How to elope in Big Sur.
Where to stand, what it costs, and which spots need a permit, from a crew that films this coast every season.
Ninety miles of coast, and almost none of it ordinary.
Big Sur is the stretch of Highway 1 between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia range drops straight into the Pacific. There is no town in the usual sense, no traffic lights, and for long stretches no cell signal. That is precisely why couples elope here. You can stand on a bluff with redwoods behind you and the ocean four hundred feet below, and it will feel like the two of you are the only people in California.
It is also the reason a Big Sur elopement takes more planning than most. Some of the best-known spots sit inside state parks and need a permit. Others sit on private land and come with a venue fee. Sunset light that looks effortless on film usually meant somebody drove an hour up the coast to be standing in the right place at the right time.
We have filmed elopements and weddings along this coast for years, from Glen Oaks in the redwoods to the bluffs at Ventana. What follows is what we have learned about where to stand, when to go, and what it actually costs. If you want us there filming it, our elopement collections are further down the page.
When to elope in Big Sur.
Aim for September and October
Early autumn is the most reliable window on this coast. The summer marine layer has thinned, the light is warm and long, and the roads are quieter than in July. May and June can be beautiful, but a grey ceiling often sits over the coastline until early afternoon.
Fog is a season, not a forecast
From late May through August a marine layer regularly covers the coast in the morning and burns off inland first. Fog is not a disaster for filming, it is genuinely gorgeous in the redwoods, but if you have pictured blue ocean behind you, plan for late afternoon rather than morning.
Choose a weekday if you can
Highway 1 is a destination in itself. On summer weekends the pullouts, the beaches and the parking at the popular overlooks fill by mid-morning. A Tuesday elopement at the same spot can feel private in a way that the same Saturday never will.
Book the light, not the hour
The coast faces west, so the best material is almost always in the ninety minutes before sunset. We usually suggest holding the ceremony about two hours before sunset, which leaves room for portraits as the light drops without anyone rushing.
Check Highway 1 before you commit
Slides close sections of Highway 1 most winters, sometimes for months, and a closure can turn a short drive into a long detour or cut off access entirely. Check Caltrans road conditions while you are still choosing a date, and again the week before.
Where to elope in Big Sur.
Glen Oaks Big Sur
A redwood property on the Big Sur River with a ceremony clearing among the trees. It is one of the few places here that feels sheltered rather than exposed, which makes it a safe choice if you are worried about wind or fog. Because it is private land, you are not working around park permits or day visitors. We filmed Katherine and Nico's elopement here.
Alila Ventana Big Sur
High on the ridge above the ocean, with meadow and cypress and a view that runs for miles down the coast. Ventana is the classic Big Sur luxury option, and the elevation means it often sits above the marine layer when the shoreline below is grey. We filmed Philip and Amber's elopement here.
Garrapata State Park
The northern gateway to Big Sur, about twenty minutes south of Carmel. Bluff trails, a long beach, and in late winter a hillside of calla lilies. Roadside parking only, and it is a state park, so a ceremony here needs a permit.
Pfeiffer Beach
Purple-tinted sand and the famous keyhole rock, reached by a narrow two-mile road off Highway 1 that is easy to miss and not suited to large vehicles. Day-use fee, limited parking, and it fills early in summer. Best late in the day when the sun lines up behind the arch.
McWay Falls
The waterfall that drops onto the beach in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and the image most people picture when they think of Big Sur. Worth knowing before you plan around it: the cove itself is closed to the public, so this is an overlook, not a ceremony site.
Big Sur Lodge
Inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, surrounded by redwoods, with cabins on site. A practical option if you want guests to stay where the ceremony happens rather than scattering along the coast.
Loma Vista Gardens
A garden property with ocean views, quieter and less known than the resort venues, and a good middle ground between a state park and a full-scale wedding venue.
The redwood groves along the Big Sur River
If the coast is fogged in, the river valley is usually the better call. Light filters down through the trees and the sound of water replaces the wind, which also makes vows far easier to record cleanly.
Which Big Sur spots need a permit.
State parks need one
Garrapata, Pfeiffer Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Andrew Molera are all California State Parks. Holding a ceremony in one means applying to the Monterey District for a special event permit. Fees, group-size limits and how far ahead you need to apply vary by park and change from year to year, so confirm current terms directly with California State Parks rather than relying on any blog, including this one.
Private venues usually do not
Glen Oaks, Ventana, Big Sur Lodge and Loma Vista Gardens sit on private land, and use of the site is part of what you are paying for. This is the single biggest reason couples choose a venue over a park: no permit process and no day visitors wandering through the ceremony.
