My Favorite California Elopement Locations From the Coast to the Mountains

Okay, so you’ve decided a traditional wedding isn’t really your thing.

Maybe the idea of spending your wedding day running around saying hi to 150 people sounds absolutely exhausting. Maybe you’d rather wake up somewhere beautiful, get ready slowly, say your vows somewhere unreal and spend the rest of the day actually hanging out with the person you just married.

Yeah. I’m here for that… and it happens to be my specialty.

If you’re thinking about eloping in California, we are ridiculously spoiled with options.

You can say your vows under giant redwoods in the morning and be standing on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific by sunset. You can get married surrounded by Yosemite’s granite mountains, pop champagne on a San Francisco rooftop or spend your wedding weekend sipping wine on the Central Coast.

Your elopement can be adventurous. It can be luxurious. It can be ridiculously simple. It can include ten of your favorite people or literally just the two of you.

That’s the whole freaking point.

So if you’re wondering where to elope in California, these are some of my absolute favorite places and a few that are high on my list.

1. Big Sur

Big Sur will forever have my heart. There’s just something about it.

The redwoods. The fog. The cliffs. The ocean. The way everything feels a little wild and untouched.

And one of my favorite things about a Big Sur elopement is that you don’t have to choose between the forest and the coast. You can have both.

Imagine waking up in a cozy cabin tucked into the redwoods, getting ready slowly with coffee in hand and having an intimate ceremony surrounded by trees.

Then we adventure toward the coast, stop somewhere amazing for food, explore a little and finish the day on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific.

Like… come on.

If I Were Planning Your Big Sur Elopement

I’d tell you not to rush it. Give Big Sur the whole day. It may seem like a small town but realistically the highway runs many winding miles connecting some of the most beautiful locations.

Slow morning. Redwoods. Vows. Good food. Maybe champagne somewhere along the way. Then chase that gorgeous evening light along the coast.

And if you want to add a beautiful dinner, picnic … even better. This is exactly the kind of elopement where the experience becomes just as important as the photographs.

2. Yosemite National Park

If you want your wedding photos to make you stop and say, “Wait… that’s actually us?” Yosemite.

There is really nothing subtle about getting married here. Huge granite cliffs. Waterfalls. Meadows. Forest. Mountain views.

It’s unreal.

But Yosemite is also one of those places where I wouldn’t want to rush from location to location trying to squeeze everything into four hours. There’s too much to experience.

If I Were Planning Your Yosemite Elopement

I’d seriously consider making it a full day or even a two day experience.

One day could be slower and more intimate in Yosemite Valley. Your ceremony, exploring the valley, lunch or a picnic and time to actually enjoy being married.

Then we could save another adventure for those huge mountain views at Glacier Point and Taft Point.

Your elopement doesn’t have to fit into a traditional wedding timeline. If we’re going all the way to Yosemite, let’s actually experience Yosemite.

3. The Central Coast

Okay, I’m biased. This one is home.

But… I genuinely think the Central Coast is one of the most underrated places to elope in California. San Luis Obispo County alone gives you beaches, cliffs, rolling hills, vineyards, oak trees, cute downtowns, luxury resorts and some ridiculously good food.

We can go from wine country to the ocean in the same day.

You have places like San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, The Iconic Dunes, Montana de Oro, Cambria, Paso Robles and Edna Valley all within reach.

And because I live here, this is where my local knowledge really comes into play. I know this area.

I know the light. I know the coastline. I know the little pockets that photograph beautifully. I know where you can grab dinner afterward and where you can turn an elopement into an entire Central Coast weekend.

If I Were Planning Your Central Coast Elopement

I’d want to know what you love first.

Wine? Let’s build your day around Paso Robles or Edna Valley.

Ocean? Let’s find somewhere along the coast.

Want both? Even better.

Get ready somewhere beautiful, have your ceremony somewhere intimate, stop for wine tasting and an amazing meal, wander somewhere gorgeous for portraits and end the night with champagne overlooking the Pacific.

This is also an amazing option if you want your elopement to feel elevated without necessarily feeling like an “adventure elopement.” You absolutely do not need hiking boots to elope. Unless you want them.

4. Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is for the couple who wants romantic, beautiful and a little bougie…. and I mean that in the best possible way.

Spanish architecture, palm trees, gardens, mountains, beaches, gorgeous hotels, incredible restaurants.

You can make a Santa Barbara elopement feel effortlessly elevated without making it complicated.

If I Were Planning Your Santa Barbara Elopement

I’d probably start with a gorgeous hotel. Slow morning. Room service. Hair and makeup.

Then maybe an intimate ceremony surrounded by architecture + gardens of the Iconic Santa Barbara Courthouse, followed by portraits there and around the city.

