Wedding in the Woods - Dog-Friendly California Redwoods Elopement - Morgan + Tyler

 

One of the best parts about planning an elopement, in my professional opinion, is that you get to be super selective about who’s invited. No one? That’s ok! A handful of people? That’s ok too! But my personal favorite is when a furry friend or three join in. I mean - my Instagram bio does say “For Adventurous Introverts and Their Dogs” and for good reason! After over a decade together, Morgan and Tyler decided to get married in a place they both absolutely love: beneath the ancient coastal Redwood trees of California.

On our first call, Morgan told me that she dreamt of marrying Tyler somewhere in the woods of northern CA with their dogs - but never thought bringing the dogs would be possible. That is, until she came across one of my blog posts and realized in fact, it IS possible!!! One might even say… pawsible. It was quite a journey, as the couple traveled all the way from Arizona to the Bay Area in order to make this forest wedding dream a reality! Dedicated dog parents, their day couldn’t be complete without their rescue pups, Duke, Prinn, and Frasier (a.k.a. Beans) by their side. Morgan and Tyler are both pharmacists by day but spend their spare time fostering dogs with the Southern AZ Beagle Rescue – aaaah, my heart! Together, joined by just two of their friends, the two exchanged heartfelt wedding vows as the sun peeked between the trees on a beautiful day in northern California.

Read on for the story of their day, and at the bottom of this post you’ll find advice for anyone hoping to have a dog-friendly wedding day or get married in the Redwoods, along with helpful links!

 

here are my favorite photos from Morgan + Tyler’s wedding in the woods with their three dogs!

 

Morgan got ready upstairs at the cabin Airbnb with her dog flower girl/ bridesmaid, Prinn. I loved capturing candids that really showed the way this sweet little Beagle baby, Prinn, cared for Morgan, and how happy Morgan was to have her present! Downstairs, the groom, Tyler, got ready - senior rescue Beagle, Duke, snoring lightly in the background, and puppy Frasier exploring every new smell with so much excitement!

After their first look in a small outdoor courtyard in front of the house with Bali-Inspired doors, the couple finished getting the pups ready for the day. Prinn wore a silk floral dog collar - or at least, she tried, whenever Beans wasn’t trying to tear it off! Sleepy Duke wore a cute little dog tuxedo, and Beans wore a navy bowtie that went over his collar, to match Tyler’s suit. I don’t know who invented the idea of dogs wearing such adorable clothes but I’m thankful the dog wedding attire industry exists! Of course, the pups would be cute enough without anything extra, but it’s a fun way to include dogs in weddings and personally, I love it!

Morgan and Tyler included the pups in the candids during the getting ready portion, but knew that it’d be hard to keep the three of them well-mannered for the ceremony itself. Prinn wasn’t pleased and made it known! While they were exchanging rings, the couple heard a bark and looked up - to see the sweetest bridesmaid supporting her pawrents from above. Little unplanned, candid moments like this really make things feel so personal! 

Typically after a wedding ceremony, that’s the time when a couple takes photos with their family - and that’s just what we did, but instead of aunts and uncles and grandparents, we took tons of photos with their dogs! In the end we got a great mix of photos of Morgan and Tyler and their three sweet pups. It was admittedly a little chaotic, but the two friends Morgan and Tyler brought along for the adventure were amazing dog handlers and helped immensely!

 

the summer elopement ceremony in the woods

followed by wedding photos with the dogs of course!

 

During their ceremony, the two reflected on all the years they’ve been together - from high school, all the way through college and grad school, both becoming pharmacists, and having great adventures all along the way. It was clear how truly connected they are - there were points in their vows where they broke out in laughter, realizing they’d written something very similar to the other. It was so sweet that they both mentioned their shared love of dogs in the life they’re building. Theyu’ve helped resuce so many through fostering and it’s something I so greatly admire!

After we’d taken photos with the pups and their amazing friends, the three of us left the dogs at the Airbnb with their friends as we went off to take photos of just the two of them. Also if you’re wondering, yes, their friend Steve IS wearing a clerical collar with Adidas slides and it was as hilarious as it sounds.

As the night came to a close, everyone gathered around the Airbnb’s dining room for dinner in their coziest clothes. Over a few glasses of wine, we laughed and shared stories of traveling, dating, college, and (of course) the many mishaps of being a dog parent!

I’m so grateful for the trust these two put in me, to help bring their vision of a Redwoods wedding with their dogs to life. Not only did we get the opportunity to document their ceremony but by working together the day before, we were able to capture glimpses from throughout this once-in-a-lifetime Redwoods/ Northern California experience in an overarching way that reflected their love of the outdoors and this journey together!

