Amanda & Tyler // Point Reyes Elopement

In 2010, Tyler & Amanda met for the first time at a college prep summer camp in Hawaii. They quickly hit it off, and would sit next to each other at every meal & work on their resumes and college essays together in the computer lab. On the last night of camp, Tyler made sure he sat next to Amanda at the talent show. (I mean… come on… has anything ever sounded cuter?!?!?)

When camp ended, they exchanged phone numbers and email addresses, and hoped to see each other again soon. Luckily, Tyler’s family was planning a vacation in Maui, where Amanda lived, and she soon got to work on brainstorming for their first real date.

During Tyler’s family vacay, he and Amanda went on a day-long date to the local mall. #TeenageRomance (lol) Tyler hilariously recalls that he flew all the way to Maui, and Amanda took him to… see Despicable Me at the mall. One HAS to laugh at that detail… but those lil’ yellow minions must’ve done something right because during that fateful date, they had their first kiss.

My PERSONAL favorite sound bite is what happened next—Amanda’s mom came to pick her up from the mall, and Amanda said, “He’s perfect. He’s tall, SO funny, and we both hate tomatoes so I’m going to marry him.” Homegirl saw the future!!!!!

The duo dated long distance for a few years in high school before deciding to separate, but knew they wanted to stay friends in college. Later, during their senior year, they both happened to be in SoCal and both decided to move to the Bay Area after they graduated, so the stars aligned and their relationship picked up where it left off. In the years that followed, they traveled to almost every continent together as their love (& bucket list check marks) grew.

Finally, the two traveled to Italy & Tyler planned an epic adventure that would overlap with Amanda’s birthday. The day before her bday, Tyler had Amanda’s ring in his pocket all day & was looking for the perfect moment to propose. At the end of the day, the couple sat on their balcony & reminisced about their past year together, dreaming about what the following year would bring. Tyler asked Amanda if she wanted her birthday present, she said yes, and he got down on one knee and proposed. 

The summer camp sweethearts were engaged after 10 years of mutual growth, travel, & love.

When A + T brainstormed what they wanted for their wedding day, in the midst of a pandemic and uncertain what the following year would look like, eloping just felt right to them. Amanda & I emailed back and forth over the span of about a year, but when she reached out one last time & described her ideal day to me, I couldn't say yes with 97 exclamation points fast enough.

She and Tyler wanted to get dressed up, explore a couple beautiful locations around the Point Reyes area, and have their wedding ceremony at an overlook with sweeping views of the coast all around them. I was set to be the only guest. Soon, our plan was perfectly outlined—from driving times between each location to the exact moment the sun would set—but the day we were ultimately blessed with, I'm certain, was 10000% because of T & A's immaculate karma due to a lifetime of being the two sweetest kindest people on Earth. 

In the few days before their elopement, the coast… was 40° with total cloud cover and high winds. The couple scoped around where they wanted to wed, and collectively became quite nervous about what the weather might bring on their day. But the day Amanda & Tyler got married by the sea, we were greeted with a 60° breeze, blue skies, sunshine, and happy fat sea lions barking with joy all along the water. 

We met up early in the afternoon in a gorgeous tunnel of trees for a few portraits before heading to the coast, and Amanda showed up looking like a Hawaiian woodland goddess. I very quickly decided Tyler and Amanda are angels disguised as human beings, and that their love for one another was as vivid as a literal rainbow. They were giddy with excitement for the afternoon, and we were all enjoying taking photos together riiiight from the jump.

Our second stop was a particularly gusty windy hill overlooking a unique perspective of the coast—a straight oceanline as far as the eye could see. Though breezy & brisk, the scene was simply magical. We stumbled upon a deer frolicking in the grass as we arrived, Amanda & Tyler ventured across the green mountainside onto the coolest sand dune, and we made it back to the car in time to de-frost our hands and prepare for the couple's elopement ceremony + our grand finale location. 

When we arrived at our final stop, the sun brightly illuminated the swaying grass as we hiked to the most picturesque ceremony spot. Alone, hand in hand at what appeared to truly be the very edge of the world, Amanda & Tyler spoke personal vows and cried tears that glistened in the sun, shared a first kiss as husband & wife, and cheersed with champagne and vegan donuts. My two partners in crime—my best friend Nicole & my boyfriend—hung out quietly in the background as witnesses, and I felt incredibly honored to photo-officiate the wedding of two of the most gentle, warm, down-to-earth humans I've ever encountered. 

This day was one I'll never forget, and one that reminded me what a unique privilege & utter joy my job can be. At one point, my other half hoisted me on his shoulders for a better vantage point for photos, and at most points, my best friend squealed with excitement at the beauty of the couple + scenery while taking behind-the-scenes iPhone footage. It was adorable and so, so special. 

After all was said & done, Amanda & Tyler were married and I was a very happy photographer. The weather was a glowing dream, the couple's ceremony was intentional, meaningful, & visually breathtaking, the natural beauty of Point Reyes was utter perfection, the company I was lucky enough to bring along for the ride was a 10/10, and the sea lions were loud and wonderful. We all emerged from the day laughing + absolutely elated (until later that night... when Amanda & Tyler realized they'd sat in a field of poison ivy... and I never forgave myself for not noticing it... but let's ignore that part for the sake of this fairytale...lol.) 

Amanda & Tyler—thank you for inviting me along for this adventurous, romantic, & magnificent day. How lucky am I to now call you two friends!!! I love you. Can I pet your dog?