Pfeiffer Beach Elopement
Jenna and John eloped this week at Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur. Coming all the way from Kansas City to Carmel for the first time, I was so excited to show them the coast. They chose to get ready together which I think is such a sweet moment, John struggled with the buttons and Jenna couldn’t stop laughing. Most of their wedding day was full of laughter. They stayed at a guest cottage in a house in Carmel and followed me to the cliffs and Pfeiffer beach afterward. I absolutely loved their ceremony on the cliffs as the fog rolled in and the pelicans showed up as guests. Jenna was a little fearful of heights so this was the perfect combination of cliffs and beach for couples a little more timid on heights and hiking ( minimal required). Their sweet cake cutting on the beach was so beautiful and simple and I loved that they chose carrot cake! They followed up their cake cutting with a first dance on a Pfeiffer beach overlook and it was a perfect combination of private moments and beautiful memories.
As an elopement photographer based in Carmel, I’ve had the joy of capturing countless love stories along this dreamy stretch of coastline—but there’s something especially magical about couples who choose to stay at Villa Mara. Whether you’re escaping the chaos of wedding planning or simply want your celebration to feel more intentional, Carmel offers a wildly romantic backdrop for your day.
Some days, the fog rolls in and never quite lifts — and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. For this Garrapata Beach engagement session, we were gifted one of those moody Big Sur afternoons where the sky stays soft and grey, and the ocean feels like it’s whispering secrets. It was quiet, dramatic, and beautifully intimate — the kind of atmosphere that makes you slow down and lean in a little closer.
When Hanna and Nick invited me to capture their elopement—a dreamy, cave‑side ceremony with their favorite people, a shot‑ski that crackled with laughter, and private vows read high above the Pacific Ocean—it felt like the most perfect love story. It was equal parts intimate, wild, heartfelt, and oh-so-Carmel. And it’s the kind of story I live for as a Carmel elopement photographer.