An elopement with family in the high desert

Jeff and Laura chose Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California for the backdrop of their intimate and dreamy desert elopement.

Laura was kind enough to share some insight on what it was like to plan their elopement, so I’m going to let her tell most of this story. Read on for her beautiful words.

I am so grateful to be connected to these two and will always look back on their Joshua Tree elopement adventure fondly. I hope their story inspires anyone else out there who may be on the fence about eloping or deciding to go ahead and do things their own way.

Dreaming of a Desert Elopement

When Jeff and I got engaged and started imagining what our wedding day would look like, we knew it wouldn’t be average. Right away, we decided we wanted to be married outside, surrounded by the beauty of the earth.

We love the outdoors and envisioned tall trees, clean air, with only the sounds of birds and our footsteps. We looked at pictures of Yosemite, Tahoe, Mammoth, Arrowhead, etc, but always found a fault with each location.

And then we found ourselves looking at pictures of Joshua Tree. Still, for multiple reasons, we would always talk ourselves out of it. “It’’s too hot,” or “nobody is going to appreciate it like we do.”

A Joshua Tree Elopement

I have a large family, so no matter how we trimmed the list, we had close to 100 guests. I read a few photography blogs, featuring stunning photos of couples who were brave enough to elope.
But deep down, I was terrified to actually do it.

We tried so hard to make a decision on a location with a shorter guest list. It became stressful, difficult, and frustrating. Finally, after exploring what seemed like every possible “easy and affordable” idea, we reached our limit.

We got emotional and honest and made the decision that this is OUR life, OUR day, OUR decision. And we wanted to do it OUR way.

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Family Wedding Weekend

Jeff and I rented an airbnb with two houses next to each other for our Joshua Tree elopement. We had our own space to keep the focus on our love and intimacy. The kids could still be close by and included in the process. We arrived the day before and had a BBQ, sat outside under the stars, enjoyed the view and had a fire. It was so calm and peaceful. 

The morning of the wedding, Jeff and I took Cassidy out to explore the desert. We wanted to answer any new questions and make sure she understood the promise we were all making together. 

Spending the Morning Together

We all got ready together. Jessica and I styled each other’s hair. Jeff sipped coffee on the sidelines and observed all the girls in their girliness. One of my favorite parts of the day was when Jeff helped me into my dress and made sure my jewelry was on straight.

We incorporated crystals throughout our day. Each one was chosen for its unique energetic qualities, colors, and strengths. Jessica got a necklace with emeralds, her birthstone. Cassidy got a bracelet with amber, carnelian, and aventurine.

I had a combination of quartz, aquamarine, and amethyst. Rose quartz, blue calcite, and raw diamond were also tied onto the ribbons of my bouquet.

An Intimate Ceremony in Joshua Tree

Jeff and I drove together to the ceremony site where we met Matt and the kids. Seeing everyone in the parking lot together was the perfect reminder of why we chose to elope. We all walked into the Joshua Trees, found our chosen spot, took some deep breaths and began.

The most important aspect of our wedding day was our children witnessing our unconditional love for each other. And also the kind of flowers and photos to provide us with memories to last a lifetime. Once we made this decision, it all fell into place. The universe worked with us to create the most perfect intimate wedding.

An unconventional wedding party

The commitment to share your lives together is truly sacred. We didn’t like the idea of a stranger marrying us. We wanted someone who would appreciate the intimacy of our choice to elope with our children.

So we asked Jeff’s best friend, Matt, to be our officiant. I now refer to him as “Brother Matt.” He truly made the day so special and there was such a level of comfort and ease with him being a part of our ceremony.

We didn’t have wedding parties. Cassidy, our youngest, was the flower girl. Jessica was my Maid of Honor, our wedding planner, and my hair dresser. And Ralis was the Best Man. During the ceremony, the girls wrote poems to read to us. It was so touching and meant so much to us.

Staying true to themselves

Jeff and I are both far from “traditional” in most aspects of our life. Both us and our kids have been through so much. When our families came together, we were all able to start healing and growing together. Every decision w