Where the Forest Meets the Ocean: Fairy Tale-Inspired Elopement in Northern California

Magical Northern California Elopement

Christina, today’s bride, is all about making fairy tales come true for others — she is the owner of The Enchantment Box, which is a monthly subscription box that delivers vegan goodies from women-run small business and artists, to bring a little magic into your life. When it came to her wedding with her love, Matthew, they opted to sneak away to Mendocino, California for a romantic elopement, surrounded by the forest + the gorgeous coastline.

Their photographer, Kristen Booth, shares: The best part about elopements are how flexible they are, and we definitely used that to our advantage! We started the day out in the forest, taking photos with gorgeous Friesian horses and ended at sunset, on a cliff by the ocean. It truly was an enchanting day.

The Details

gold wedding rings

Aren’t these golden baubles absolutely STUNNING?! They’re the handiwork of Jes MaHarry Jewelry.

gold glitter heels

Definitely fairy tale worthy, don’t you agree?

Horsin’ Around

Magical Northern California Elopement

C shares: We wanted our own version of a fairytale, which of course included horses and to be married in a place that was aligned with our values. We are both long-time vegans and we choose to elope at the all eco-vegan resort called the Stanford Inn in Mendocino, CA.

Magical Northern California Elopement

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

We loved every second of it, but in the beginning of the day I hid on the balcony of the room to surprise Matthew in my wedding dress. His face was priceless the moment he walked outside and we both instantly cried knowing we were marrying our best friend.

Magical Northern California Elopement

Magical Northern California Elopement

Doesn’t she look like a princess?

Their Elegant Ensembles

Magical Northern California Elopement

It’s all in the details… Christina donned a hairpiece from Twigs & Honey, while Matthew rocked a brilliant blue suit from Reiss.

Magical Northern California Elopement

Magical Northern California Elopement

So majestic! It was really important to them to incorporate all things local, so Christina was thrilled when she found this Claire Pettibone gown in Los Angeles—less than 5 miles from where they live. Score!

Magical Northern California Elopement

pumpking engraving

The Vows

Magical Northern California Elopement

C+M knew they had to have their Boston Terrier, Lily, as their darling flower girl.

Magical Northern California Elopement

Magical Northern California Elopement

The ceremony took place in an organic vegetable and flower garden, surrounded by lush trees and the beautiful California coast.

Magical Northern California Elopement

wedding pup

Are you peepin’ at her adorable sparkly heels? Here are a few other fairy tale-worthy kicks:

The Florals

Magical Northern California Elopement

Claire Pettibone Dress

Talk about an autumnal bouquet! Nye Ranch crafted a brilliant bouquet with tons of burgundy pops. Silver dollar eucalyptus was used to round out this look.

burgundy bridal bouquet

Magical Northern California Elopement

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. That golden light is so good!

wedding pup

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Do it! We loved the idea of making the day just about us and spending quality time together. We chose rather than having a large ceremony to ask family and friends in lieu of gifts to donate to our once in a lifetime three-week honeymoon in India. If you have a dog, include them, just having them there can lessen any pre-wedding nerves but also makes for fun photos.

We would both recommend choosing vendors that best represent you. We made sure that all of our flowers and food were grown sustainably and locally, and our cake reflected both of our favorite flavors.

The Newlyweds

Magical Northern California Elopement

I mean… heart eyes FOREVER (and ever).

Magical Northern California Elopement

Christina shares some more advice: Create a vision board of inspiration you want for your special day!

#1 recommendation is find a photographer you love! We actually found our photographer, Kristen Booth on Instagram and knew instantly she would capture the vision we wanted!

#2 Be a bit bold. I chose to rock a dark vampy lip for the pre-ceremony wedding shoot with the horses but toned it down with a nude for the ceremony! Have fun with it, it’s your day!

Magical Northern California Elopement

Magical Northern California Elopement

Magical Northern California Elopement

Aren’t these coastal cliff shots a dream?! We’d love to hear what things you would incorporate into an elopement — whether they’re small details, or a significant location.

Thank you so much to Christina + Matthew for letting us in on their special day.

photography: Kristen Booth // venue name: Stanford Inn Eco Resort, Mendocino, California, USA // florals: Nye Ranch // wedding dress: Claire Pettibone // hairpiece: Twigs & Honey // bride's shoes: Irregular Choice // bride's ring: Jes MaHarry Jewelry // makeup artist: Samantha Keefauver

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