A bride and groom close their eyes and embrace while on a beach in San Diego as they celebrate their destination elopement

Destination Elopement in San Diego | Andrea and Max

A bride has her veil adjusted by her mother while standing outside on a cloudy day in San Diego
A groom looks to the side while his mother pins a flower on his suit coat on a cloudy day in San Diego

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing my friend Andrea’s destination elopement in San Diego with her now husband Max and I am SO in love with their day! The elopement was quiet, intimate, and an all around magical experience. Come with me to see how their day came together and all of the special moments that made it the one of a kind experience Andrea and Max were hoping for!

A woman extends a flower bouquet outwards on a cloudy day
A couple hug one another while watching an elopement take place on a beach in San Diego

Their Destination Elopement Ceremony in San Diego

Back when I lived in Indy, Andrea was my esthetician. We both ended up moving from Indy at the same time, I moved to Chicago while her and Max moved to Philadelphia. While still living in Indy though Andrea had mentioned how her and Max were not super big on the idea of a big traditional wedding. If this is something you’ve been feeling personally I have a blog that covers what wedding size is right for you that you can check out! With Andrea though I mentioned how with an elopement you can still include elements of a traditional wedding, but on your own terms. Lo and behold that is exactly what her and Max created through their destination elopement in San Diego!

They chose Sunset Cliffs in San Diego as the location for their elopement which is about as stunning as the name suggests! We met up EARLY in the morning, even before the sun came up so that we could have their ceremony at sunrise. Though it was cool, windy, and blue for their sunrise, Andrea and Max along with their guests were still beyond thrilled! With just their closest family members there in attendance, the ceremony was about as intimate as one can get, just what these two were looking for! We took some family portraits afterwards before Andrea and Max were able to share their pistachio wedding cake!

A bride smiles while holding the groom's hands on a cloudy day on a beach in San Diego
A groom smiles while holding the bride's hands during their wedding ceremony on a cloudy day in San Diego
A groom smiles while holding the hands of the bride during the ceremony of their destination elopement on the cliffs in San Diego
A groom holds the hands of the bride while the two stand on the cliffs in San Diego during their wedding ceremony
A bride smiles while holding the groom's hands during their wedding ceremony on the cliffs in San Diego
A bride reads her vows to the groom during their destination elopement ceremony on the cliffs in San Diego
A bride and groom hold hands and look at one another while their officiant speaks and their guests watch during their destination elopement in San Diego
During a destination elopement ceremony in San Diego a bride reads her vows to the groom while he stands in front of her
A groom smiles while the bride reads her vows to him during their destination elopement ceremony in San Diego
A bride and groom hold hands while their officiant reads during their elopement ceremony on the cliffs in San Diego
A bride and groom hold hands while their officiant reads during their elopement ceremony on the cliffs in San Diego
A bride and groom hold hands and smile at one another while their officiant reads during their destination elopement ceremony in San Diego
A bride laughs while holding the groom's hands during the ceremony of their destination elopement in San Diego
Black and white photo of a groom putting the wedding ring on the bride's hand during the ceremony of their destination elopement in San Diego
A bride puts the wedding ring on the hand of the groom during their elopement ceremony on the cliffs in San Diego
A bride and groom kiss one another while standing on the cliffs in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom hug one another after the ceremony of their destination elopement to the cliffs of San Diego
A bride and groom smile while turning to the guests of their elopement ceremony at the cliffs of San Diego
A bride and groom hug after the ceremony of their destination elopement at the cliffs of San Diego
A bride hugs a guest of her destination elopement in San Diego as other guests wait
A bride hugs a guest of her destination elopement in San Diego as other guests wait
A white heart cake reads "Just Married!" in red frosting
A bride and groom kiss one another with their wedding cake in between them while on a bench at the cliffs in San Diego for their destination elopement
A bride feeds a piece of cake to the groom after the ceremony for their destination elopement in San Diego
A bride laughs while feeding a piece of cake to the groom after the ceremony of their outdoor destination elopement in San Diego
A bride sits on a bench and eats a piece of pistachio cake while on the cliffs of San Diego
A white heart cake with "Just Married!" written in frosting sits on a bench with some bites taken out of it
A bride and groom smile at one another as they embrace on the cliffs of San Diego after the ceremony of their destination elopement

Cliffside Portraits and Private Vows

After Andrea and Max had refueled with their cake it was time for some newlywed portraits along the cliffs to celebrate! One of the best parts about their destination elopement in San Diego is this experience of celebrating their love in a location so different and unique when compared to anything in Philly, Indy, or Chicago. The setting was truly incredible, and led to some portraits that are equal parts epic and beautiful. This moment wasn’t just for their portraits though, as part of Andrea and Max’s elopement day timeline was set aside for them to share their private vows to one another. This was one of the most emotional moments of the day, and such a fitting way to wrap up their elopement day coverage!

