Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful lake nestled in the mountains, not far from Los Angeles, California. It’s the end of May, Memorial Day weekend to be exact.

Are you picturing sunshine, heat, people picnicking on the beach, and kayaking in the water?

That’s what Joslyn and Robert imagined when they started planning their intimate wedding at Big Bear Lake in California. But as the wedding drew closer, the forecast didn’t look like summer. We were expecting rain and snow throughout the entire wedding day.  We began brainstorming ways to embrace the weather we were given. Joslyn’s mom ordered clear umbrellas to stand under, and everyone brought jackets to keep warm.

For all of our elopements, we arrive a day or two early to explore our researched locations in person. This was even more important for Joslyn and Robert’s elopement. We had a big post-ceremony adventure planned with them that included a 4wd trail. Unfortunately, because of the mud, we could only access part of the trail. But we were able to find some amazing backup locations.

On the morning of Joslyn and Robert’s elopement, the rain came down steadily. Joslyn beamed about how whimsical it looked. It almost felt like we were in the Pacific Northwest rather than Southern California. They rented a house surrounded by forest, where they got ready on separate levels before having their first look outside in the fog. Their ceremony was held on the same property, and their friends and family joined them as they said their vows. Throughout the ceremony, the fog whipped in and out of the forest and rain dropped through the trees. We were all saved from being too wet thanks to the umbrellas, and after their first kiss, they celebrated with hugs and big grins.

After their ceremony, everyone hurried back to the house to warm up. They ate lunch together and then all of the guests went around the table sharing their favorite memories with Joslyn and Robert and offering advice. More hugs were exchanged before Joslyn and Robert’s families headed home.

With that, it was time to set off on Joslyn and Robert’s adventure. We all climbed in the car together and drove through the thick fog. Through stretches of the mountain road, you couldn’t see more than 20 feet in front of the car. The air was damp and the wind blew fiercely, Joslyn and Robert clung to each other to stay warm as we hiked through the forest together. Even though they were shivering and their fingers were freezing, they were all smiles.

Sometimes the weather doesn’t turn out as planned. But Joslyn and Robert embraced the rain and the cold and still had the most magical celebration. Just another wonderful story to tell about the adventure that was their wedding day.

This elopement took place on Serrano Land.

Photographs

Colorado Elopements

Destination Elopements