After that? Beach at sunset. Champagne. Dinner somewhere amazing. Done.

You just had an incredibly beautiful wedding day without needing a ballroom or a 200 person guest list.

5. San Francisco

San Francisco is SO much fun for an elopement because you can basically create your own little wedding day adventure around the city. And I’ve done exactly that.

City Hall. Beautiful hotels. Architecture. The Palace of Fine Arts. Golden Gate views. Ocean. Restaurants. Bars.

You can fit so many completely different looks into one day. And you don’t have to make the day feel like we’re just driving around taking photos. The locations become part of the experience.

If I Were Planning Your San Francisco Elopement

I’d start by asking what you actually love about San Francisco.

Maybe we get ready at an amazing hotel and have your first look there.

Maybe you get married at City Hall.

Maybe we stop somewhere for cocktails or lunch.

Maybe we eat cake and pop champagne somewhere beautiful…. like Palace of Fine Arts.

Then we end the day overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun goes down.

6. Lake Tahoe

Tahoe is perfect for couples who want mountains, insanely blue water, beautiful forests and a little adventure without needing to hike all day.

Personally, I’d choose spring or fall.

Spring gives you fresh mountain air, greenery and maybe a little snow still hanging onto the peaks.

Fall brings cooler temperatures, changing colors and that cozy mountain feeling I love.

If I Were Planning Your Lake Tahoe Elopement

I’d make it a little mountain getaway. Stay somewhere beautiful, have a slow morning, say your vows by the lake, explore for portraits… maybe a small hike if you’re into that, a private boat ride including champagne of course… and finish with a great dinner

Crisp air, gorgeous views and way fewer crowds. Yes please.

7. Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree is for the couple who wants something completely different from coastal California.

Desert. Giant rocks. Joshua trees. Warm earthy colors. Incredible sunsets.

It has this funky, artistic energy that makes it perfect for couples who don’t want their wedding to look like everyone else’s. And there are some seriously cool places to stay nearby.

If I Were Planning Your Joshua Tree Elopement

I’d make the accommodations part of the experience.

Find an amazing desert Airbnb or boutique stay. Get ready there. Have a slow morning. Head into the desert when the light starts getting good.

Say your vows somewhere that feels like you’re on another planet. Then come back for dinner, drinks and maybe a night swim.

Tell me that doesn’t sound better than stressing over a seating chart.

So… Where Should You Elope in California?

Here’s the thing…you don’t have to know yet. You don’t need to reach out to me with your entire elopement already planned.

Honestly, I kind of love when couples come to me and say:

“We know we want to elope in California. We have no freaking idea where.”

PERFECT.

Tell me what you want the day to feel like.

Do you want ocean or mountains?

Do you want to hike or would you rather wear amazing shoes and walk three blocks?

Do you want family there?

Do you want to spend the day exploring?

Do you care about incredible food?

Do you want luxury?

Adventure?

A little bit of both?

Those answers tell me so much more than choosing a location from Pinterest ever could.

From there, we can start dreaming up a day that actually feels like you.

Your Elopement Can Be More Than a Ceremony and Some Photos

This is probably one of my favorite things about elopements. You get to rethink the whole thing and make it so custom to you.

Your wedding day can be an experience. You can have breakfast together. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Take a boat ride. Have a picnic. Invite your parents. Bring your dogs. Go wine tasting. Eat an incredible dinner. Actually watch the sunset rather then rushing to fit in 10 minutes of sunset photos while your guests are waiting for you to get back to the party.

Or do absolutely nothing for an hour except sit somewhere beautiful and take in the fact that you just got married.

Choose what matters.

Leave the rest.

Want Help Planning Your California Elopement?

Hi, I’m Samantha Josette, a California wedding and elopement photographer based on the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo.

And when I say I’m an elopement photographer, I don’t mean I’m just going to show up after you’ve figured everything out and take pretty pictures.

This is my favorite part.

I help my couples dream up the experience, figure out locations, create a timeline that actually makes sense and bring all those little details together.

I also offer all inclusive elopement experiences that can include photography, planning, hair and makeup, florals, content creation and even legally marrying you because, yep, I’m ordained too.

Basically, you bring me the two of you and an idea… We’ll figure out the rest.

Whether you’re dreaming about Big Sur, Yosemite, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, somewhere here on the Central Coast or a place we haven’t even thought of yet, I want your elopement to feel less like a production and more like one ridiculously good day that happens to be the day you get married.

If that sounds like you, let’s start dreaming it up. Take first step by inquiring here and I will get you all the information you need and we can start chatting. Yay… Can’t wait to get to know you both.