Moody Idyllwild Elopement in Riverside, CA// It was a warm and casual afternoon in the middle of the week. I took in the stillness of the mountains, the crisp air and the last bits of melting snow. This day was completely organic. Raw. Intimate. Romantic. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Kari & Ryan's day. I might be biased when thinking about how special this day was. Ryan and I have worked together over the years (if he looks familiar, that's because he is linked on this site as the videographer) It was awesome to meet Kari and the two of them fit together like peanut butter & jelly. They choose to rent an artsy airbnb in Idyllwild for an adventure style elopement amongst the trees. The house featured multiple balconies overlooking the canopy and in the distance you could see a massive lake. They hand wrote their personal vows and started the day with a beautiful first look right outside the house.
I always love the first part of the day, the excitement and bubbling nerves is so endearing and, it's completely unique to this once in a lifetime moment. Especially when the couple is being placed, they can hear each other but they haven't seen each other, that's always fun to watch! The special moments were plentiful and it was awesome watching Kari twirl for Ryan. She gave him a personal engraved guitar pick as a gift and he played for her as she danced along in her flowy dress. The sun was just right, it was VIBEY!
Idyllwild is a place that Kari visits every year with her family. When Ryan & Kari woke up in the morning she requested to take Ryan over to where her and her family used to camp, which was about a mile from where they were staying. The road was closed but they were told by the ranger that they could take photos later in the afternoon. It ended up being such a beautiful and scenic spot to end the day and I loved that it was a meaningful location. We literally had the place to ourselves, which is a huge SCORE! It was beautiful, they are beautiful and I'll never shut up about it lol - massive CHEERS on their happily ever after!
