Kenzi and Tyler always knew that a large wedding wasn’t the right fit for them. They didn’t like doing things the traditional way. They enjoy traveling, adventuring and, most importantly, spending quality time with each other.
At large weddings, most couples don’t get any alone time, let alone quality time. It’s stressful, expensive, and just a lot to plan, especially when your friends & family live so far away.
So instead of a large wedding, Kenzi and Tyler chose to do a destination elopement in two different locations in California: the Sequoias and Yosemite National Park.
They wanted to visit some of their bucket list locations and turn their wedding into an epic adventure, get stunning photos, and make it feel authentic to who they are as a couple.
Kenzi + Tyler’s Elopement Story
Because Yosemite and the Sequoias are pretty far apart, Kenzi and Tyler’s elopement was split into two separate days (this is a SUPER fun idea to make the most of your elopement experience!).
The first day, we met up with them at their airbnb.
Kenzi had a local hair and makeup artist come, so we took a few “getting ready” photos before their first look. They also had the sweetest details (pro tip: don’t skip out on the details even if you’re eloping), so we got some shots of the details that were important to them.
Elopement Details, Decor and Getting Ready Photos
We then headed outside for their first look together. Their Airbnb’s backyard was a great spot for this moment.
Not all couples do a first look at their elopement, but it can be SUCH a special moment. We pretend like we’re not even there, so it’s a chance for you both to privately soak in the fact that you’re about to be married.
The first look
After their first look, we gave them some time alone together. When they were ready, we got in our cars and headed to their portrait + ceremony location: Sequoia National Park.
We explored for a while (taking epic portraits as we went) until we found the PERFECT sport for a private ceremony. Dan officiated the first part of their ceremony, and then they read personal vows to each other at the end. After their first kiss, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for more portraits at the ceremony location, which ended up being our favorite pictures of the day.
Elopement ceremony and portraits at the Sequoias
After a few more photos, we headed back to their Airbnb.
They rented the cutest decor for their reception dinner with just the two of them, so we helped them set all of that up. They had a carpet and record player in the backyard for their first dance, and ended the night with a cupcake cutting.
First dance, cake cutting, and Airbnb photos
A few days later, we met up with Kenzi and Tyler in Yosemite National Park. We first stopped at the lookout for Half Dome for a few photos, and then started the hike to Taft Point. We got the most amazing sunset photos there to officially end their elopement experience, and it was absolutely magical.
Yosemite National Park photos
We hiked back to our cars at dusk, said our goodbyes, and immediately went back to edit some sneak peek photos for them.
Because Kenzi and Tyler split up their elopement into two separate days, they were able to go to 2 places that are not close to each other – giving them the dream locations (and photos) that they wanted. They were able to relax and slow down on their ceremony day, and then take even more photos a few days later at their bucket list location.
They truly had the best of both worlds. All of their elopement locations were extremely different from each other, which meant that they got Airbnb photos, woodsy photos, and mountaintop photos, all while exploring some of the most beautiful spots on the west coast.
