Lands End + Manus Lux Tattoo + Chez Maman COVID Elopement » San Francisco, California

After waiting exactly a year to reschedule their elopement, Shannon and Matt were finally able to have the tiny celebration they originally planned on April 20, 2021. The day started by getting ready together at their home and a quick first look in their backyard. We then headed over to Lands End for their ceremony. In front of their families, Shannon and Matt exchanged tearful vows and high fives overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. After the short and sweet (and windy!) ceremony, Shannon and Matt met up with their tattoo artist, Nakona at Manus Lux Tattoo. Both of them have Nakona’s work on their bodies so it only seemed fitting that they both get wedding ring tattoos from their favorite artist. Matt works with his hands so a traditional wedding ring wasn’t very practical. Nakona (who is also my tattoo artist and an all around lovely human being) took his time creating complimentary designs for their ring fingers and set to work in his beautifully remodeled shop. After the session, we headed over to Potrero Hill for the classic city skyline portraits before joining their families for a delicious dinner reception at Chez Maman. Not one for traditions, I absolutely adored capturing Shannon and Matt’s uniquely San Francisco celebration and spending time with our mutual friend, Nakona.

Battery Rathbone-McIndoe Marin Headlands Elopement » Mill Valley, California

Zoe and Tom chose a beautiful overlook in the Marin Headlands for their family focused elopement. They gathered on classic windy spring afternoon at Battery Rathbone-McIndoe for a quick ceremony high on a cliff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean. Tom’s brother officiated while Zoe’s niece and nephew presented the couple with their rings before sealing their vows with a kiss as the fog started to settle in. The families celebrated with bubbles, champagne and apple cider and some fresh picked strawberries from the farmer’s market earlier that morning. While everyone else headed to their celebratory dinner plans, Zoe and Tom hung back to explore the windswept foggy Marin Headlands for some portraits.

Mount Tamalpais + Muir Beach COVID Elopement » Mill Valley, California

Saatchi and Luvreet originally planned to get married in Luvreet’s parent’s backyard but after seeing some of the outdoor elopements I shot last year, they were curious about Marin. Once I shared some galleries from Mount Tamalpais, they decided to change course and plan an outdoor Marin elopement. We started the afternoon on Mount Tamalpais for some portraits of the two of them among the majestic oak trees and rolling green hillsides. Sweet florals from Charlotte & Daughters added that special bit of warm to their wedding outfits. Afterwards, we headed down to Muir Beach where we met up with Saatchi and Luvreet’s families to hike up to a cliffside overlook for their ceremony. Luvreet’s sister officiated while both of their parents shared poems and words of wisdom with the couple. When it came time to exchange vows, Luvreet surprised everyone with what was essentially a lighthearted roast of Saatchi that got everyone laughing. After exchanging rings and sealing the ceremony with a kiss, they all hiked back down to the beach where everyone celebrate with cake from Butter&, champagne and celebratory flower petal toss.

Santa Cruz County Courthouse + Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park COVID Elopement » Santa Cruz, California

When Joe and Daphne made their appointment to elope at the Santa Cruz County Courthouse, they had no idea that the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard would be in full bloom. They drove up from Los Angeles and met up with Daphne’s sister and brother-in-law to celebrate together. Everyone stood underneath the fluffy pink blooms as a light breeze periodically sent petals fluttering down like delicate snowflakes. Like a scene out of a springtime Japanese anime, Joe and Daphne exchanged vows and rings while a few happy tears were shed. After the sweet and simple ceremony, we headed over the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park for some redwood portraits and a celebratory picnic. We wandered the trails while listening to the birds singing among the canopy before they found a spot for champagne, charcuterie and cake. We could not have asked for a more lovely day.

Intimate City Hall + Golden Gate Park Elopement » San Francisco, California

In honor of San Francisco City Hall opening back up for civil ceremonies on June 7, I wanted to share one of the last of my pre-COVID weddings. (I had several weddings from before the pandemic that I never got to post. While I’m a stickler for chronology, I also love these wedding photos so much and want to share them with you all.)

Annie and Tomar opted for a simple and sweet San Francisco City Hall wedding with just the two of them and a good friend who brought them a yummy cake to celebrate the nuptials. After their sweet ceremony at city hall, we headed over to the Lily Pond area of Golden Gate Park for some additional portraits outside. As Annie and Tomar were planning to move away from the Bay Area in a few months, they really wanted to commemorate some of their favorite parts of San Francisco. We explored the park a bit and they were even greeted by a cute little duck family!

Intimate Winter Ravenswood Historic Site COVID Elopement » Livermore, California

Melissa and Tom were married on an unseasonably warm January afternoon. Surrounded by a small group of their closest friends with many more tuning in via cellphone Zoom, the celebrated with a tiny ceremony at Ravenswood Historic Site in Livermore. The star of the day was definitely their pup, Janey, who was so excited that her humans were getting married that she couldn’t stay on the sidelines. After the ceremony, we wandered the gardens for some portraits before Melissa and Tom headed off to have a virtual dinner party with their friends. They planned to have everyone pick up a meal from Range Life and then log on together for a Zoom dinner reception where everyone enjoyed their food from the safety of their own homes. Such a sweet and simple way to honor their wedding day!

