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Big Sur Location Guide

What to Expect

This guide is seperated by North coast and South Coast. If you have booked me for 8 hours both coasts are options to you. If you have booked me for less than 8 hours and are staying in carmel, you want to stick with north coast. If you have booked me with less than 8 hours and are staying in middle big sur like glen oaks, deetjens, ventana, you can choose north coast OR South Coast. Some locations like Pfeiffer beach are in the middle and doable for either. 

 

PO SCALE

I'm going to use a poision oak scale within the guide. 1= very little poison oak but not zero- 5 = the most poision oak, like you are walking next to poison oak bushes the size of you. Not a ton of poision oak at any redwood locations so they will not be on the scale. 

North Coast. Within 30 min of Ventana, Carmel, Glen Oaks. North coast is more steep and rocky than south.

REDWOOD OPTIONS

A bride and groom standing close together in a forest with tall trees and fog, the bride wearing a white dress and veil, and the groom in a dark suit.
A bride and groom stand on a fallen tree trunk in a dense forest, sharing a kiss during their wedding photo shoot.
A couple dressed in wedding attire standing on a large moss-covered rock in a forest, with sunlight filtering through tall trees.

Redwoods:


If you want a detailed reason why places you’ve heard about online or visited in person are not an option:

  1. Ventana: cute fairy circle with good light 3-4 hours before sunset, after that it gets SOOO dark and flat toned, the light also comes in from the mountain not the cool fallen log. So it’s not great for a 2 hour session.

  1. Places like Pfeiffer campground or Jullia Pfeiffer burns( waterfall) ( NOT BEACH I know this gets confusing) are overrun with people and rangers and strict rules about photography. They are very intense and  I dont shoot here.

  2. Point Lobos: same reason as above, plust such a headache to even try to find parking/ hiking in, a huge time suck, i used to shoot there 10 years ago but its gotten so popular and they've cracked down so hard on permits its not somehwere i shoot any more. they have very strict permits requirements.

  3. If you saw an elopement I shot with other redwoods, than you see on my guide.  They were most likely booking me for 5 or more hours so we had more time to drive to south coast redwood locations. These spots have the best light 4 hours before sunset so they arent great for a short shoots because they will be dark and flat after that point in the day. There is one redwood grove I ONLY use for sunrise sessions, because of... you guessed it... LIGHT.  This is why you hire me, I do know the coast and promise to guide you so you can have the absolute best photos possible. 

A bride and groom holding hands walking in a forest during sunset, with sunlight streaming through trees.

Glen Oaks

Chances are if you saw a photo of the redwoods you liked in Big Sur it was taken here! You must stay on property to use. Remember that all my favorite cabins are listed under your recommended vendor file.

best light here is 4 hours before sunset, see photo to the left.

A bride and groom standing together on a rocky riverbed surrounded by trees and greenery, with sunlight filtering through the branches.
A bride and groom in wedding attire sharing a kiss on a wooden bridge in a dense forest.
A bride and groom stand closely together in a forest, surrounded by tall trees, with the bride's long veil flowing onto the ground.
A couple in wedding attire holding hands and standing in a lush, sunlit forest surrounded by tall trees and greenery.

PIRATES TRAIL 

Second Forest location that is South coast. about 20 Min from main Big Sur. More expansive than Heart Rock Trail, best light three-four  hours before sunset. 

This is 45 min from Carmel 

Here is pirate redwood grove with soberanies gate 9. https://www.floragibson.com/blog/a-dreamy-carmel-california-elopement-why-this-coastline-is-pure-magic

A couple holding hands on a fallen log in a dense forest with giant trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves.

HEART ROCK TRAIL

 

On the side of the road, on the way to North Coast from Middle Sur ( Glen Oaks, Ventana) The forest location we can use if you are not staying in the forest and still want to explore north coast ( cliffs). This forest is pretty small and has less options than hotels like glen oaks.

It is this one little spot of grove. So this is the view, there isnt a ton of diversity but it's still cute and does get good light 2 hours before sunset.  

