Intimate Elopement Wedding on the San Diego Coast
“Our wedding was everything I didn’t know I wanted”
“It is a crazy time to be planning a wedding. There have been so many ups and downs, so many canceled events leading up to our big day. I feel for all of the other couples going through this and if any of them are considering having a tiny ceremony, or even eloping, I say do it! We can all throw a party one day but being able to marry your best friend when you want to marry them is so special and wonderful.”
This post is for the brides and grooms who are facing the struggle of planning a wedding during the corona virus epidemic or those postponing their wedding to later date.
Jocelyn and Toby were schedule to have a large wedding (125+ guests) at Flora the Venue in Downtown San Diego on June 26th. However, “due to the Coronavirus,” they postponed for a later date this year.
I was so ready for all of my summer weddings until the ish hit the fan and everything got canceled. Food…cancelled. Gym….canceled. Movies…. canceled. And weddings….freaking canceled.
Somehow by the grace of God, I was able to reschedule all of my couple’s wedding dates for later this year or next year.
Jocelyn and Toby reached out to me late 2019 and were so excited to have me as their wedding photographer and videographer. I ended up gifting them a complimentary adventure photo session but it just so happened the pandemic struck and everyone laid low for a bit.
But the people wanted their lives back. The people wanted to see their loved ones. The people wanted to celebrate.
Jocelyn reached out and asked if I’d be willing to photograph their intimate wedding ceremony at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in La Jolla. I immediately said yes. I loved how they wanted to celebrate that special day despite all that was going in the world.
The feeling of sharing memories with loved ones cannot be taken away from us. History was made in the company of others. And on that day, Jocelyn and Toby declared their vows on top of a mountain with their closest friends and family.
Micro weddings are my new favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I love a big wedding celebration. But not all couples have the same vision for their wedding day. Explore your options and ultimately decide how you want to remember the first day of your marriage. The experiences that can happen on your wedding day are endless.
The bride and groom rented a villa at the Paradise Point Resort in San Diego. It was so lush and had a tropical island feel all around the property. The villa was very close to the beach and lush garden ponds for beautiful photos.
“I’m so glad we did a first look”
“It was our private time. But overall having such a more intimate wedding allowed us to have a totally different experience than we would have if we would have been able to have the wedding we initially planned.”
The ceremony took place on the Veterans Memorial on Mt. Soledad in La Jolla. The view of the bay was spectacular. Toby and Jocelyn wrote their own vows and sealed it with a juicy kiss. Everyone toasted with Champagne and gathered for some group photos.
The bouquet was made by Petals by Katie in Ocean Beach. Jocelyn wanted to keep it simple and neutral. The gown was from Lulu’s — Jocelyn is saving the other dress for when they can hopefully have their bigger wedding. The cake was from Babycakes, who is doing the cake and desserts for the larger wedding. For favors, Jocelyn went with a “champagne toast” and “ocean” hand sanitizer scents from Bath and Body Works. “Seemed appropriate for the times!” said Jocelyn.
Dinner took place at a dimly lit Spanish Tapas bar in Pacific Beach called Costa Brava. Right when you walked in, you were transported to Barcelona, Spain. Toby and Jocelyn supported this local restaurant during the shutdown and ordered in quite frequently. It was a special place for them 🙂
After going through their gallery, I noticed how much I miss photographing such special gatherings. I know things will go back to the way they were, but in ways I think it will be 10X better….
“I envisioned our wedding to be a fun party with friends and family flying in from all over the country, dancing the night away.”
“While we still hope to have our larger party, having a more intimate affair allowed for us to focus so much more on the act of getting married and less so on the event. We were able to spend quality time with each and every guest and the entire day and weekend was pretty relaxed. Most importantly, we didn’t allow the pandemic to put our life on hold - the situation we are in made the day even more special than I could have ever imagined.”
Hey, I'm Nicholas (Nick) Gonzalez
The founder and lead photographer at American Portra
I love to inspire and inform all of my couples through my blog posts. Visualizing your wedding is key when planning it. Browse around and check out local weddings venues, engagement session ideas, and pro tips!
