Sweet Carmel Elopement

Stylish Lovers’ Sweet Little Carmel Elopement

Nina’s family has been in the East Bay for generations, while Andrew hails from the Czech Republic. When the pandemic hit, the two of them settled into a charming home in Carmel. With the ability to work from home, they carved out a peaceful life together, taking morning walks along the ocean with their dog and trying to keep their cat from sneaking food off the counter.

Their love of good food and drink was unmistakable. After taking a break from alcohol and carbs, they were especially excited to bring both back into the mix for their wedding day. These stylish lovers chose to elope in their own backyard. Wanting to keep things intimate without making anyone feel left out, they invited just one close friend to officiate their tiny Carmel elopement. I was honored to serve as their witness.

We had a delightful adventure along the Carmel Meadow Trail. Craggy rocks, blue ocean water, and billowing fog were our backdrops. We walked and talked, and tried to avoid the copious amount of poison oak near the trails. I climbed some rocks. An overzealous jogger nearly ran us over a couple of times. Nina and Andrew’s officiant and friend played dog handler.

Check out their wedding write-up in the New York Times. It is pretty sweet.

If you like this tiny Carmel elopement, take a look this Big Sur elopement I photographed last year.

Here is a behind-the-scenes picture that Nina and Andrew’s friend took of me. Rock climbing with cameras dangling at my side is a challenge I have a hard time walking away from.