San Francisco City Hall + Quince Restaurant Wedding » San Francisco, California

I first met Aliya and Ryan at Aliya’s sister, Meta’s wedding several years ago. So when Aliya decided to get married with a small celebration at San Francisco City Hall, her mother reached out to me again to document the day. We met up at JW Marriott in San Francisco where Aliya and Ryan had their first look on the rooftop garden. Afterwards, we headed over to San Francisco City Hall where they had reserved the Mayor’s Balcony for their traditional Jewish ceremony. Aliya and Ryan stood underneath the chuppah held up by their close friends and family. Family members also shared their blessings before Ryan broke the glass and everyone cheered. After a few photos with the family, the couple and I explored the different levels of city hall for some portraits before heading out to North Beach where we snapped a few photos while we walked to Quince for their dinner reception. Everyone mingled and the parents shared short toasts before settling in for their intimate celebratory dinner. Special shout out to Gusto from Slow Fall Cinema for capturing all on video!

// 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.

Marin Headlands COVID Elopement » Sausalito, California

Kimber and Brendan reached out to me with a wild idea. They planned to get married and elope somewhere in the Marin Headlands in a week but wasn’t sure if it was possible. I checked my calendar and said I was up for the challenge and sent them a list of my favorite spots in the Marin Headlands. After a quick scouting trip a few days later, they settled on this beautiful spot on the bluff above Tyler’s Beach. Grey clouds hung low in the air as the evening sunlight played hide and seek along the Northern California coast. Kimber and Brendan and their good friend, Suus, hiked down to the bluff and we set up a cell phone to record the ceremony for friends and family who couldn’t be there. Suus officiated while Kimber and Brendan shared personal vows. Happy tears were shed and a kiss was exchanged before we all celebrated. Afterwards, we headed up the hill to explore the trails overlooking Rodeo Beach before wrapping up our time together over at the Headland Center for the Arts.

// You can read more about Kimber and Brendan’s experience planning their elopement on A Practical Wedding blog.

Goat Rock Beach COVID Elopement » Jenner, California

When Mei-Lani and Luke had to postpone their Alaskan wedding plans, they sought out to find a simpler and safer alternative that still captured their love of the great outdoors. After driving up and down the California Coast, they settled on this beautiful stretch of land at Goat Rock Beach in Jenner. Surrounded by Mei-Lani’s family, Luke’s brother, and two dogs, Mei-Lani’s sister officiated while the tiny ceremony on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards, we all headed down to the beach where Mei-Lani and Luke had prepared a delicious dim-sum picnic for everyone to enjoy while the sun set beneath the waves.

Mount Tamalpais + Muir Beach Sunset COVID Elopement » Mill Valley, California

Even though Gao and Jose eloped by getting married virtually, they still wanted to mark the occasion and celebrate with a portrait session. We started the shoot on Mount Tamalpais where they wore traditional Hmong wedding outfits as a nod to Gao’s heritage before changing into their traditional Western wedding clothes. Gao carried a DIY bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley, one of her favorite blooms, while we did a first look and some more exploring along the steep hillsides. Afterwards, we headed down to Muir Beach for sunset portraits along the rocky shoreline. We were able to time the day perfectly to catch the prettiest golden hour light right at the end of our shoot. There’s nothing quite like these winter sunsets in Northern California.

Old Mill Park + Muir Beach COVID Destination Elopement » Muir Beach, California

Megan and Jeremy envisioned themselves getting married on a bluff overlooking the ocean but also love redwood forests. So when they reached out to me for their elopement and said “We just want to enjoy ourselves and capture our happy moment in the mystical setting of Northern California”, I knew exactly where to go: Marin. The redwoods in Mill Valley’s Old Mill Park would serve as our first stop for a quick engagement session before changing into wedding outfits. After a few more photos in the grove, we hopped in our cars and drove out to Muir Beach for their ceremony. Together we hiked up to a little overlook above Muir Beach. This spot was the same place where Jeremy had originally planned to propose to Megan but due to an unexpected case of food poisoning, the plans were temporarily abandoned. But on this day, they returned to exchange vows and start the next chapter of their lives together. As it was just the two of them, Megan and Jeremy started their ceremony by reading letters their family sent them, sharing words of encouragement and love. They exchanged vows and rings before sealing it with a kiss and a little happy dance. Afterwards, we walked back down to the beach where Megan and Jeremy celebrated with champagne picnic just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Morcom Rose Garden + Lake Merritt Pier COVID Minimony » Oakland, California

F and I love living in Oakland and when their plans to get married at the Camron-Stanford House had to be postponed, they decided to hold a smaller minimony at Lake Merritt. After exploring the lake, they found the tiny little pier right next to Lake Merritt Hotel that would be perfect for their minimony. I met up with the couple at their home for a quick first look in their backyard before heading over to the Morcom Rose Garden for some portraits among the bright blooms and reflecting pool. Afterwards, we drove over to Lake Merritt where their small group of friends and family were waiting for them. F and I exchanged vows and rings as gorgeous fluffy post-rain clouds floated by. The flock of pelicans on Lake Merritt even made a little appearance during the festivities. As the cafe lights encircling Lake Merritt illuminated for the evening, everyone celebrated with a little champagne toast before heading off to Drake’s Dealership for pizza and beer.