Apply earlier than feels necessary
Park permits are not instant, and the popular sites have caps on how many events they will approve. If a state park is central to your plan, start that application well before you book flights or lock a date.
A vendor permit may be separate
Some parks treat commercial filming and photography as its own category, separate from the ceremony permit. We will tell you which category your location falls into and handle our side of it, but ask early so it does not surface the week before.
Elopements we have filmed on this coast.
Real ceremonies from the Big Sur coastline and the redwoods behind it.
What a Big Sur elopement film costs.
Premium
- 2 hours of coverage with unlimited locations
- 1 cinematographer
- 2 - 3 minute short highlight film
Elite
- 4 hours of coverage with unlimited locations
- Aerial Videography
- 1 cinematographer
- 3 - 5 minute highlight film
Add-Ons
- Each additional hour = $600
- Additional Cinematographer (Great if splitting up prep locations): $750
- Aerial Videography = $250
- Ceremony Film = $250
- Raw Footage = $500
- Expedited Delivery (2 weeks) = $200 *Standard is 2 - 3 months
*All films will be delivered digitally.
*Travel to Big Sur is included in these rates. Other parts of California may incur a small additional expense.
If you are also looking for a Big Sur elopement photographer, we have one on staff. Ask and we will send the portfolio and pricing guide.
Things couples wish they had known.
There is no cell service
Signal disappears for long stretches of Highway 1 and does not reliably return until Carmel. Agree a meeting point and a time with every vendor in advance, in writing, and assume you will not be able to call anyone to change it.
Download the map before you leave
Navigation apps stop working the moment you lose signal, which is usually right when you need the turn for Pfeiffer Beach. Save an offline map of the whole coast the night before.
Give the drive double the time
Highway 1 is slow by design, and one cyclist or one photo-stopping camper sets the pace for everyone behind. The drive from Carmel to Julia Pfeiffer Burns is under forty miles and can take well over an hour in summer.
Bring layers, and shoes you can walk in
The coast is often fifteen degrees cooler and considerably windier than inland, and most of the good ceremony spots are a short walk from any road. A jacket in the car and real shoes for the trail have saved more than one of our couples.
Wind is the enemy of vows, not of pictures
A bluff in a stiff breeze looks spectacular and sounds terrible. It is why we mic the ceremony properly rather than relying on a camera microphone, and why we sometimes suggest saying private vows in the trees and the public ones on the cliff.
Big Sur elopement questions.
How much does it cost to elope in Big Sur?
Most couples spend somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000 all in, and the range is wide because it depends almost entirely on whether you use a private venue. A ceremony in a state park with a permit, an officiant, and a film or photo team sits at the lower end. A resort like Ventana or Glen Oaks, with rooms and a dinner, moves you toward the upper end quickly. Our elopement films start at $2,500.
Do you need a permit to elope in Big Sur?
In a state park, yes. Garrapata, Pfeiffer Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Andrew Molera all require a special event permit from the Monterey District, and terms change year to year, so confirm current fees and group limits with California State Parks directly. On private land such as Glen Oaks, Ventana or Big Sur Lodge, the venue covers it and no separate permit is needed.
What is the best time of year to elope in Big Sur?
September and October are the most reliable. The summer marine layer has thinned, the light is long and warm, and the coast is quieter than mid-summer. Late spring is lovely but often grey until afternoon, and winter brings genuine risk of Highway 1 closures.
Where can you actually hold a ceremony in Big Sur?
The most-used spots are Glen Oaks and the redwoods along the Big Sur River, the ridge at Alila Ventana, the bluffs and beach at Garrapata, Pfeiffer Beach, and Big Sur Lodge inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. McWay Falls is worth knowing about in the negative: the cove is closed to the public, so it is a viewpoint rather than a ceremony site.
How many people can come to a Big Sur elopement?
State parks cap group sizes, and the cap is usually small, often in the range of a dozen or two depending on the site. Private venues are more flexible. If you are expecting more than about twenty people, you are realistically planning a small wedding rather than an elopement, and the venue route will be far less stressful.
How many of you come to film an elopement?
One cinematographer for most elopements, which is deliberate. Two people on a quiet bluff with only the two of you is intrusive. We add a second only when you are getting ready in separate places or the day runs long enough to need it.
Can you fly a drone in Big Sur?
Sometimes, and it depends on exactly where you stand. Drone flight is not permitted in California State Parks without specific authorisation, and parts of the coast fall under other restrictions. On private venues it is usually straightforward. Tell us the location and we will tell you honestly whether aerial footage is on the table.
Do you travel further down the coast?
Yes. Travel to Big Sur is included in our elopement rates, and we regularly film in Carmel, Carmel Valley, Monterey and along the Central Coast toward San Luis Obispo.