 

This is about 30 min from carmel. 

A couple stands hand in hand in a forest, smiling and looking at each other, surrounded by large trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves.
A bride and groom in wedding attire holding hands on a fallen tree trunk in a forest with giant trees.
A couple stands close together in a forest with tall trees, illuminated by sunlight filtering through the canopy.

Meadow Mountain View

Beautiful views, between redwoods and cliffs. About 10 min from Glen Oaks and 30 mins from cliffs and beach. Best Jan- May

An example HERE- April 11th

and HERE - May 30th

A bride and groom walking on a beach near a large rock formation with a natural archway, ocean waves, and cliffs


Pfeiffer Beach - Middle Big Sur/ north coast. 

Touristy, but beautiful! Can have the most un-predictable weather as it's on the point. My favorite at low tide. Dont like to rely on it for ceremonies in case the parking is full. It is the only beach location near by the forest. 

This is a location you DO NOT need a permit for a ceremony but I dont recommend it because of the crowds and weather ( think sand pelting you and your guests in the face like sand paper).

PO SCALE =1 

A couple dressed in wedding attire dancing on a sandy beach at sunset, with large twisted trees and sun rays in the background.
A bride and groom in wedding attire standing on a rocky cliff near the ocean at sunset, with large rocks in the background and the sea stretching to the horizon.
A couple in wedding attire embracing on a beach at sunset, with a rocky cliff in the background.
A bride and groom in wedding attire reading books and smiling in front of a large wooden bookshelf filled with books.

Henry Miiller Library: Middle big sur : Closed on tuesdays, 11-5pm the rest of the days. If you love reading or music history it can be a fun 10 min stop if staying near by. ( Ventana, Glen Oaks, Deetjens) 

A woman in a white dress and a man in a suit are inside a cozy, wood-paneled bookstore, with bookshelves filled with books and artwork on the walls, surrounded by string lights.
A bride in a wedding dress with lace ruffles and a veil, standing next to a groom in a suit, both inside a cozy, decorated room filled with books, artwork, and string lights. The bride is smiling and pointing at a bookshelf, while the groom is looking down at a camera.
A bride and groom sharing a kiss in a cozy, wood-paneled room decorated with books and artwork.
Two people holding hands standing on a rocky cliff overlooking a foggy ocean with tall grasses in the foreground.

Barb wire wonderland

This is north coast. This is a hiking location with a lot of poison oak. Very close to soberanies and Garrapata.  This has a lot of poison oak. It’s a 15 min walk down and 20 min walk out. The walk out is pretty steep.

can work for a ceremony with two with no guests.

PO scale : 4

An example of Garrapata mixed with Barb Wire Wonderland HERE

A couple standing on a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean at sunset, with rocky formations in the background.
A couple in formal attire holding hands on a grassy coastal cliff at sunset, with ocean waves and rocky formations in the background.
A couple in wedding attire standing on rocky terrain near the ocean, with large rocks and cliffs in the background, during sunset.
A couple stands on rocky cliffs by the ocean, embracing each other as waves crash against the rocks.

Hill overlook :

This location has poision oak up to your eye balls. I dont get poision oak bad so it doesent bother me. Most people are not ok with it. Steepness level of 4/5

PO scale: 5 

An example of hill top overlook at Garrapata HERE

A couple in formal attire exchanging vows on a hilltop overlooking the ocean at sunset.
A couple walking on a narrow trail along a grassy coastal hillside towards the ocean at sunset.
A couple dressed in wedding attire standing on a hillside covered in red and orange wildflowers near the ocean, with rocky cliffs in the background.

SOBERANIES

North Coast,  This is the steepest cliff location. This location is 30 min from Glen Oaks. 15 from carmel. 

PO scale : 1-3 ( depending how adventurous you want to get) If you want that rock bridge its a 5/5 steepness level. I dont recommend it to everyone. If you dont come in hiking shoes the rock bridge isnt an option. 

