Elopement Locations for 2020

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Jordan and Denise met in Hawaii when he was in the Navy and she was having a little time out from life. The pair quickly fell for each other and continued the long-distance romance when she went back to the mainland. They just couldn't forget about each other and decided it was time to make it official.

They were coming up from central California and decided a nearby destination wedding would make them perfectly happy, with a bigger low-key celebration later when everyone could gather again. I think this is the most popular option that's trending right now with our couples, and they've been overwhelmingly happy with the events that they've had.

Originally they'd booked a San Francisco City Hall wedding, and while the city wasn't ready to open back up for their June wedding, THEY were still ready to say their I Do's! Denise is a definite lover of beauty and thoroughly studied my last blog post on all of the outdoor locations that I'd suggested. She liked what she saw, but wasn't getting that "this is the place!" feeling that she was hoping for until she dug a little deeper and started texting me photos of the Legion Of Honor Museum.

She called me up for a very in-depth conversation about the Legion Of Honor location, which she preferred over the Palace Of Fine Arts. She had some very valid points about why she thought it might be a better fit, and in the end, we were all thrilled with the outcome. I've spent much less time there than at the Palace, and that's going to change. I have my bride to thank for it!

The best San Francisco outdoor elopements involve both architecture and nature. If you choose this venue, either in place of an SF City Hall ceremony or as a location to stop by after your wedding when they reopen, what can you expect? Classic columns, a fountain, and a low volume of tourists compared to other locations. It's a bit out of the way, with very close proximity to a golf course, AND wide open cliffs with a perfectly unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I'd like to add that there's plenty of room for kids or wedding pets to run around, and for family photography with any guests that you bring. Their plan was simple. Wake up and get gorgeous. Show up and get married followed by an extended couples photography session, then back to the hotel to rest and change for their scrumptious wedding dinner.

Why was this wedding such a success? Simplicity, authenticity, and intimacy.  Use that as your formula, and you're going to have a heart-centered event that you'll cherish forever.