Lex & Jackie

When I first got on the phone with Lex & Jackie, I immediately got a sense of their personalities and relationship: Full of laughter and super into each other. It’s always a thrill to work with couples who are unapologetically obsessed with one another, especially when it’s taken some time to become official.

According to Jackie, “The entire time we were friends, we joked about growing old together and being married, and now here we are. We finally made it come true.” What a love story!

It was a wonderful wedding day—even if we had to overcome a few roadblocks and deploy a couple of plan-Bs along the way. Here’s the story of Lex & Jackie’s Redwood wedding day.

Get Married in the Redwoods

Sometimes Plan B Is Just Perfect

We met up with Lex & Jackie just before sunrise at their Airbnb in Crescent City. Or more specifically, Fort Dick—which got us to chuckle.

When we arrived, Lex was busy applying Jackie’s makeup. While they were the stars of the day, they made Isiah & I feel at home; even going so far as to offer us coffee and burritos.

After getting dressed, we headed to our intended ceremony location, only to come upon a closed gate with some very definitive “do not enter” signs. Yikes! Ever the rule follower, we decided to pivot. Turns out, the road was closed due to major construction that morning, despite us visiting just days before. Go figure.

But the best elopement photographers always include contingency plans. So, we resorted to a second location I scoped out earlier in the week. The location itself is lovely. An outcropping of rocks overlooks the Smith River, with trees all around.

Lex & Jackie were simply bubbling with energy as we got into position for the ceremony. The two were cuddling all throughout the ceremony, absolutely obsessed with each other and not wanting to stand apart.

Isiah wrote a very touching ceremony for Lex & Jackie, but the best part is always the vows a couple has written for each other. And in the 14 years that this relationship had been brewing—first as friends, then as partners—there was so much history for this couple to pull from.

In a moment of synchronicity, we played their chosen song at the end of the ceremony, and the lyrics went, “Just you and me on the rock,” while standing on the gray stone of the Smith River. It was so perfect that even Lex & Jackie had to pause their dancing in a moment of joy and wonder.

After all the tears were shed, we reveled in the rising sun touching the crystal waters of the river and traveled to a second location for rock hounding and skipping stones under this cool bridge.

In their southern hospitality, Lex & Jackie insisted on buying us lunch. So we grabbed a bite at Seaquake Brewing, then parted ways for a short nap and outfit changes.

Redwood Groves & Beach Exploration

Hours later, the four of us met up at a grove in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park. The trees here are so epic and tall. It’s surprisingly quiet despite its closeness to the road. We explored this thickly wooded grove, taking photos of their second outfits before heading out to the coast.

Once by the ocen, I followed Lex & Jackie as they explored the beach. People think of the California Redwoods as endless forests, and while that’s certainly true, there’s so much more to explore. Rocky, long beaches and tidepools exist here as well.

I followed the two around, letting them rock hound, beach comb, and point out interesting rocks. The magic of nature is that there is so much to see, big and small.

It was a genuinely amazing time and a great way to watch the sunset and end their elopement day.

Tips for Your Crescent City Elopement

As always, preparedness is key when it comes to crafting the best elopement day. So here are a few things to know when planning your Crescent City elopement:

Work with your photographer regarding locations, permits, and venues. You will need a permit to get married in the redwoods, so work with a photographer who has experience going through this complicated process.
Practice Leave No Trace when getting married outdoors. Keep the natural world happy and healthy by following LNT guidelines: like packing out what you pack in, staying on trails, and respecting the local flora and fauna.
Consider the weather and timing. Northern California is very wet! Rain and fog are both common, which is good because the redwoods wouldn’t grow without them. That means crowds are much more common in the dryer summer months. So get married on a weekday and always be prepared for rain.
Looking for adventure and activities? Hiking, rock hounding, camping, picnics, fishing, biking, horseback riding, and more can all be done here!

Ready to take the next step? Book a call with Love & Latitudes, your Crescent City elopement photographer!