SOPHIE + KYLE – BIG SUR GLAMPING ELOPEMENT AT VENTANA INN & SPA

“Glamping” Elopement at Ventana Inn & Spa. Big Sur Bakery Wedding Reception. Big Sur wedding Photographers, The DeLauras

ADVENTURE AWAITS:

Nature happens to be at the very core of Sophie and Kyle’s relationship. Together they built a foundation on a mutual love of adventure and the great outdoors. From backpacking to campouts to ski trips and traveling; the connection they have to one another is electrifying.

Sophie and Kyle planned their SECRET elopement in Big Sur in one months time (I mean, how did they do it??!! We wish we could have planned our wedding in one months time, would have saved a LOT of planning/time/energy/money!!) To them, Sophie and Kyle wanted their marriage and their love to take center stage—nothing else matters!

They invited their immediate family to surround them at Ventana Inn & Spa as they promised their forevers to one another! Their outdoor ceremony was intimate, thoughtful and touching (and it’s really cool to note that Sophie and Kyle created the Chuppah they stood under!!)

We love how low-key Sophie was; she made her own bouquet and did her own hair and makeup–she climbed into her dress on the porch of the Safari Tent and wore shoes she could romp around a forest, scale a mountain, and run on the beach in. She was up for the adventure, wedding dress and all—she wasn’t even scared when we told her to walk out onto the fallen log–she just said ‘ohh yeah, I can do that!’

Talk about the right time and the right place!!!!

Sophie and Kyle picked the PERFECTTT time in Big Sur for their elopement–Winter Solstice draws a large amount of photographers to Big Sur and we couldn’t believe our luck! Not only did it NOT rain, but in December and January there are a few weeks each year during the Winter Solstice, where the sunset casts an ethereal glow through Keyhole Arch on Big Sur’s Pfeiffer Beach that is absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky enough to photographed Kyle and Sophie and this amazing phenomenon.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Tell us a little bit about your love story–how you met, what you love to do together?

We love the outdoors. By our fifth date we were camping in Yosemite and summiting Cloud’s Rest, and a few months later we were taking our first kite surfing lessons in Mexico. Since then there’s been tons of skiing, backpacking, cooking, and travel, but probably our favorite place to be is in the Sierras.

What was the inspiration for your elopement? 

We wanted to get married outside in January. Our families were super unexcited about the idea of snow hiking in formal attire, so we headed south to Big Sur.

How and why did you pick your Big Sur for your destination??

We’ve backpacked in Big Sur every winter since we met. The Ventana felt like enough campfire to keep us happy and hot showers to satisfy our parents.

What special details did you include in your wedding?? 

We invited our brothers to be our officiants. They wrote the ceremony, and we wrote our own vows. Kyle also built our chuppa, and our families helped assemble the chuppa and the flowers.

Most memorable moment (s) of your wedding day? (From Groom and from Bride)

From the Groom: We served a mountain of homemade smoked brisket and pulled pork for dinner at our campsite on Friday night. It was great to spend time with our families eating and drinking around the fire before the big event. 

From the Bride: I loved our campsite. It was super cozy and so fun to wake up Saturday morning and visit everyone in their tents.

What was your favorite part about the wedding planning process?

That it only took 1 month.

Any advice for those planning now?

Don’t let anyone bully you into thinking you should care more about things you really don’t care about.

How was your experience working with The DeLauras?? What did you love and what could we improve upon??!

We loved working with The DeLauras. They knew the area really well and were game to go exploring in search of some great photos. The DeLauras were super flexible, and we came up with a great contingency plan in the event of rain. They also had a really useful timeline and were open to our last minute venue change.

---

VENDORS

location BIG SUR | ceremony VENTANA INN & SPA | wedding reception BIG SUR BAKERY | wedding dress & designer BHLDN Willowby by Watters Hearst Gown