When Mariah initially reached out to me she had her mind set on having a Catalina Island elopement and was in love with the idea of eloping on the beach. When she mentioned this to me I brought up the idea of having a Malibu beach elopement instead because the beaches here in Malibu are much bigger than the ones in Avalon. In Catalina, the beaches are more like sand bars and if you are looking to have an intimate elopement ceremony with friends and family you’d most likely have to elope on Descano beach which can cost a lot more money than choosing to have a Malibu beach elopement. As soon as I told Mariah this she changed her mind immediately and wanted to have a Malibu beach elopement at Point Dume beach.
Malibu Beach Elopement Location
Point Dume beach couldn’t have been a better choice for Mariah and Jonathan! Mariah wanted not only to have a beach elopement but a beach picnic and Point Dume is perfect for that as it has plenty of room! Not only that but Point Dume is surrounded by cliffs and rocky coves making it an even more intimate experience for their family and friends!
I was all for the idea of having a picnic too because when inviting guests, it adds a comfortable atmosphere for them to sit down, enjoy some food, and mingle, and adds to the experience of coming out to Malibu! What I love about having a beach picnic after an elopement is that the picnic setup provides a mood and the opportunity for guests to get comfortable without having to bring their beach towels and camping chairs!
Pro Tip: I highly recommend hiring a professional picnic company to set up your beach picnic if you decide to opt for one! They have everything for it and will set it up beforehand as well as break it down after the elopement session is done! If you decide to have one for your next beach elopement or beach engagement session please reach out to me for luxury picnic companies, florists, and caterers who can provide charcuterie boards and more.
Point Dume Elopement Itinerary
Mariah and Jonathan had a first look before their ceremony at the top of Point Dume overlooking the ocean while guests arrived and enjoyed the picnic set up down below on the beach. You could see how in awe Jonathan was with how stunning Mariah looked in her bohemian-style lace wedding dress, I think we were all in awe!
Right after taking a couple of portraits while the sun was setting we walked down towards the beach from the cliffside and started their intimate Malibu beach elopement ceremony. One of my favorite things about Point Dume beach is the natural path that it has, offering quite a bit of privacy to keep the bride hidden. This works out well because the guests could not see us walking up to the ceremony until it began which made for a beautiful moment for Mariah and Jonathan’s family and friends as it was like they were having their own first look of the bride.
Mariah’s grandma spoke first to introduce the ceremony and then Mariah and Jonathan exchanged private vows together in soft voices so only they could hear one another. At the very beginning of our initial call, Mariah had mentioned to me that the one thing she was not keen on was writing vows and saying them publicly, so their ceremony worked out perfectly as they took some time to just say vows to each other with the ocean waves drowning out the sound of their voices to their guests.
After Mariah and Jonathan exchanged rings I pronounced them married and signed as their officiant! I love being able to offer this service to my couples as it is not only convenient but an easy option for couples who dont want to hire both a photographer and an officiant, instead you get two for one when booking with me!
Mariah and Jonathan ended their Malibu beach elopement mingling, enjoying quality time with their family and friends while eating hors d’oeuvre and watching the sunset before they headed off to The Sunset Restaurant for dinner reservations. It couldn’t have ended any better!
Mariah and Jonathan’s Malibu beach elopement at Point Dume turned out so well! It’s such a great example of a classy beach elopement with guests, still giving the intimate “just us” experience. I’m so happy for these two and so happy I captured such a memorable moment for them.
