REDWOODS ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY + SUPER 8MM VIDEOGRAPHY
RAW, DREAMY AND HONEST IMAGERY
THE UNCONVENTIONALLY MINDED
YOU'VE DECIDED THE BIG TRADITIONAL WEDDING vibe
JUST ISN'T YOU
The idea of having a 200-person wedding, with 20 bridal party members, and every "must-do" wedding event was enough to make you barf.
So instead, you've decided to do things a little differently.
You've decided to have an elopement day that's all about having the best day of your life, surrounded by only your favorite people (maybe even a dog or two), eating some bomb food, and saying your vows to each other under the morning fog in the redwoods, right? A day with all of the stuff that's important to you, and none of the stuff that isn't. A day to curate to be the perfect reflection of you, without any of the chaos managing of a traditional wedding.
But now that you're starting to plan this thing, you might have realized that even though you're eloping, there's still a lot to plan! And you don't really know where to start. You've never eloped before, so you don't know how this all works and it's starting to stress you out.
Don't sweat it. That's where we come in!
DOG PETTING, DONUT EATING,
REDWOODS ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER + VIDEOGRAPHER DUO
We're Natasha and Brian! A husband and wife, Redwoods elopement photographer + videographer duo. When we're not getting slimed by our own slobbery dog Fern, or helping you plan your dream elopement, you can probably find us alpine lake lounging, making a weird new kimchi flavor, or deep on the forestry roads in our (always dirty) Tacoma blasting some indie alt or rap (there's rarely an in between lol).
We're your photographers, die-hard dog petters, and donut-eaters that are all about playful banter, real conversations, and no icky small talk.
Lovin' the big moments, the quiet moments, the silly moments – but especially the in-between moments. The moments that are unadulterated and unfiltered. The ones where you are the real you. That's the version of you that we'll catch in your photos. And seriously...we wanna pet your dog.
our WORK WITH COUPLES just LIKE YOU HAS BEEN FEATURED IN
We're all about encouraging organic moments and letting them unfold naturally. Instead of posing you, we know just how to make real moments happen...with none of the cheesy, stand-there-and-smile-at-the-camera bullshit. Our specialty lies in helping you be you and capturing you just as you are.
We tell every part of your story as it is – from the blurry moments, to the messy moments, and everything in between. We'll even plan the whole thing from start to finish with plenty of personalized touches in between. Consider us your guides the whole way through so you can spend more time focused on making actual memories, instead of worrying about silly poses and navigating it all.
This day isn't just about photos for you.
It's about the story of you. The real you.
So let's tell your story – together.
SO LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT.
YOU WANT TO KNOW ALL ABOUT ELOPING IN THE REDWOODS, RIGHT?
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
When people talk about the redwoods, there's usually some confusion about where the hell they are, is it a state park? A national park? Well, it's both actually! The Redwoods State/National Park is a collection of four parks (Redwood National Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park) that are run collaboratively by both the state and federal government and run from Crescent City, CA all the way down the stunning Highway 101 to Trinidad, CA.
Flying into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – if you don't mind driving, flying into SFO is going to give you the most flexibility as far as flight times, car rental options, and access to everything you might need for your trip. This is also going to be your cheapest option when it comes to booking flights too. It's about a 6 hour drive from San Francisco up to Redwoods National Park, so you'll spend quite a bit of time in the car, but if you're up for a road trip this is going to be your most economical option.
Fly into Medford, OR (MFR) – This airport is a great option if you want to visit the more northern areas like Jedidiah Smith State Park or the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. Crescent City, CA is going to be your home base for these parks and it's about a 2 and a half hour drive from Medford to this area. This is however a very small airport so you'll most likely end up with a connecting flight from San Fran or Oakland if you're flying in here.
Later in this guide we'll cover where to stay if you plan to elope in the redwoods too!
While there's tons of different ways to get there, but the short answer is it depends WHERE you elope in the redwoods. It's a pretty big place! These are your three main options:
Fly into Arcata/Eureka Airport (ACV) – this option is the closest, however the most expensive option of your three. You'll be the closest to your main towns while you're in the parks, but the airport itself is tiny and you'll have very limited car rental options and limited flights. You'll be 30-40 minutes away from some of the best locations in the park though, so for proximity convenience this option is your best bet!
The winter months are typically more rainy, but some a moody redwoods elopement can be just as magical. So just about every month is the beautiful! If you want the driest months, visiting between June and September is going to give you the most potential for sunny days, however you'll have to contend with the summer crowds, limited parking in many areas, and traffic.
Best Time of Day to Visit
We've all seem those breath taking photos of the sun rays coming through the foggy redwood trees, bathing the forest floor in golden light. So if you want that beautiful light for your elopement visiting in the morning is best! Just about an hour or two after sunrise is typically a good bet for when you should be at your chosen location (make sure to take your hiking time into account for this!). The fog coming off the water only lasts for a short while in the morning before it burns off for the afternoon most days. And the other perk of visiting in the morning is that you'll be able to avoid the bulk of those afternoon crowds!
