We serve Northern California from Big Sur north to the San Francsico Bay Area, and offer seven distinct ceremony sites in the following areas:
Absolutely!
We can accommodate up to 10 guests in addition to the couple and vendors. Note that some locations limit guests to less than that. The guest limit for each of our locations is listed on our site–or just ask us.
Our locations are thoughtfully selected for their natural beauty, with careful consideration given to accessibility and privacy. But if you have a specific place in mind–and its within our service area–we’re happy to review it. If it’s a good fit for how we operate, we can explore making it work for you.
We don’t hand you a list of options and ask you to build your own elopement.
Our packages are intentionally designed—from the locations to the professionals involved—so everything works together seamlessly. You’re not managing multiple vendors or trying to piece together a plan on your own.
Most couples come to us because they want something simple, well thought out, and easy to step into—without sacrificing quality.
Another thing that sets us apart is our longevity. We’ve been doing this for 25 years, so you can feel confident you’re working with established, reliable professionals.
Because that approach tends to create more stress, not less.
Our packages are intentionally designed so every piece—location, professionals, and flow of the day—works together seamlessly. When everything is built from scratch, it often leads to more decisions, more coordination, and more room for things to go sideways.
You still have meaningful choices within the framework, but you’re not starting with a blank slate.
Most couples come to us specifically because they don’t want to manage all the moving parts—they want something that’s already been thoughtfully put together and simply works.
Some couples book us 12-18 months in advance; others call and want us to marry them with much less notice. We’re generally unable to take on any bookings with less than 6-8 weeks’ notice–simply because we’re almost always booked at least that far in advance. The sooner the better, especially if you have your heart set on a particular date.
A permit does NOT give you exclusive rights to any public venue (such as a park or beach). All a permit means is that there will be no other events scheduled at that exact location on your date and time. You cannot demand that people vacate your wedding space! We have always found that members of the public are quite respectful when they see a wedding taking place on public property. This does not guarantee that you won’t have a guy in a Speedo watching from afar! You can also expect claps and shouts of “Congratulations!” when you share your first married kiss. If you want a site with exclusive rights, then we’ll guide you toward a totally private venue.
Rest assured, we’ve personally scouted all the sites on our list–and undoubtedly performed many ceremonies at any site you’re considering. We specialize in lesser-known sites to avoid you being stared at by hordes of tourists. If this is a concern, talk to us about it and we’ll point you in the direction of our most secluded sites.
We’re happy to give you resources to find lodging, although we don’t recommend specific places to stay. We’ve tried that in the past and have found that all too often, vacation rental owners stop listing their accommodations online without informing us, or hotels close.
We’ve found the best site for vacation rentals is VRBO and if you’re seeking a hotel, try Trip Advisor.
We not only help you, we take care of the whole thing. We include venue permits in our package pricing. We’ll obtain the permit for you. Pulling permits can be a nightmare and we want to save you the stress of trying to manage that on your own.
We also supply–free of charge–the liability insurance you’ll need for most California elopement venues.
You don’t have to start from scratch—that’s part of what we handle.
Once we know your general preferences (coastal vs. city, privacy level, guest count, mobility, etc.), we’ll guide you toward locations that fit both your vision and the realities of the day.
The goal isn’t to give you endless choices—it’s to help you confidently choose the right one.
While it’s rare, we always plan for the unexpected.
We work with a small, trusted group of professionals, and we maintain backup options for each role. If a vendor becomes unavailable, we’ll secure a replacement who meets the same standards for quality and reliability.
You won’t be left scrambling to find someone or manage the change—we handle it behind the scenes so your day stays on track.
We keep a close eye on the forecast and adjust as needed.
Next-day rescheduling is dependent on vendor availability and carries a $300 fee, as we need to shift schedules and move you to the top of our priority list.
Our goal is to keep the experience smooth while still making sure your day feels right.
Our packages are built around a trusted group of professionals who work together consistently, which is a big part of what keeps the experience seamless and low-stress.
For core services—especially photography—we do not allow outside vendors. These are central to the experience, and consistency here matters.
