When people heard the word elope they would usually think a quick Vegas wedding, signing papers at the courthouse, or getting married on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. But once the pandemic hit it became the new normal and frankly, I am here for it. So I thought I would share my own elopement that happened in 2019 just months before everything changed. We got engaged at the end of June 2019, and went back and forth on the idea of a big wedding or doing something small and quick. (Mostly because we were eager to start a family.) After much discussion, we decided to elope. And why wait months if it’s just an elopement right? That’s exactly what we thought. The next 3 weeks ended up being a whirlwind of planning and celebration.
I will be honest, it wasn’t the easiest deciding who got to be invited and who didn’t. So we kept it simple and invited only our parents, siblings, and a few friends. A small intimate wedding was honestly the best thing for us personality and moneywise. It turned out to be perfect. The ceremony location was at a lookout in Dana Point. There are many locations like this one in Dana Point and they are very affordable to reserve.
For the reception, we wanted the room to be private but elegant. Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point did not disappoint! They have multiple locations for private events, were fantastic to work with, and the food was amazing!!
I would like to give a shout out to all of the vendors we used that made this day perfect. Especially to Felicity Couture Bridal Alternations in Aliso Viejo. She was able to squeeze me in at the very last minute to fix my dress, after the place I originally had it fitted, had taken too much out and ended up changing the look of the dress. She saved the day!
Ceremony Location: Heritage park, Dana Point
Arch and Chair Rental: AKT Made
Arch flowers and boutonnieres: McCool Flowers
Reception Location: Salt Creek Grille, Dana Point
Cake: Cinderella Cakes, Laguna Niguel
Photographer: Philip Alan