California, United States
Elopement & Private Ceremony photography in Big Sur & Carmel
Ninety miles of cliff, fog and cypress, for two people and nobody else.
Big Sur is the reason the elopement exists as a commission. Ninety miles of cliff with almost nowhere to stay, a single road that closes without much warning, no mobile signal for long stretches, and fog that decides what kind of day you are having — it is a hostile place to move a hundred guests to and a perfect one to bring nobody at all.
The permit is the first conversation, not the last. Ceremonies on state park and state beach land here require an application made in advance with a capped number of people, and it is the single thing couples most often assume is fine and is not. We research which permit your chosen spot needs and, where you would like, make the application. Then we plan around the marine layer: if the fog comes in over the cliffs in the late afternoon and the sun drops behind it, the whole coast goes silver and pink for twenty minutes, and those are the best twenty minutes we photograph anywhere in the world.
The light
Choosing a month in Big Sur & Carmel.
April to June
Green hills, wildflowers on the bluffs, and the beginning of the fog season. Cold at the coast in the evening, always.
July to August
Peak fog. Grey mornings that burn back around midday and often return by five. Warm inland, genuinely cold on the cliffs.
September to October
The clearest months and the local best-kept secret. Warm days, less fog, long visibility down the coast.
What has to be planned for
- Highway 1 is subject to closures from slides, and sections of it have been closed for months at a time in recent years. Any plan here needs a current road status and a second route.
- Ceremonies on state park and state beach land require a permit obtained in advance, with numbers capped. This is the single most common thing couples assume is fine and is not.
- There is effectively no mobile coverage for long stretches south of Carmel. Meeting points and timings are agreed in advance, in writing, because you will not be able to call.
- The cliff-edge locations involve real exposure and real wind. They are not all suitable in a long dress, and we will say which.
The commission
- Coverage
- One photographer, three to six hours, the two of you.
- From
- $6,500
Frames
From Big Sur & Carmel.
Questions
How much is a Big Sur elopement photographer?
From $6,500 for one photographer and three to six hours, including location planning, permit research and the permit application where one is needed. A small wedding with guests is quoted separately.
Do we need a permit to elope on the cliffs?
For state park and state beach locations, yes, applied for in advance with a capped guest number. We research which permit your chosen spot needs and, where you would like, we make the application as part of the commission.
What if the fog does not lift?
Then we photograph in fog, and it is worth looking at what that produces before deciding it is bad news — flat silver light, no horizon, and two people who are very obviously the only thing in the frame. We plan a second window for the following morning where the trip allows.
Is Highway 1 reliable?
Not entirely. It is subject to closures from slides and sections have been shut for months at a time in recent years. Any plan here needs a current road status and a second route, which we check rather than assume.
How do we stay in touch on the day?
Everything agreed in writing beforehand. There is effectively no mobile coverage for long stretches south of Carmel, so meeting points and timings are settled before anyone leaves the road.
Which month?
September and October — the clearest months and the local secret, with warm days and long visibility down the coast. April to June is green with wildflowers on the bluffs and the fog season beginning.
Elopement & Private Ceremony in Big Sur & Carmel?
Tell us the date and what you are planning. We reply personally, usually within two business days.