destination elopement

Greyhound Rock County Park Elopement » Davenport, California /  by Vivian Chen

After scheduling and rescheduling and postponing multiple times over in 2020 and 2021, Devon and Rico finally landed on an intimate wedding plan that perfectly fit their personalities and vision. While I was no longer available for their larger wedding party plans, they wanted to kick off their wedding week with a family only ceremony at the beach. During one of their many drives along Highway 1, Rico and Devon came across Greyhound Rock County Park and were enchanted by the gorgeous cliffs and rocky beach down below. We met up on a warm summer afternoon where Rico and his family first arrived at the parking lot. I followed Rico down to the ocean where he collected some sea water for their ceremony. The family then made the small hike down to the cliffside while Devon and her mom and sister arrived and prepped themselves. Rico’s father officiated their cliffside nuptials while they exchanged personal vows to one another. Rico’s niece and nephew presented them their rings while his brother-in-law brought the sea water for their water ceremony. Afterwards, the families celebrated with some well wishes and hugs before heading off to their taco dinner down the road. Devon and Rico hung back with their family pup and we headed down to the beach for some dreamy sunset portraits. Despite all the changes to their plans, their minimony celebration came together more beautifully than they could have imagined.

Destination City Hall + Golden Gate Park Elopement » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

A year ago, Alexis and Will flew all the way from Minnesota to get married at San Francisco City Hall. Before making it official, they chose to meet me at the redwood grove in Golden Gate Park where they exchanged private vows with each other. Private vows have become one of my favorite things, especially when it comes to elopements. The civil ceremony at city hall is pretty quick and doesn’t allow for a lot of personalization so taking little moments like these can really add to the magic of the day. I loved being able to photograph these two sweethearts in both a natural landscape and the iconic San Francisco City Hall.

// This is a pre-COVID elopement. I have several weddings from before the pandemic that I never got to share. While I’m a stickler for chronology, I also love these wedding photos so much and want to share them with you all.

Surprise Destination City Hall + Wayfare Tavern Elopement » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

When Diamond and Colin decided to get married, they knew they wanted to do something untraditional. Under the guise of a bachelor/bachelorette party, they flew out with their friends from New Orleans for a weekend of fun in San Francisco. What they didn’t tell their friends was that instead of a bachelor/bachelorette party, they were actually planning to get married at San Francisco City Hall. After the short and sweet ceremony including some livestreaming via phone for family back home, everyone headed over to Wayfare Tavern for a celebratory lunch. It was such a fun elopement and I was so grateful to be a part of the surprise!

Wedding Venue: San Francisco City Hall // Wedding Planner: A Monique Affair // Florals: Envy Floral Design // Lunch Reception: Wayfare Tavern // Cake: Cupcakin' Bake Shop

Multnomah County Courthouse + Sizzle Pie Pizza Party Elopement » Portland, Oregon /  by Vivian Chen

Stephanie and Jonathan wanted to keep things simple for their wedding as being the center of attention just isn’t their thing. Since Stephanie grew up in Portland and her family still lives there, they chose to celebrate by having a small celebration in her hometown with immediate family and two close friends. The day began at the Ace Hotel in downtown Portland where Stephanie and Jonathan got ready together with their friends. (I always love when couples get ready together!) Stephanie chose to do her own hair and make-up and I was so impressed by her updo she styled herself by following a YouTube tutorial. And then she showed me her custom Lace & Liberty wedding gown and I was even more blown away. Gold sequins gown paired with a black and gold feather embroidered cape? Hell yes! And in addition to his suit, Jonathan had a custom-made and hand-painted (by a Buddhist monk!) traditional Vietnamese áo dài to change into for photos.

