Whenever a couple reaches out with zero plan and an open, wild heart, I get super giddy inside.

The couple’s story:

Betsy and Kazu met in college at USD, then spent 4 years doing long distance while she moved back to Indiana for nursing school. Finally, she decided enough is enough, and that she needed to move back to be with Kazu. They just bought a house and moved in together two weeks before they eloped!

Betsy and Kazu reached out to me a couple weeks before they were planning on eloping on Catalina Island!!! They had a loose plan and a dream of eloping with just their closest people and have an adventure-filled day.

For those who don’t know, Santa Catalina Island is a tiny island just an hour offshore of LA/Orange County in California. It’s perfect for weekend getaways and unique weddings! Being a super adventurous person myself, and loving laid-back days like this, I was so excited! After doing a ton of research and dreaming of the perfect day, we came up with an awesome elopement plan.

See this elopement featured on Destination I Do here

Their Day:

First things first… We planned the day around their favorite things about the island. Betsy absolutely loved the nature and sunset vibes, and she adored the architecture unique to Avalon, the main “city” on the island.

They booked me for a 4 hour package, where we could go on real adventures and capture their love around the island without the stress of a strict timeline. They decided to get ready at their hotel (sentimental moments captured, of course) after a pizza lunch on the roof with family. We headed up top to the rooftop for some epic photos overlooking the city and the water! They stayed at Avalon hotel, and I highly recommend staying at a hotel with a roof so you can take amazing photos there!

We rented a golf cart (customary while on Catalina) and cruised around to capture the culture of the city! Without spoiling too many of my secrets and locations, we hit some main spots and some secret corners around Avalon like the Hotel St. Lauren, the Casino, and Main street.

Betsy also brought a huge floppy hat to match the beach vacation vibes. Her mom also created a makeshift bouquet made with flowers from the Vons on the island! Although the island is small, there are ways to make it exactly like a normal wedding if you choose to!

Then, when we were ready to get them hitched, we headed to a secluded viewpoint with the most gorgeous views of the city.

Here’s a secret: get married 1.5 hours before sunset for the perfect lighting like this during your ceremony!

They celebrated a super quick ceremony and we took some photos with everyone there. Finally, we ended the day with some more photos down by the beach before I set back off to the mainland on the ferry. They celebrated into the night with their family at a restaurant and after party on the hotel roof. Peep the moon over the water for a perfect end to a perfect day!

Getting married on Catalina or anywhere else?

Let me help plan and photograph your day! I’m Bree, a SoCal and Vegas-based photographer, but I go anywhere to photograph love! & no travel fees 😉 I love adventurous and fun couples who want candid and emotion-filled photos! Get to know me here. Let’s hang and have fun together!

View the full gallery here