Yosemite at dawn is a magical experience. It’s quiet. The parking lots are empty. The light breeze and chill in the air reminds you that despite its popularity, Yosemite is still a wild place.

The Alta Lakes Observatory cabin is particularly unique. It feels sort of like a treehouse, but with a touch of industrial modernism to compliment the rustic qualities. The cabin was perfectly suited for the vacation/wedding John and Mia had planned for their family. It could house all of their guests so no one would have to leave after the wedding.

For Liz & Jim’s elopement, we hiked around to the backside of Cap Rock and met the family beneath the Joshua Trees for their ceremony. Their officiant, Garrett, had everyone in tears, which was spurred even further by the thoughtful vows Liz & Jim spoke to each other. They exchanged rings, kissed, then both wiped happy tears as they walked back down the trail/makeshift aisle. We spent the rest of the evening watching the sun go down from a hike near the top of the Mojave Desert.

There are so many benefits to having your wedding in the desert. For one, you can easily get married in the “off-season” months, of March, April, October, and November, when more wedding vendors have availability and travel and accommodations are cheaper. And if the location being secluded is important to you, you have your pick of absolutely incredible epic spots where you won’t find a soul in site—after all, eloping is usually about not having 100 people around to watch you say your vows, so why do it in an overcrowded view? The desert weather at certain times of year can be pretty mild compared to other places, and when it does rain in the desert, it’s a stunning thing to experience.

We met Mary and Joe in Telluride, Colorado at their hotel and started their day by driving up a bumpy dirt road and hiking out to a waterfall for their first look. From there, we continued up the road and started our 6 mile hike to an epic and secluded alpine lake. Mary changed out of her dress for the hike up and packed it in her backpack to put on again once we made it to the lake. Then she strapped her flowers to the outside of her backpack and we started up the mountain. The hike up was steep, but beautiful, with the landscape in the middle of its transition from summer to fall. Warm yellows and golds dotted the hillsides.

We started the day with a short hike on a secluded trail in an area of Big Sur that not many tourists go. Lyndsie put her dress on in the forest on the way to their ceremony site. She dawned an epic bridal cape in lieu of a veil, carried a mix of dried, foraged, and wild flowers from an amazing local florist, and put her mother’s garter on before walking down the trail to meet Brett for a first look. They met teary-eyed, and embraced before continuing down the trail to a sanctuary in the woods where they’d say their vows. Their ceremony site was a perfect bend in the trail flanked by four giant redwood trees—a hidden little spot we scouted just for them.

If there is one thing I could see and attempt to capture in Abe and Isaac’s story, it’s their unending strength. Much like the desert. Where life can be harsh, they choose to see the sweetness in it. It’s like the way the Joshua Tree grows from dry, granite gravel ground and it stretches skyward, twisting, flowering in season, and always green no matter the season. Abe and Isaac are that way. Rooted in humility, they are a life force of their own.

This adventurous and creative styled elopement on the foggy beach of Short Sands Oregon was a beautiful wedding set in the Pacific Northwest coast.

Jenn and Dillen celebrated their biggest adventure yet surrounded by their closest friends and a few cactus in the desert of Alabama Hills in the Eastern Sierras. They invited their guests to come out to the desert, brave the heat, and camp with them for a few days surrounding their intimate, eco-friendly wedding day.

From spending sunrise watching the light gracefully warm the Joshua trees, to their ceremony at the base of Cap Rock, to getting tattoos (epic), and watching the sun go down behind mount San Jacinto, Diana and Isiah did it their way. No rules, no strict timeline—just love for those around them, love for the desert, love for the one they stood next to.

Patagonia brought out its finest for them. Between sunshine, wind, rain, and clouds, Caitlin and Tim said their vows, read from scripture, and exchanged rings. We scrambled over boulders and marveled at the gem-colored waters of the “Laguna” before us. After exploring the extents of walkable terrain around the lake, Caitlin and Tim popped champagne while it rained sideways with the wind. They hugged tight, stoked beyond stoked to experience the fullness of joy and love and adventure with Patagonia’s infamous weather. And just as soon as it came, the clouds cleared and we hiked down in dry weather to camp for the night.

Jenn and Dillen drove overnight from California to Moab Utah just to spend a day and a half in the red dirt and cliffsides of the Southwest. A somewhat spontaneous trip, fueled by coffee and and an adventurous disposition, they met us near where we were camping by Canyonlands National Park and we woke up the next morning to watch sunrise and take engagement photos in the desert.

We set up our tents at the base of the steepest part, then made our way up the trail to see the lake at sunset. Kasey and Erich changed into their wedding clothes and held each other close while a chilly breeze danced across the water. Pleasant weather by Patagonia standards. We tenuously hopped rocks at the edge of the lake, watching our footwork while marveling at the expanse of granite and glaciers before us. It honestly felt silly to try to capture photos and describe Patagonia, a place that can only be truly understood by experiencing it oneself. It’s an absolute wonder.

Their ceremony was emotional, warm, and dotted brightly with poignant letters from their best friends who stood by them. Grandparents and older family watched with caution as I’m sure they felt Shannon & Todd were a little too close to the edge for comfort. But for the couple, that kind of exposure is just their average weekend activity. After their first kiss, we snapped a few photos on the cliff, then quested our way down a switchbacked dirt road in their truck, stopping for photos at a spot appropriately named “Thelma & Louise Point”.

I remember when we first got the email from Kasey and Erich asking if we were interested in flying to Central Argentina and Patagonia for their wedding. I definitely thought it sounded too good to be true, and tried my best not to get my hopes up. What they described was quite literally my dream wedding to shoot — equally adventurous as it was intimate.