When D & R reached out to me, they already had their date, location, and the people they wanted to share their date with already picked out. Unlike most couples who start their elopement day at the beginning of their story, D & R decided to celebrate 10 years of being together in the best way possible – by officially tying the knot.
They decided that they wanted to get married in Redwood National Park surrounded by towering Redwood trees, stunning coastlines, and the support of their moms. They wanted their day to be a way to honor their story that began 10 years ago. They wanted the day to be calm, unhurried, and rooted in a mix of grand views and being present.
A Slow Morning at Their Airbnb in Trinidad
When I walked into their Airbnb I was greeted by their moms who welcomed me with outstretched arms and welcoming words – a very accurate interaction with two midwestern moms who couldn’t be more excited and supportive of their sons joining their lives. The AirBnb sat nestled in Trinidad, CA just outside of Redwood National Park. The best way to describe their AirBNB would be a cozy rustic retro cabin with one hell of a view.
D & R had a slow morning getting ready, sipping coffee, and making breakfast before I arrived. Once it was officially go time, they settled into an unhurried morning where they transferred their vows from their phones into their vowbooks. Before making their way to Redwood National Park, they stopped at a calligraphy shop in their home town of Chicago where they carefully chose the specific pens and special vow books that they wrote their promises to eachother with.
There was no grand first look or loud hurrah, just a quiet morning of writing their vows while music played in the background. The unhurried pace of the morning set the tone for the rest of a very full but unhurried day. Once they finished, we hopped in the car and caravanned to their ceremony location.
Their Ceremony in Redwood National Park
When D & R reached out to me, they were on a very tight planning timeline with only 58 days to plan their elopement. Knowing that we were on a tighter planning timeline, the possibility of not being able to obtain a permit to have their ceremony within Redwood National and State Parks was a very real possibility that we prepared for. We talked through a Plan A and a Plan B for where their ceremony would take place, and when the permit office let us know that they wouldn’t be able to process their permit with so little heads up, we immediately pivoted to their Plan B which was a beautiful grove of Redwoods not too far from Redwood National Park that didn’t require a ceremony for permits. This is a situation that would stress out many couples and photographers, but D & R made sure that each of their elopement vendors were local to the area which meant we all knew the park and their rules well so we were able to create a beautiful, stressfree, and 100% permit compliant elopement day with minimal heads up – hiring local matters!!
When we arrived at their ceremony grove, we met up with their wonderful officiant Alegria from Gala Weddings and Events. Before even hitting the trail, D, R, and their moms signed their marriage license making the dang thing official. We set out on the trail and a moderate 15 minute hike led us up and down hills covered in Redwood trees with the ground blanketed in ferns and Redwood Sorrel. Despite the fact that the trees in this location weren’t quite as impressive as Redwood National Park, the elevation change made it feel completely different than it’s neighboring park.
D & R hiked until they found the perfect place right next to a fallen old growth log with a backdrop of lush green ferns and mosses. We dove into their ceremony that they chose to start in a meaningful and unique way – by taking a photo of eachother right where they stood so they could always look back at their elopement day and remember exactly what the other person looked like, right down to the spot they were standing in. They also took a few moments to honor both of their moms gifting them roses and the tightest hugs before returning to the remainder of their ceremony.
After sealing the ceremony with a kiss, everyone celebrated in the most Redwoods way possible – a Redwood Sorrel cheers. Between the Redwood fun facts intertwined into their ceremony script and a sorrel cheers, D & R’s ceremony honored not only eachother but also the place they chose to solidify their vows.
An Afternoon Hiking Elopement in Redwood National Park
Just because D & R couldn’t have their ceremony in Redwood National Park with so little heads up didn’t mean that they couldn’t visit the park at all on their day so of course we popped into the park after to wander between towering Redwood trees and chasing that dreamy lighting the Redwoods are known for. They picked a quiet and unique trail far enough off the beaten path that they didn’t run into a single other person – even on a holiday.
D & R’s moms joined us for the first half of their hike before heading back to the car for a nap and some snacks giving D & R some space to enjoy the Redwoods in complete privacy. As we walked along the trail, D & R led the way stopping to admire every different species of fern while their moms brought up the rear end of our group talking, laughing, and cracking their own inside jokes. To be honest, it was a bit difficult there to tell who was having more fun there for a moment – the newlyweds or their moms who were essentially on the best girls trip ever exploring the Redwoods while celebrating their sons.
We finished up their hike then it was time for a change of scenery, we packed up and headed back towards Trinidad to finish up the day.
A Sunset On The Coast in Redwoods National Park
One of the best things about D & R’s AirBNB? It’s right on the water which meant their last locaiton of the day was only 3 minutes from home. Once we arrived back at their AirBNB we parted ways with their moms then drove down to the beach where D & R were rewarded with wildflowers in full bloom, a completely empty beach (with the exception of a few pelicans and seals playing in the water), and hands down the best sunset of the whole year.
D & R spent the hour before sunset running along the beach and admiring the colors turn from muted to blindingly vibrant in the sky. Despite the morning starting with rain and the whole day being blanketed in a thick layer of gloomy fog, the last 2 hours of their day were wrapped in warm sunlight, vibrant colors, and distinctive pink beams of light that looked straight out of a documentary.
Pizza, Picnics, and the Pacific Ocean To End The Day
We made sure to not spend all evening on the beach because we still had one more thing to do together before the day came to an official close – an elevated picnic of pizza with a view of the sun setting over the Pacific ocean with their moms. While D & R made the quick 5 minute drive into town to pick up pizza at Headies while the moms and I used that time to set up a decorated but simple table for dinner.
During the planning process, this is one of the main things that D & R wanted to incorporate into their day so I made sure to bring all of my picnic and dinnerware/decor to create an elevated setup that simultaneously seemed “too nice” and “just perfect” for an easy dinner of pizza. Complete with local mosses, ferns, flowers, and other greenery I foraged fresh that morning, even their tablescape was connected back into the Redwoods.
They popped a bottle of champagne and spent the evening reminiscing, laughing, and celebrating the end to not just the end of a wonderful day, but also the end of a wonderful decade and the start of a new decade of being married.
All in all D & R’s day was nothing short of a day reflective of the life that they’d built together over the previous 10 years. It was full of quiet elegance, romantic little moments, and quality time with the two women who helped to raise them into the incredible men they are today.
View comments
+ Leave a comment