Intimate Elopement on Mount Tamalpais

Dasha and Marc spent their second date hiking the expansive trails of Mount Tamalpais. They ventured all the way through the towering redwoods and down along Stinson Beach where they shared their first kiss. The couple had met by chance, a simple glitch in a dating app that put them in each other's radius when Marc was stopped at SFO. Four years later and they were planning their wedding.

We met back where it all started in the heart of Mill Valley at Mount Tam. We hiked for thirty minutes through sunny trails until we reached the perfect spot high above the ocean. They were lighthearted and goofy as we took the first round of photos, Dasha donning a short but glamorous untraditional dress.  

As D+M began their personal vows overlooking the water, the mood took on an air of intimacy, soaked with sweet words and loving smiles. The groom was especially serious and smitten, tearing up towards the end of his words. The newly married then shared champagne and chocolate on the mountainside before departing to Bodega Bay for the evening and a honeymoon roadtrip up the coast.

Secluded Dawn Elopement | Carmel Beach

Alyssa and Cameron discovered a picturesque cove in Carmel-by-the-sea while enjoying a bike ride together one vacation morning. The pair of early risers loved the quiet still of the beach at dawn, and so when their plans for a wedding in Maui fell away in the wake of the pandemic, the couple knew the Carmel cove would be the perfect place for them to say I-do.

The couple arrived for their intimate beach ceremony just as the sun started to rise, a wave catching their feet as they stood together in the sand for photos. The ceremony was officiated by a dear friend (and local meteorologist!) and was sweet and sincere, the groom often professing how beautiful the bride looked. The pair departed the warming beach to cruise along the Pacific through scenic 17-Mile Drive before heading to brunch in Pebble Beach.

Glowing Elopement Overlooking the Water

On a hazy late-afternoon in August, Sybil and Brian said their vows in the company of ten close friends. The sun cast a warm glow off the Pacific as they stood at the cliffs of Lands End.

The couple met at Stanford while pursuing their medical careers (Sybil an ER Doctor and Brian in Biotech), where Brian remembers Facebook stalking her and enlisting his friends to help plot how to ask her on a first date. When Brian proposed in Croatia in 2019, the couple imagined eloping overseas, but once the pandemic hit they knew it just wasn’t in the cards. So they threw the timeline out the window. 

While deciding how to celebrate their anniversary, the perfect wedding date revealed itself. They would wed on their five year anniversary, at five months pregnant! The distinctive ceremony included a dear friend officiating the wedding, the ring bearers delivering candy ring pops, and the San Francisco fog rolling in as the party went back to the couple’s home for ramen.

Danville Backyard Minimony | A Reimagined Celebration

In keeping with 21st-century tradition, Lauren and David met with two simple swipes on Tinder. On the first date they connected over shared values and love of family, and before the night was over Lauren asked for a second one. The couple originally planned a wedding of 150 guests at Concannon Vineyard but had to reimagine their day in the wake of COVID-19. They decided to make it official through a virtual ceremony a few weeks before hosting a small gathering of 15, (16 if you count their pup) at her parents’ home.

Unable to make the ceremony in person, David’s New Jersey family took full advantage of technology and attended the wedding via Zoom call, along with 30 other guests. When the time came, David’s parents were able to give a blessing over the call, and the bride and groom gleefully greeted everyone on screen.

With photos of their childhood, virtual ceremony, and even Tinder profile pics strung up on the fence, the rest of the night included a first dance by the pool and a sweet toast by the bride's father where he entrusted the love, support, and care of his daughter onto David.

Venue: Private Residence Planning and Catering: Evntwrks