Dreamy Redwood National Park Elopement
Alyssa + Cody’s Romantic Redwood Adventure Elopement
Northern California | Redwood National Park | Summit and Sur Photography
When Alyssa and Cody reached out looking for a Redwood National Park elopement photographer, I could barely contain my excitement. As my favorite place in California, it is always such a treat being able to show couples all my favorite spots. From the towering redwood groves to the incredibly stunning and rugged coastline, it’s hard to find a better place for your adventure elopement. In our first consultation call, I told them all about what their day could look like and all the awesome places for them to explore. It wasn’t long before we were well on our way to planning their intimate elopement day!
Their elopement day started with Alyssa having her hair and make up done at their cozy little bungalow in the redwoods while Cody finished writing his vows outside. As they were preparing for a first look in their wedding attire, they kept themselves relatively separate during their getting ready process; however, in an adorable moment, Cody knocked on the door and had Alyssa help him with his bowtie and shirt as he kept his eyes averted to keep the surprise of the first look. After Cody was done getting ready, he waited outside the bungalow while Alyssa got into her dress and put on her shoes and jewelry. Once she was done, I guided her towards where Cody was waiting to see his soon-to-be wife for the first time in her wedding dress.
With one of the sweetest first looks and a twirl of her dress, Alyssa helped Cody with his boutonniere and then they walked back to grab their vows, rings, and Alyssa’s bouquet before heading out for their ceremony. We had a little bit of a drive ahead of us, as we were all staying in Trinidad, CA and their ceremony location was all the way in Crescent City, CA, the northern portion of the park. We all enjoyed the drive, taking in the gorgeous day and the sparkling water of the Pacific Ocean to the left of HWY 101.
After arriving at their ceremony location, a custom location approved by the Redwood National and State Parks permit office (you can read all about the permit process and options here), we started hiking until we found the perfect spot for their ceremony, a little nook tucked right off the trail, out of anyone’s way, which, to be fair, wasn’t many. This is actually one of the main reasons that Redwoods National Park is my favorite for elopements: it is so incredibly quiet compared to other national parks in California and the west coast. Once Cody and Alyssa exchanged their personal vows and rings, I legally officiated their ceremony and was able to declare them married! It was such a special, intimate ceremony with the trees as their witness on such an incredibly stunning day. We took some time to explore the trail a bit more before heading back to the cars and making our way to our next stop: Fern Canyon.
While we had plans to make a pit stop at the Snack Shack (if you have ever met with me about an elopement in the park, you’ve heard me talk about this place), on the way to Fern Canyon, after getting out and walking up to the window to order our food, we were met with the owner telling us they were closed of the day because they ran out of food. We were all a little disappointed but, alas, that is small town living for you and let it be known that this is definitely a small town! Because Alyssa and Cody were both pretty hungry, I scrounged up some snacks from my car (#momlife) to hold them over until they got back to their bungalow. When we got to the beginning of the windy road down to Fern Canyon, I had the newlyweds hop in my Outback, as I wasn’t sure their rental car would make it through the two stream crossings without problems. We chatted as we made our way down and then we all switched shoes before heading out on our next adventure.
So here’s the thing about Fern Canyon: it is spectacular and honestly, a must see, in my opinion. From the moment I mentioned it in planning with Alyssa and Cody, they knew they wanted to explore and experience this natural wonder on their big day. So when I re-scouted the location the day before their elopement (this is something I always try to do because locations can change in many ways and it’s always good to have that info ahead of time), I was surprised to find that the wooden planks allowing hikers to cross the river that runs through the canyon were removed due to a recent storm. I had let Alyssa and Cody know this ahead of time, warning them that if they still wanted to hike into Fern Canyon, I was game but they would have to be okay with potentially getting very wet, as they would have to walk directly through the river as we explored it. They both agreed that they wanted to have this experience no matter what so Cody rolled up his pants and Alyssa put on some sandals and we were off!
We had a blast wading through the cold river and taking photos in the gorgeous canyon, surrounded by walls of ferns on either side. Once our feet were numb from the cold and with the sun beginning to make it’s descent into the horizon, we hiked back the car to dry off and get ready for the beach, their final stop of the night. After taking a quick break at their bungalow to grab some food for their beach picnic, we met back up at the beach about an hour before the sunset.
Cody and Alyssa took in the giant sea stacks in the ocean and the incredible landscape of the beach. They ran, played, and even shared a beautiful first dance with the glow of the warm sunset behind them. Once they were ready, they set up their little picnic in a perfect nook of the beach, complete with mini table and even pillows. They debated who would open the bottle of champagne (the ultimate decision was made from the tried and true game of “nose goes”) before clinking glasses and sipping their bubbly. They even brought a mini cheesecake to share and I was able to snap some adorable photos of them feeding each other bites—-so sweet!
Once the sun had set and blue hour had taken hold, they ended their elopement day walking the beach together while holding some fun lanterns I had brought along. After having them climb up a giant rock overlooking the water and taking in their final look of the water, they made their way off the rock together, with Cody helping Alyssa down and creating a gorgeous final moment for me to capture.
Congrats again A + C!
Vendors
Hair and Makeup: Rosemary Kossow for Foils Beauty
Florals: Kochetova Inna
Airbnb: Bungalow in the Redwoods
Alyssa’s Dress: Lennox East
Cody’s Suit: Joseph Abboud
Want to get married in Redwood National Park? Reach out today to learn more about packages!