The couple headed downstairs and met their family in the lobby of the Ace Hotel where Stephanie’s grandmother gifted her a heirloom ring and Jonathan’s mother gave her a golden pearl necklace to wear. Then we all set out to the Multnomah County Courthouse for their wedding ceremony. Stephanie and Jonathan had a short and sweet ceremony where they exchanged their rings in a small courtroom while a local judge officiated. Hugs and kisses concluded the ceremony before we walked across the street for some quick group portraits just as it began to rain (because Portland.) With the ceremony over with, they got to the part of the day everyone was looking forward to: a pizza party lunch reception at Sizzle Pie. Stephanie has lots of fond memories of eating there growing up and it was such a fun and relaxed way to celebrate their marriage with everyone.

After pizza, Stephanie and Jonathan said goodbye to their families while we headed over Cathedral Park for some portraits under the St. John’s Bridge. We dodge raindrops between photos and Jonathan got to change into his custom áo dài for some pictures (before tucking it away as we didn’t want the rain to mess up the paint.) To wrap up the day, Stephanie and Jonathan celebrated with drinks and video games at Ground Kontrol with their friends. We couldn’t have asked for a more low-key and fun Portland wedding!

Intimate Destination City Hall Elopement » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

Having shot elopements at San Francisco City Hall, I’ve seen it become a very popular destination for elopements. Stacy and Rob were no different and fell in love with the building after seeing photos online. After dating for over 25 years, Stacy and Rob finally decided to tie the knot at City Hall with a small celebration. The couple flew up from Southern California and were joined by their children who also traveled from New York and Sacramento to attend this joyous occasion.

Intercontinental Mark Hopkins + SF City Hall Elopement » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

When Monica and Braylen decided to elope, they knew it had to be in San Francisco. Monica said “San Francisco has a permanent place in my heart as my mother and I took a very special trip there together before she passed away in 2016.” Before the ceremony, we met up for portraits at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. Being at the Mark Hopkins was in honor of Monica’s mother due to the fond memories the place held. Afterwards, we headed over to San Francisco City Hall where they had a sweet and short ceremony under the rotunda. It was the perfect way to elope by keeping things simple and meaningful.

Golden Gate Park & City Hall Elopement » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

Allie and Dan have a true modern romance as they intially met via Instagram! After working up the courage to friend request Dan, Allie and Dan messaged for a week and before they knew it they were spending hours on the phone. Soon after Allie flew to Vancouver from California to meet Dan and from the moment they met in person, they knew they would be inseparable. 

They chose to elope at San Francisco City Hall but before they tied the knot under the rotunda, we spent some time in Golden Gate Park. I took them to a little corner of the park that is lush and jungle-like since Dan is from the tropical island of Taiwan and that's where they got engaged. Knowing that the city hall ceremony doesn't allow for much customization, they decided to exchange hand-written private vows while surrounded by greenery. (It was such a sweet moment and now I want all of my future elopement couples to do this same thing!) Afterwards, we all headed over to city hall for the legal ceremony before joining Allie's parents at Brenda's French Soul Food for a celebratory lunch. 

Hotel: Kimpton Buchanan // Floral Design: Ampersand SF // Hair & Make-up: Urban Beauty Loft // Allie's Dress: BHLDN // Allie's Shoes: Sam Edelman // Rings: Maison Birks & Bellyssa Jewelry

Destination City Hall Elopement + North Beach Lunch Reception » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

Matt and Malika live in Southern California and while they knew they didn't want a large traditional wedding, they still wanted to get married in style. The classic and grand architecture of San Francisco City Hall made the perfect venue for their winter elopement plans. So they gathered their small families to explore San Francisco for a weekend getaway that kicked off with their city hall ceremony. After the vows, we caught ride to North Beach were took a nice little stroll through the historic neighborhood before ending up at Cotogna for their lunch reception. 

International City Hall Destination Elopement » San Francisco, California /  by Vivian Chen

Laura and David are quite the international couple. She's Finnish and he's British and they've both traveled around the world together. They currently live in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam where they moved for David's work. When they decided to get married, they figured why not go some place completely different which also happens to have one of the prettiest city halls to elope! After their ceremony, we wandered around Hayes Valley and Baker Beach for some San Francisco-centric portraits.