Best Time of Year to Visit:
One of the perks of eloping in the Redwoods is that the weather pretty consistent for most of the year thanks to the good ole Pacific Ocean's influence! No matter what time of year you visit you can expect temperatures to be in the range of 40-70 degrees.
While you can get married almost anywhere in the park the Redwoods National/State Parks has a list of 11 pre-approved ceremony locations that you can choose from:
- Templeman Grove – 20 participants
- Berry Glen – 6 participants
- Organ Donor's Grove – 20 participants
- River Trail – 8 participants
- Crescent Beach Day Use – 20 participants
- Crescent Beach Overlook – 20 participants
- High Bluff Overlook – 20 participants
- Zig Zag #2 – 10 participants
- Schmidt Grove – 20 participants
- Lost Man Creek Gate – 20 participants
- Merriman Grove – 8 participants
- Prairie Creek Amphitheater – 20 participants
There are four locations where you can NOT get married in the park: Fern Canyon, Stout Grove, Ladybird Johnson Grove Trail, and Irvine Canyon. You can still visit these locations for photos on your elopement day though!
With over 130k+ acres between the four parks, your options for where you could have your ceremony are quite literally limitless lol. So let's break how to choose your location.
Choosing your location is dependent on how close you want to be to certain locations or what parts of the park you want to see, and how much you can budget for your permits.
Some things to note about getting eloping in the Redwoods National and State Parks:
- Live or dried natural plant/flower material is not allowed. This includes cut flowers for bouquets and potted plants. Live plant materials may contain insects or unwanted pests that could be introduced into the park. Silk or paper flowers are allowed.
- The releasing of doves, butterflies, balloons, or other types of items is prohibited
- The throwing of birdseed, rice, flower petals, confetti, or other items is prohibited.
- The use of arbors, arches, stands, risers, or other similar props is prohibited.
- The attaching of ribbons, flowers, balloons or signs to vegetation, rocks, or existing NPS signs within the park is prohibited.
- The placement of signs or other event notifications along roads or on signs is prohibited.
- Food service and alcohol are not permitted.
Permits are one of the main things we help our couples with when they're planning their elopement, and is usually one of the first things we cover during our planning calls too (it often comes up in our initial discovery calls too as we flesh out what your day my look like)! The permit applications are usually pretty straight forward to figure out but we're always down to walk you through the process and fill it out for you if necessary.
Some of the most common questions we get asked as elopement photographer are about permits for your elopement. And thankfully getting a permit for your chosen location is relatively straight forward!
Here's what ya gotta do:
- Choose your location within the Redwoods National and State Park – If you choose a pre-approved location, your application will be approved without review. If you choose a location that's not on the list, your application will be submitted for a two week review from someone from the park staff.
- Choose a date and time – Generally, ceremonies are scheduled in 1-3 hour time blocks. Permits can only be written for day use hours. Permits may not be granted during or around major holidays due to crowding.
- You'll fill out two forms – the Special Use Permit application and the Threatened and Endangered Species Addendum. and then email them both redw_special_use_permits@nps.gov
- Pay the application fee – Once the application forms are received, an email from Pay.gov will be sent with instructions on how to pay the fee online.
When looking for a place to stay in the redwoods, you have a few different options based on what sort of vibe you're going for: Airbnb or VRBO or camping, even a few hotels. Depending on which parts of the parks you're visiting you can look for Airbnbs/VRBOs/campground in and around these areas:
Eureka, CA | Arcata, CA | McKinleyville, CA | Trinidad, CA | Orick, CA | Klamath, CA | Crescent City, CA | Brookings, OR
When we get into the planning portion of your elopement we have plenty of places we recommend to accomodate your group size, preferences, and location!
2. Pick it up in person at any county clerk's office. If you're in the northern part of the parks you'll be in Del Norte County and you can pick up your marriage license at 981 H Street, Suite 160, Crescent City, CA 95531. If you're in the southern area of the parks you'll be in Humboldt County and can pick up your marriage license at 825 5th St #5, Eureka, CA 95501.
You'll need someone to marry you!
In the state of California you'll need an officiant of some sort to legally marry you. This could be one of the badass officiants listed in our recommended vendors section below, or a friend/family member that gets ordained for the occasion (it's super easy and free here!), or us! We're ordained and happy to sign your marriage license if you want to keep it extra intimate.
And lastly, California requires that you have one witness! And that person can also be your photographer! We're always happy to be your witness if you're planning a ceremony with just the two of you.
So now that you've gotten all of big stuff out of the way, you've only got one thing left to do and that's get married!
In California, in order to get married, you'll need 3 things: a marriage license, an officiant, and a witness.
There's two ways to get your California Marriage License:
1. Depending on which county you get married in, you may be able to apply for your marriage license online. The Del Norte County Clerks office is a bit difficult to get ahold of online so your best bet is to call the County Clerk directly here: (707) 464-7216 or the Humboldt County Clerk here: (707) 445-7382