Their session from the day before at Point Reyes National Seashore is divided into 2 parts (Part 2 coming soon!). See the windswept, romantic photos from their adventurous engagement session at Point Reyes!

Information on getting married in Northern California, or planning a dog-friendly wedding can be found below! Keep scrollin’ friend!!!

after the wedding ceremony-

romantic newlywed photos in the redwoods!

Tips for Including your dog in your wedding:

  • Have realistic expectations! It’s very normal for your dog to get tired of taking photos after a few minutes. Be ready to take breaks at times!

  • Bring some treats + toys! I love to bring a few things for the dogs at my shoots, but it’s helpful to have some things to keep them entertained. If it makes it into the pictures, that’s okay! 

  • Bring a designated human buddy for your dog. Having someone available to take your pup off your hands for a few minutes at a time gives us the opportunity to get a mix of photos with and without your dog! If possible, ask a good friend that your dog is familiar with to join you. They’ll be in charge of keeping them safe and distracted so that we can get great photos of you two as a couple, without worrying what your pup’s trying to chase/eat/dig!

  • The three of us, along with their pups and two of their closest friends, met up the day before at Point Reyes National Seashore. This was a great way to get photos in different environments: the seashore is reminiscent of Ireland, a totally different feel than their wedding beneath Redwood trees! 

  • National Parks do not allow dogs on trails - however, National Forests, Seashores, and Monuments are much more flexible in this policy, along with State Parks. Always check the regulations while you’re planning if you’d like your dog to be included, and wherever you go always pack out the poo! Read more about State Park policies here + brush up on Leave No Trace Principles here!

  • If you can split up your photos to give you more variety + candid moments, do it! The three of us + their friends (best dog handlers ever!) + their three dogs met up the day before. This gave us the opportunity to take more casual photos of them all together, visit a totally different scenery, and gave the dogs a chance to get a little more comfortable with a stranger pointing a weird clicky block of plastic and glass at them. The next day they were quick to greet me and let me photograph candid moments I’m not sure we would have gotten otherwise!

 

If you want to include your dog in your wedding, but you don’t yet …have a dog, I can help with that, too! Give a dog a second chance at life through one of these amazing organizations.

 

Advice for Planning a Wedding in the Woods:

  • Plan your day as if the sun will be setting two-ish hours earlier than it actually is. When you’re deep in the forest, surrounded by super tall trees and shaded by tree canopy, it gets dark much earlier! Typically I suggest using sunset as a reference point when I’m helping couples work on their elopement day timelines, but in this case I subtract time, so that we don’t end up attempting to take photos in total darkness.

  • Bring layers! Even in the height of summer, these beautiful areas are likely to be a solid 10-20 degrees cooler than surrounding areas. Think about bringing a light jacket, scarves, and even maybe a blanket to sit on/wrap up in. A jean jacket, leather jacket, or even a colorful windbreaker can add a little personality and a lot of comfort to a chilly wedding day! 

  • This also includes bringing a change of shoes: if it’s muddy, it’s better to walk to a ceremony location in boots, then decide if you want to change into different shoes later. A spare, dry pair of socks can be a gamechanger too!

  • Consider the time of year from a weather perspective and a tourism perspective. The most popular times to visit the Redwoods are in the summer, but certain weeks may have events that bring additional crowds. I always recommend if possible to aim for weekdays, where you’ll likely have a greater chance of privacy. 

  • If you’re looking for a Redwoods backdrop but don’t want to go to the tippy top of California, great news! There are Redwood groves throughout California. The largest groves are definitely in the Redwoods National and State Parks in the northernmost region of California, bridging over into Oregon, but it is possible to find other locations!

  • As with any outdoor wedding venue, always practice the principles of Leave No Trace so that these forests are here for future generations. Go an extra step– donate to the Redwood Conservation here, and have a tree planted with your donation of $75 or more. 

Other outdoor wedding venues with woodsy scenery:
YMCA Camp Campbell (accommodates up to 150 guests)
Henry Cowell State Park

Liked this post? You might be interested in these too!
For more elopement resources: Elopement Resources | Elopement Stories

Stories + Tips from weddings in San Francisco, Tahoe + more: Northern CA wedding resources

See Part 1 of Morgan + Tyler’s day-before adventurous engagement session in Point Reyes here.

 

Redwoods-Ready? Check out these:

Hire me to help plan + photograph your wedding in the Redwoods!

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