For non-ceremony elements like hair or flowers, you’re welcome to make your own arrangements if you prefer. Just keep in mind that this can shift the experience toward a more DIY approach, which often means more coordination on your end and less ability to fully relax and enjoy the day.
Most couples choose to keep everything within our packages so it all works together smoothly.
That’s a little like asking, “How much does a car cost?” Do you want the bare-bones Ford or the Mercedes? Something in between? Our pricing starts at $3,770. The average our couples spend comes to around $4,500 for a package that contains officiating, 2 hours of photography, full planning, flowers, bridal hair and makeup and a venue permit (if needed).
Once you’ve decided to work with us and chosen your package, we’ll send over a reservation agreement for you to sign, along with an invoice for $1,000.
Your remaining balance will be divided into thirds and we’ll invoice you 1/3rd 90 days before your wedding, 1/3rd 60 days before and the final balance will be due one month before your wedding date. You may make partial payments at any time after signing a contract.
We accept credit card payments (MasterCard, Visa, Discover). We do not accept American Express.
All fees paid are nonrefundable. Our contract for services is legally binding and we expect that Clients will honor their financial commitments to us (as we have to honor ours to our vendors once they commit to a wedding). Our contract stipulates that if you notify us of a cancellation in services, your remaining unpaid fees will be due within 10 business days. Sometimes we can work with you on this (on a case by case basis) if your wedding is still more than two months away or if you have extenuating circumstances (such as a military deployment, severe illness or death of an immediate family member).
If you need to postpone your wedding, all fees paid will be transferred to the new date as long as your new wedding date is within six months of your previously booked one. (We can work with you on this if there are extenuating circumstances.) Note that additional fees will be added to accommodate re-booking vendors, issuing a new contract etc.
Oh no! You’ll definitely be looking! Kidding! We’re not about nickel and diming couples to death and we didn’t get this far by treating our clients with less-than-honorable standards in the billing department.
Our pricing is very transparent and posted on our website. It will also be given to you when you request a proposal, and again when you sign a contract. The only time the price would change is if you make changes to your package inclusions.
Other fees: We impose late payment fees (yep–everyone agrees to payment due dates when we sign the contract and yep–we do add financial penalties if your payment is late; kinda like our bank does to us when we’re late with our payments! If we gotta pay ’em, you gotta pay ’em). We also charge late start fees if an elopement ceremony starts more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time. While we’ll never rush you through your elopement (how tacky!), substantially late starts affect our ability to ensure you an optimal elopement wedding experience, and for obvious reasons we like to discourage that from happening. We’ll do everything in our power to get you (and your elopement entourage) to the (metaphorical) church on time. If you’re late, we ask you to respect that your professionals’ waiting time must be compensated.
The price is the price–it does not change with guest count or time of year. We offer elopements from Monday through Thursday for up to 10 guests. On rare occasions, we may perform a Friday service, and this would incur an additional charge.
We guarantee the price (assuming you don’t make any changes) for a minimum of 60 days. Once you sign a contract with us, your price is locked in unless you request an upgrade.
To keep our packages focused and transparent, there are a few items that are not included:
These are typically arranged directly by you, which gives you full flexibility over your personal choices and travel plans.
Our pricing is designed to be clear and predictable, so there are no hidden fees within our services.
That said, there are a few external costs most couples should plan for:
If you choose to add services beyond what’s included in your package (such as additional photography time), those would be priced separately.
We’ll always outline any optional add-ons or location-specific costs in advance, so you know exactly what to expect before moving forward.
Marriage licenses are legal documents–just like a passport or driver’s license–so you need to appear at the local county office (anywhere in California) and apply for a marriage license in person. We have all the specific info you need to make sure you’re legally hitched.
You need a marriage license from the state in which you’re getting married–NOT from the state where you live. You need to obtain the license prior to the ceremony and offices are generally only open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Your Blue Sky officiant will guide you on the process for obtaining your California marriage license.
California requires at least one witness and our photographer can serve in that role for you.