A bride and groom kiss one another while standing on the cliffs of San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride smiles at the camera while the groom kisses her cheek while on the cliffs of San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom smile at one another and embrace while standing on the cliffs in San Diego after the ceremony of their destination elopement
A bride and groom kiss one another while standing on the cliffs of San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom hold hands and smile at one another while walking towards the camera at the cliffs in San Diego
A groom smiles while dancing with the bride at the cliffs in San Diego as the two celebrate their destination elopement
A bride and groom hold hands while walking along the cliffs in San Diego after the ceremony of their destination elopement
A bride and groom hold hands while walking along a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom hold hands while walking along a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom embrace and smile as they are about to kiss while standing on a cliff in San Diego after the ceremony of their destination elopement
A bride and groom smile and embrace as they are about to kiss while standing on a cliff in San Diego
A groom lifts the bride in the air as he kisses her while the two stand on a cliff in San Diego on a cloudy day
A groom smiles while hugging the bride next to the ocean as the two celebrate their destination elopement in San Diego
A bride smiles as the groom lifts her in the air while the two stand on a cliff in San Diego after the ceremony of their destination elopement
A bride and groom smile at the camera as the groom hugs the bride from behind while they stand in front of the ocean after their destination elopement in San Diego
A bride and groom smile at the camera while standing on a cliff in San Diego with the ocean behind them
A bride smiles while the groom hugs her from behind and kisses her cheek on the cliffs in San Diego as the waves crash behind them
A bride exclaims after getting wet from a wave on the cliffs in Sand Diego as the groom hugs her from behind
A bride and groom smile at one another while hugging on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom hug one another while on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride hugs the groom from behind while the two smile at the camera on a beach in San Diego as they celebrate their destination elopement
A groom smiles while the bride hugs him from behind and kisses his cheek as the two stand on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
a bride and groom embrace and smile at one another while on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom kiss one another while on a beach in San Diego as they celebrate their destination elopement
A bride and groom smile and kiss one another while on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom smile at one another as they embrace while  on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom close their eyes and embrace while on a beach in San Diego as they celebrate their destination elopement
A bride closes her yes as the groom kisses her forehead while on a beach in San Diego on a cloudy day
Black and white photo of a bride smiling at the groom while holding his arm as the two stand on a beach in San Diego
A bride and groom kiss while standing on the cliffs in San Diego as they celebrate their destination elopement
Under the bride's veil her and the groom smile as they are about to kiss on a cloudy day
Under the bride's veil her and the groom smile as they are about to kiss on a cloudy day
A bride and groom kiss one another as they embrace on the cliffs in San Diego during their destination elopement
A bride holds her hands while looking down as the groom reads his private vows to her while on the cliffs in San Diego for their destination elopement
A bride and groom kiss one another while hugging in front of the ocean on the cliffs in San Diego during their destination elopement
Portrait photo of a bride smiling at the camera while at the cliffs in San Diego for her destination elopement
Portrait photo of a groom smiling at the camera while at the cliffs in San Diego for his destination elopement
Close up photo of a bride and groom's hands with their wedding rings on them resting atop one another and holding a flower bouquet
A bride and groom embrace and show off their wedding rings on the groom's chest while closing their eyes
A bride and groom kiss while at the cliffs in San Diego on a cloudy day
A bride and groom embrace one another and look out at the ocean while on the cliffs in San Diego while celebrating their destination elopement

Capturing Andrea and Max’s destination elopement in San Diego was an actual dream come true. As much as I adore my Chicago weddings, destination weddings and elopements will always be a passion of mine. They offer such a unique experience, not only for me, but for the couple as well, and it’s something that I simply love capturing! If you’d like to book me for your wedding day, destination or otherwise, I’d love to hear from you! Send me an inquiry through my contact page so we can start planning today.

A pair of woman's wedding shoes sit on the ground at the cliffs in San Diego

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Jayde 

Docu-torial Photographer

I'm a Chicago wedding photographer with a passion for people, candid moments, authenticity, and golden hour. I document weddings with a ferocity for the real moments that matter on a wedding day: the moments you lived with the people you love. With 200+ weddings under my belt, I use my expertise to guide my clients to feel comfortable and confident so their images feel like them. 

More About me

Explore

Recent Posts

Ready to work together?


If you've been dreaming of a wedding photo album full of chic jaw-droppers, candid moments that make you feel, and images that look exactly how your day felt, then we are aligned and a perfect fit already. Let's connect and chat about how the JNA Visuals experience is perfect for you and your partner! 

contact us