrapata State Park in northern Big Sur, just south of Carmel.
We meandered our way along the rugged coastline that gives way to the Pacific as a warm evening breeze settled in for the evening. Holly & Trent got to cap off their beautiful elopement day with a vibrant, colorful sunset before heading back to Ventana for an evening snuggled up with their husky, Sasha, and a campfire.
