I finally got the chance to reconnect with these two beautiful souls! I had done their engagement photos awhile back and unfortunately our plans to have the wedding in Mammoth tanked after that whole COVID monster showed up. Which obviously was a bummer – I mean, they were going to snowboard down the mountain in their dress + Tux, c’mon, that would have been so awesome! But we all agreed, this turned out to easily be a second best option. The day was so laid-back, stress-free, and intimate which was exactly what they were looking for.
So instead they decided that it would be fun to elope in Santa Barbara! An idea that absolutely loved, because I know Santa Barbara like the back of my hand by this point, especially the courthouse grounds, plus it’s just a magical place to explore for the weekend. There’s amazing food, there’s luxury hotels as well as cute & cozy bungalows, an amazing downtown, and a pristine coastline. Most venues have been shut down for the time being given the whole pandemic and all – ugh! So I’ve actually been loving how people have been getting creative with backyard weddings, non-traditional elopements in local parks, and of course – courthouse weddings!
Santa Barbara is in fact still allowing courthouse appointments too with some “Covid-correct” adjustments. For anyone who is curious, you can still book a wedding through the courthouse. You can also still have an officiant appointed to you if you would like. The only difference is, you do have to wear a mask the entire ceremony until that wonderful moment where you get to share a kiss with your newlywedded partner. You also can only have one witness there, which I would of course be honored to be holding the place of. However, if you don’t want to wear a mask during your ceremony and want a few friends to join along, have your friend or family member go online and get certified ordained as an officiant. Then you can still do the paperwork through the courthouse, but you still get to actually see your beautiful partners face and you get some loved ones to spend the day with you! Win-win in my opinion!
These two had done a true elopement, where they literally didn’t tell any of their family members or friends they decided to finally get married after being engaged for 2 years with set-backs. This being said, they went the all-inclusive route of having an officiant provided. I do have some examples of covid-weddings at the courthouse where they had a friend officiate too though, so I’ll share those for comparison at some point.
They decided to add in some time for the “getting ready” aspect of the day, which I always absolutely love. It really creates a huge additional chapter of the story-line for the day when looking through the memories afterwards. I get to capture all those little details that are so meaningful to making the day happen. From capturing the couple getting ready, to getting details of the rings, dress, jewelry, flowers, first look, and just general moments leading up to heading over to the venue. We also decided it would be awesome to go back to the beach after the ceremony to go for a take a walk and pop some champagne! I think that totally added an amazing section of fun memories to their final gallery too. I am always up for exploring a location other than the courthouse after the ceremony to add some more exciting moments to the day!
I had an absolute blast hanging out with these two again, and making this special day work despite Covid killing our plans. Photographing them is always a fun time, because they are truly themselves! That’s the way it should be right? Have fun, enjoy your day, be present, and I’ll be there to capture all of the amazing moments in between!
Hope you enjoy the images from the day! 🙂
