Mari & Joe’s Big Sur elopement | Pfeiffer Beach

Mari & Joe’s Big Sur elopement started with a heartfelt and intimate ceremony next to the Big Sur River, then visited Pfeiffer Beach for photos (and a little champagne).

Nearly every couple I’ve worked with have told me that at some point in their process of planning a wedding, they wanted to give up and just elope. If more of them had seen how great Mari & Joe’s Big Sur wedding turned out, there might have been more elopements.

After a first look, we made some photos at my favorite little spots around the Big Sur River Inn, including on the iconic chairs that sit in the river.

The ceremony was full of love and personal touches. Afterwords we headed to the beach for photos, where high tide had us running from the surf a few times. Mari had some special champagne from her native Brazil, which the newlyweds shared on a custom blanket, one of the many special touches for their Big Sur elopement.

Check out my favorite images in the gallery below.