The ice plant has been better lately at garrapata, and no longer looks like this.

An example of Sobranies and Pirates redwood grove HERE - this is gate 9

A couple holding hands standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean with rugged hills in the background.
A couple dressed in wedding attire standing close to each other on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean, with waves crashing against rocks and a hill in the background.
A couple stands on rocky coastal terrain, embracing with the ocean in the background during sunset, with waves hitting the shore and reddish-brown coastal vegetation.
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A couple in formal attire dancing on a sandy beach inside a large rock formation with an opening to the sky.

Garrapata Beach

I always suggest mixing an area like garrapata with an area like Soberanies. They are right next to each other.  If you spend all your time at the cliffs your posing will be limited. I cant have you run and jump and move as easily on steep rocky terrain. I really don't like to do a full elopement day on steep terrain as I am not happy with the range of emotion, movement and colors I can deliver as opposed to mixing them up. 

GARRAPATA BEACH - PO scale 1 

Calla Lilly Valley is here. 

the cave is here

the overlooks are here

You can see an example of Soberanies and Garrapata HERE

A couple dancing on a grassy hillside near a beach with cloudy skies and mountains in the background.
A couple dressed in formal attire sharing a kiss on the beach at sunset, with large rocks and a sandy shoreline in the background.
Two women holding hands and walking on a beach, with cliffs in the background, black and white photo.
Two women sitting amidst flowering plants and bushes, facing each other, with the ocean and a cloudy sky in the background.
Two people hugging on a grassy hilltop with bushes, fog, and overcast sky.
A couple dressed in wedding attire sharing a kiss under large rock formations on a sandy beach with a cozy picnic setup in front of them.
A bride and groom walking hand in hand through a foggy, open landscape with green bushes and rolling hills.
A couple in wedding attire sharing a kiss on a cliffside surrounded by red and green desert plants with rocky cliffs and ocean in the background.
A couple holding hands on a beach with hills in the background, walking barefoot in the sand during sunset.
A bride and groom walking together on the beach near large rocks with mountains in the background at sunset.

South Coast:

A man and woman in wedding attire walking through a grassy field at sunset, holding lanterns, with mountains and ocean in the background.

South coast.

Unless your booking 6 hours and over you cannot combine south coast with north.

You can combine the redwoods of Pirates with a 40 mim drive south to get to sand dollar beach, and all the meadows.

South coast is my favorite due to the variety of locations and views. It isn't as steep as north coast but that doesn't mean it's less beautiful. Theres much more pampas grass this direction and more forest options! The beaches here are the best. 

An example of south coast over 8 hours with guests

An example of three hours south coast

A couple in wedding attire standing on a beach at sunset, holding hands and embracing with rocky formations and mountains in the background.
A couple dressed in wedding attire holding hands on a beach at sunset, with a large rock formation and mountains in the background.
A bride and groom holding hands on a beach with large rocks and cliffs nearby at sunset.
A person lying on a surfboard on the sand at the edge of the ocean with waves approaching.
A newlywed couple in formal wedding attire playing and splashing water at the beach with rocky cliffs and hills in the background.
A bride and groom standing in the shallow water at the beach, looking at each other lovingly with mountains in the background.
A couple standing on rocks by the ocean at sunset, facing each other and holding hands.
A scenic coastal landscape featuring large rocks in the ocean with waves crashing against them, green hills in the background, and a clear sky with a few clouds.
A couple dressed in wedding attire on rocky beach, with a man helping a woman on her knees.
A couple in wedding attire sharing a kiss in a field of tall grasses with mountains in the background, viewed through some of the grasses.
A happy couple in wedding attire standing on a rocky beach at sunset, with mountains and large rock formations in the background.

What to do from here:

  1. Send me your top two locations or wait for me to send your timeline. I like to combine at least one cliff/ redwood location with an open space like the meadow or the beach. This will give you a variety of poses and backdrops that just standing on rocks on cliff edges will not.

  2. Once you have your timeline from me you can start booking your other vendors.