Some couples spend years planning their elopement but Jessica and Ben pulled theirs together in about a month. And with how wonderful it was, you’d never know!

From hiking through towering redwoods to cruising Highway 1 in a vintage 1954 Chevy Bel-Air convertible, every part of their day felt intentional, adventurous, and completely true to who they are. After knowing each other for over 14 years and traveling to more than 50 countries together, it only made sense that their wedding day would be an adventure too.

Their Rocky Point Big Sur elopement was everything they envisioned, and I couldn't have been more excited to help bring it to life.

Jessica and Ben are now settled in the Bay Area, but their love for travel has taken them all over the world. When they reached out to me, they were hoping to plan their dream Big Sur elopement just one month before their preferred date. While that's definitely a shorter timeline than most couples choose, we made it happen!

One of my favorite parts about photographing elopements is helping couples build an experience that's unique to them, and this day was a perfect example of that.

To begin our elopement experience together, we met about 15 minutes outside of Big Sur, and they followed my car down Highway 1 as we began exploring some of my favorite locations along the coast.

Jessica and Ben told me they wanted a mix of towering redwoods and dramatic ocean cliffs. So that's exactly what we did.

Our first stop was Soberanes Canyon Trail, about a 20-minute hike into the mountains. Once you make the hike, you're rewarded with an incredible redwood grove that's one of the very few public redwood locations in Big Sur where you can photograph without needing a permit or paying additional fees (which is incredibly rare in this area!).

We spent some time wandering through the trees, taking in the quiet, and creating some beautiful portraits together. They were so excited to be there, and that excitement made photographing them incredibly easy.

After leaving the redwoods, we spent time driving Highway 1, pulling over at scenic viewpoints to photograph them with their convertible overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Jessica and Ben rented a light blue 1954 Chevy Bel-Air convertible from Monterey Touring Vehicles, which also happens to be my favorite classic car rental company in the area.

These ended up being some of my favorite images from the entire day. I loved guiding them in and around the car for portraits that felt timeless and stunning.

The day wasn’t over yet - last up was closing out our time together with a sunset at Rocky Point.

Rocky Point is one of those hidden gems in Big Sur that's difficult to find on your own, but once you know about it, it's absolutely breathtaking.

There's a gated turnout just off Highway 1 that leads to massive rock formations overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Rocky Creek Bridge. It's one of my favorite places to bring couples because it feels so private.

Big Sur is incredibly popular with tourists, and places like Bixby Bridge, Point Lobos, and many of the scenic overlooks are almost always busy. But Rocky Point is different.

It's one of those spots that mostly locals know about, which makes it perfect for couples wanting a more intimate and peaceful experience without crowds constantly walking through their photos.

Helping couples discover locations like this is one of my favorite parts of my job!

Jessica wore an incredible dress with a long flowing veil that looked absolutely stunning against the rugged coastline.

The wind kept trying to steal Jessica's veil, so she spent a good portion of the session hanging onto it while we laughed about almost watching it disappear into the Pacific Ocean. Thankfully, the veil survived!

Jessica and Ben embraced every part of their Rocky Point Big Sur elopement, even when the wind picked up and temperatures dropped. They never complained once and simply enjoyed being together, which is exactly what an elopement is all about!