Big Sur adventure Styled Elopement

Styled Elopement, as defined by West Wedding Co.: a carefully curated adventurous and aesthetically pleasing photoshoot, intended to spark inspiration for couples intending to elope.

The goal of this photoshoot was to showcase things that aren't as normal in the mainstream wedding industry, like a natural fiber (linen and cotton) wedding dress as opposed to the more traditional synthetic fiber gowns, a bouquet that is exaggerated but dreamy, simple and delicate turquoise jewelry, instead of the traditional bold style.

I sourced materials that were soft and natural, to craft a dress that would flatter the body of the wearer. The bride liked the idea of a low, open back, with a square neckline. Since we were planning to be in the water and hike across dunes, I decided to design a top that didn't require the use of boning or harsh structure, but had flattering lines, for the ultimate comfort of the bride.

On the morning of the date, an amazing team of hair and makeup artists joined us in Huntington Beach to create a natural but beachy glamified look on our model. With the knowledge that we'd be battling wind and rain on the coast, they paid special attention to techniques that would ensure the makeup and hair could hold up under more extreme circumstances.

After a 5 hour drive to San Luis Obispo, we made our way to Montana De Oro State Park. We utilized 6 different locations in the park and took photos for 3 hours. Towards the evening, the rain picked back up, and even though the forecast was calling for thick clouds to roll in, there was a pause where the sun broke through and we managed to do photos in gorgeous frothy waves in the most beautiful warm pink light.

A goal for both the bridal model and myself was to fully embrace the " Big World + Tiny People" aesthetic. With about 15 minutes of daylight left, I dropped the couple off at the cliff trailhead and drove back down to the beach, photographing them from below. A seagull flew across my lens with the last few snaps of my shutter.

As the sun dropped below the horizon we decided to do one last fun thing before heading back to SoCal. We cut a huge slit into the brides dress for a few precious photos after sundown. My cameras were sticky with salt, the couple was drenched from the huge waves that had picked up, but we wanted to push just the littlest bit more for something unique and special.

Many people start their elopement planning process by asking me, "What do you think?", or, "What do other people do?". While I understand the intentions of the question, my constant reply is, "What do you want?", and then to follow that up with ideas and inspiration that they can customize to be unique to themselves, to their story, their location, and the ideals they have sought after. I hope everything in this post inspires you to go beyond the norm and to create and elopement day that you'll want to relive over and over: