Places That Would Be the Perfect Backdrop for Your Elopement
Northern California Elopement Photographer | Bay Area + Beyond
If there's one thing I've learned after years of photographing elopements and intimate weddings — it's that magic doesn't live in one single location. It travels with you. The light, the emotion, the way you look at each other right after saying "I do" — that's what makes a photo extraordinary. My job is to chase that light wherever you put me.
I love exploring new locations. In fact, if I haven't photographed somewhere before, I make it a point to visit ahead of your wedding day — walking the grounds, reading the light at different times, finding the hidden corners most people walk right past. You deserve a photographer who shows up prepared, not just present.
So if you've been dreaming about an elopement somewhere that feels a little unexpected, a little lush, a little you — here are three Northern California locations that have been living rent-free in my head.
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, Berkeley, CA
34 acres of living wonder, right in the heart of the East Bay
Tucked into Strawberry Canyon in the hills above UC Berkeley, the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is one of those places that genuinely takes your breath away the moment you step inside. It spans 34 acres and showcases plants from nearly every continent — from a towering Desert of the Americas collection to delicate Asian flora to the Garden of Old Roses.
But the crown jewel for elopements? The Mather Redwood Grove — a five-acre cathedral of old-growth sequoias planted in the 1930s, complete with a wooden amphitheater that feels like it was built specifically for two people in love to say something that matters. The canopy filters light in a way that's genuinely dreamy — dappled, soft, golden.
The garden officially offers a Micro-Ceremony/Elopement package for up to 12 guests, available Monday through Thursday, which means your photos won't have a stranger's beach umbrella in the background. It's intimate, it's uncrowded, and it's unlike anything else in the Bay Area.
Why I love this as a backdrop: The diversity of landscapes within a single location means we could start in the redwoods, wander through flowering collections, and end with sweeping hillside views — all within a two-hour window. For couples who want variety without driving between locations, this is it.
Best time to visit: Spring for blooms; fall for moody golden tones under the redwoods.
📍 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA · botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu
Best time to visit: Spring, when the grasses are green and wildflowers are in bloom. Fog season (summer) creates moody, ethereal images if that's your vibe.
📍 1 Bear Valley Rd, Point Reyes Station, CA · nps.gov/pore
Point Reyes National Seashore, West Marin, CA
Dramatic coastline, ancient cypress trees, and the kind of stillness that makes vows feel even more sacred
About an hour north of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore feels like the edge of the world — in the best possible way. Rugged cliffs, wide open beaches, rolling fog, tule elk wandering through open fields. It's raw and romantic and wildly photogenic in every direction you turn.
There are a few different "feels" you can go for here, which is what makes it such a versatile elopement location:
The Cypress Tree Tunnel on the road to the old RCA Radio Receiving Station is one of the most iconic shots in all of Northern California — a long, arching canopy of 80-year-old Monterey cypress trees that create a natural tunnel overhead. It photographs beautifully in soft morning light and has a fairytale quality that I adore.
Point Reyes Beach (Ten Mile Beach) faces northwest over the open Pacific, making it a spectacular spot for golden hour or sunset vows. Wind-swept, cinematic, unforgettable.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse overlook offers dramatic top-down views of the coastline and is ideal for an intimate ceremony of just the two of you — no permit needed for small groups.
For couples who want their elopement to feel like an adventure — the kind of day you'd describe to your grandkids — Point Reyes delivers.
Why I love this as a backdrop: Every frame looks like a film still. The light here, especially in the morning and late afternoon, is extraordinary. And the sense of scale — vast sky, wide ocean, just the two of you — creates images that feel genuinely epic.
Hakone Estate & Gardens, Saratoga, CA
Layers of living beauty, a moon bridge over still water, and the kind of quiet that makes you want to whisper your vows
Tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains above Silicon Valley, Hakone Estate & Gardens is one of the oldest Japanese-style gardens in the Western Hemisphere — and one of the most quietly stunning places I've ever seen. It's the kind of place you stumble upon and immediately think: people should get married here.
