Joshua Tree Elopement

Molly and Alex’s Joshua Tree elopement was every bohemian’s dream! They invited all of their closest family to come explore their favorite place- Joshua Tree National Park. Not only was this day absolutely beautiful, but it was filled with so many special moments for every single person attending.

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Their Story

Alex and Molly met in college and instantly clicked after the first time meeting. Their spent a few years doing cross country long distance until Molly was able to join Alex in California. Alex popped the question while they were on a hiking trip in Yosemite National Park and as you can see- she said yes!

The Location

Alex and Molly chose to have a Joshua Tree elopement because they are avid rock climbers, and it’s their favorite place to climb. They wanted to keep the decor simple, which was easy to do when getting married in such a beautiful place. Both of their families are adventure seekers, and they knew it would be so much fun to have everyone come explore Joshua Tree National Park for the weekend. Their wedding was in the beginning of November which meant there was BEAUTIFUL weather. You couldn’t get anything better for a Joshua Tree elopement.

Pro Elopement Planning Tip: If you’ve been dying to have a desert elopement, consider getting married in the winter! This means cooler temperatures and less crowds.

The Day

Molly and Alex’s Joshua Tree elopement began with them getting ready in separate airbnbs right in the heart of Joshua Tree. Their Airbnb’s were the perfect spaces for them to be able to have all of their family with them as they prepared for the day. Not to mention they were right down the street from great restaurants, trails, and just a couple of miles from the national park entrance.

The getting ready time on your elopement day can seriously be underrated. Molly had so many special moments with her parents, grandmother, and closest friends. They were lots of laughs, happy tears, and of course some dancing. I love the anticipation in the air.

Molly and Alex chose to have an intimate first look on their elopement day because they really value their private time together. We all hiked to the perfect hidden cove amongst the huge boulders with petroglyphs on them. This was such a fun place to explore, and it really showed how unique of a location that Joshua Tree is!

Pro-Elopement Planning Tip: Explore at least two different locations on your elopement day. This is an amazing way to have an epic adventure, while also having diversity in your photo album.

After their first look and taking the time to hike around the boulders, it was time for their ceremony with their friends and family. Molly’s cousin officiated their ceremony, which was so special for them! Their ceremony was the perfect mix of humor and love, and it was so sweet.

Once the ceremony concluded it was time for the part two of their elopement day adventure. This time we explored the part of Joshua Tree National Park that has tons of different desert plants. We dodged the jumping cactus (yes, that’s a real thing LOL) and watched the most beautiful golden sunset. 

They concluded their elopement with a little reception with their friends and family. They danced under the stars and ended their perfect day.

Words from the Couple

What was your favorite part about your elopement day?

Molly: We had so much to celebrate – not only Alex and I, but there were some other pretty big milestones in my family that happened in the same weekend. At one point during the reception, I remember looking around and being filled with so much gratitude and joy that everyone made it to the wedding and were just enjoying catching up and spending time together.

Alex: As our friends and family started arriving for the ceremony, seeing how genuinely excited and happy they all were for us. I was given nerve-easing compliments, last-minute jokes, and lots of really solid hugs in those final moments as a single man.

What was your favorite part about your elopement location?

We wanted to get married in a place that felt true to us and also a place that would be exciting to travel to knowing that regardless of where we get married, 98% of guests would have to travel. We are both climbers and Joshua Tree has always held a special place in our hearts. With both families living in non-desert climates, we knew the desert would be a really cool place for everyone to explore. Also, we got there a week before the wedding, so we got to spend quality time with family members hiking and climbing as they arrived to the area which was really special.

What is some advice you’d share to future couples getting married?

There are three pieces of advice that we keep going back to when our friends ask the same question:

1. Breathe. At the end of the day, it’s about you and your partner. Before getting worked up over a small detail, make sure it will actually matter on your wedding day. Truth is, no one is going to be talking about the super expensive napkins you ordered or those charger plates (what are those anyways?), so don’t lose sleep over it.

2. Check out www.apracticalwedding.com and buy their practical wedding planner book. It is now my go-to gift for all my newly engaged friends. I had no idea where to start planning the wedding and googled “a practical wedding” and my wish was granted, literally! It kept us focused on what was important to us and sane throughout the whole process (helping us tackle #1 pretty easily).

3. Regardless of how big or small your wedding day is, make a light plan for how you want to spend time together after you say the “I dos”. Do you both want to dance, socialize, or something else? Better yet, assign someone the job of making sure the two of you find each other and carry out that plan. Everyone will tell you to take time to soak it in, but it goes by so fast and is easy to take this advice for granted – definitely make time for the two of you!

Here is the review that they wrote about working with me -insert all the happy tears-

“When you are planning your wedding, there is so much pressure for everything to be picture perfect. I often found myself looking at other couple’s photos and wondering if I’ll look that good in a photo on my wedding day. But then there’s Caitlyn, who is incredibly calm, cool, collected, talented and embraces you and your partner just doing you – what feels natural and real on your wedding day. She is so much fun to work with that any stress you have will be eased and you will look back at your photos and say “DAMN. We look good!” Our photos are incredible. I am so glad we got to work with her.”

Want to start planning your own elopement? Contact me HERE!

How to Include Your Family on Your Elopement Day

Wonderful vendors that helped make this day happen:

Locations: Joshua Tree National Park & Tumbleweed Sanctuary