Intimate Forest Elopement in Big Bear Lake
Kayla + Billy’s elopement holds a very special place in my heart. When Kayla first reached out in early 2021, my husband and I had *just* wrapped up putting together our cabin in Big Bear and listed it on AirBnB. Although there were hardly any reviews of the cabin at the time, Kayla & Billy took a leap of faith (whether knowingly or not) and rented the cabin as part of my Big Bear photography package for their elopement weekend.
Kayla and Billy are two of the most easy-going and kindest people I have ever met and are two people after my own heart. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was for their day (and to meet them!) after our initial phone call. They described wanting a forest-y setting for their ceremony, and to also have pictures by the lake after, so I immediately got to work on putting together a location list of spots from all over Big Bear, including driving up to Big Bear multiple times over the months to check out what parking for each spot is like etc, so that we could all be prepared for the day.
As luck (or nature) would have it, California’s wildfires took on a devastating turn in summer 2021. Lake Tahoe in Northern California was getting hammered by wildfires, and most of California’s firefighting resources were directed to fight them. Even though Southern California didn’t have it as bad, CA decided to shut down all national forests for several weeks so as to reduce the risk of any wildfires or rescue operations in the area. This included the San Bernardino National Forest that Big Bear is surrounded by. Any and every location I had painstakingly sourced for K+B’s elopement day was now at risk of being inaccessible on their day. I say “at risk” because the initial directive had the forests set to open several days before their elopement date (Sept 18, 2021), however there was still a chance that the closure could be extended.
Instead of freaking out about potentially losing their ceremony spot, Kayla (in true Kayla fashion) said, “It’s okay! I’m optimistic it will work out. And if it doesn’t, we can just do it by any tree. It would still be perfect.” (Obviously, I hoped that that would never happen!)
I started searching for backup plans, but to be honest, none of the alternatives excited me very much. In the meantime, we waited to see if the restrictions would lift on the originally schedule day, but a week before it was set to re-open, CA extended the forest closure to Sept 22, 2021. No luck.
I got to work on scouring every resource I had available to see what other backup plans I could come up with that wouldn’t involve national forest land... including a Big Bear locals community which I recently became a part of. I found someone looking for help checking in guests to a campground and was intrigued. Hadn’t all campgrounds been affected by the forest closure as well? As it turns out, however, this campground was part of a privately-owned 400 acre ranch in the hills above Big Bear Lake, and it felt like we had hit the jackpot.
I immediately put K+B in touch with the site manager, who very kindly arranged a site tour for them when they arrived in Big Bear, 2 days before their elopement date. Kayla texted me after their site tour confirming how beautiful the space was - a private meadow in the distance where wild horses grazed, a large area that felt very private and secluded, and a ceremony site between two pine trees that gave you a window through to the meadow beyond. It was perfect. (They would even bring out a few chairs for their guests if they wanted!) You can also imagine how relieved I was that we had found a space they loved, which turned out to be even better than our original plan!
While I was admittedly stressed out that all our plans might fall through, the story of how this day came to be will always be a solid reminder that things *will* work out the way they’re supposed to, and that back-up plans need not necessarily be a less-than option.
To photograph someone’s elopement day is such a privilege in itself, but to also host it? It is honestly such an incredible honor 😭🥲 Thank you Kayla & Billy for your immense trust in me and for being the sweetest people to work with. I am profoundly grateful and so so honored to be a part of your day in so many ways. Thank you also to Holcomb Valley Ranch for pulling through for K+B at the very last minute and giving them a space so beautiful and beyond what we had initially dreamed of.
Check out Wandering Wedding’s feature of Kayla & Billy’s elopement here!
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Shoutout to my fellow vendors who made this day possible:
Ceremony Venue: Holcomb Valley Ranch
Florals & Reception Design: Valerie Jurado Botanical Designs
Rentals: Twin Bear Party Rentals
Videographer: Velarde Films
Food: Tra An Cuisine
HMUA: Kayla’s sister, Catherine
Cheesecake: Kayla’s mom
Reception Venue*: Moonridge Treehouse
*Please note that Moonridge Treehouse is no longer able to host reception dinners due to county vacation rental regulations.
If you are dreaming up a romantic Big Bear elopement, get in touch with me! I’d love to share this special place with you and help you bring your vision to life. :’)
Need more tips on how to elope in Big Bear? Read the blog here!
Interested in my Big Bear elopement packages? Hit that button below and tell me more about what you’re looking for! I’d love to be of help in any way I can!