The 18-acre estate unfolds in layers: koi ponds reflecting the sky, a curved moon bridge arching over still water, a wisteria pavilion draped in purple bloom, a traditional tea house garden, hillside bamboo groves, and zigzag bridges crossing iris-lined pools. Every step is a different frame. Every direction is a different kind of beautiful.
What makes Hakone feel so special — and so aligned with the kind of elopements I love — is the intimacy of the space. It doesn't feel like a venue. It feels like a garden that happens to be perfect for two people who want to say something real to each other.
And the best part? It's genuinely accessible. Hakone offers an "I Do" Elopement for Two package starting at $300 (weekdays, 10am–3pm) for couples who want the garden to themselves for an intimate ceremony — no $5,000 venue buyout required. Photography permits are available for $80/hr. This is the kind of place that says yes to intimacy and yes to beauty without asking you to break the bank.
Why I love this as a backdrop: The layered depth of the Japanese garden design means we always have something extraordinary behind you — whether it's soft light filtering through bamboo, the moon bridge curving into its reflection, or the wisteria pavilion in full spring bloom. The garden has a stillness to it that photographs like a dream.
Best time to visit: Late March through April for wisteria and cherry blossoms; late spring for iris blooms; fall for Japanese maple color. Honestly? It's beautiful year-round.
📍 21000 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA · hakone.com
A Note on "Unfamiliar" Locations (And Why You Shouldn't Worry)
I want to be honest with you about something, because I think you deserve that from the very first conversation we have.
I believe great photography isn't about knowing a location by heart — it's about knowing light. It's about reading a space quickly and finding the angles that make you look incredible, the shadows that create depth, the open sky that wraps you in something golden. Those instincts come with me everywhere I go.
If I haven't shot somewhere before, I visit ahead of your wedding day. Full stop. I walk the grounds. I note where the sun hits at 5pm in your month of the year. I find the quiet corners most people never discover. I show up on your day not just excited — but prepared.
Your location is just the backdrop. What we're really making together is something that looks and feels like you.
Ready to Talk About Your Dream Elopement Location?
Whether it's one of these three or somewhere completely different — a vineyard you love, a trail you've hiked a hundred times, your own backyard — I'm in. Let's figure out where your story wants to be told.
[Get in touch here ↓]
Mariela Campbell is a Northern California elopement and wedding photographer specializing in intimate, authentic wedding day experiences. Available to travel anywhere you put her.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get married at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden? Yes — the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden offers an official Micro-Ceremony/Elopement package for up to 12 guests, available Monday through Thursday. Ceremonies are held in the Mather Redwood Grove, a stunning five-acre sequoia grove with a wooden amphitheater. Pricing starts at $2,000–$2,500.
Do you need a permit to elope at Point Reyes National Seashore? For small groups (just the two of you plus a photographer), no permit is required at Point Reyes National Seashore. Groups of 25 or more including vendors require a special use permit with a $50 application fee and 30 days' lead time.
What is the best time of year to elope at Point Reyes? Spring (March–May) is the most popular season — the grasses are green, wildflowers are in bloom, and the light is beautiful. Summer brings coastal fog which creates a moody, ethereal atmosphere. Fall and winter offer dramatic skies and fewer visitors.
Can couples elope at Hakone Estate & Gardens in Saratoga, CA? Yes — Hakone offers an "I Do" Elopement for Two package starting at $300 on weekdays (10am–3pm), making it one of the most accessible and beautiful elopement gardens in the Bay Area. Photography permits are available for $80/hr. The 18-acre Japanese-style estate features koi ponds, a moon bridge, a wisteria pavilion, and bamboo groves — stunning in every season.
Do I need to hire a photographer who has shot at these locations before? Not necessarily. A skilled photographer knows how to read light and find beautiful compositions in any environment. Many photographers — including those who specialize in elopements — will visit a location in advance to scout angles, understand the light at different times of day, and prepare fully before your wedding day.
