Local, Women-Owned Elopement Pros for Your Big Sur Wedding: A Seamless Collaboration Between Melissa Ergo Photography and Santa Cruz Officiant
Planning an elopement along the breathtaking cliffs or wild coastline of Big Sur calls for something—and someone—extraordinary. This is not just any ceremony or photo shoot. It's a deeply personal milestone, held in one of the most cinematic places in the world. And for couples looking for something real, intimate, beautiful, and free from the cookie-cutter approach of traditional weddings, finding the right team to support that vision is everything. So… if you're dreaming of an epic elopement on the California coast (particularly in Big Sur) you already know you want more than just standard photos or a generic ceremony. You want the whole experience to feel earthy, adventurous and transcendent, and deeply reflective of who you are as a couple.
As a seasoned wedding officiant, I've led hundreds of non-traditional elopement ceremonies for couples who care about meaning, connection and natural beauty, and who value local, environmentally conscious wedding vendors. And over the years, I've had the honor of collaborating with many talented creatives—but my ongoing collaboration with photographer Melissa Ergo is something I truly cherish.
Melissa and I both run women-owned small businesses and we have worked together countless times. We’ve built a creative rhythm based on trust, intuition, and a shared love of working with couples who want something more real, more grounded, and more magical than the wedding industry typically offers.
This blog post is for nature-loving, intentional, curious, and wild at heart couples who are planning a Big Sur elopement and looking for a team that brings sensitivity, artistry, and seamless collaboration to your wedding day.
Local, Grounded, and Aligned
There’s something powerful about hiring people who are rooted in the place you’re traveling to. Melissa and I both live locally, and we’ve spent years getting to know the changing light, micro-climates, hidden gems and unique rhythms of the central coast. (We also know where the poison oak and ticks are and we’ll be sure to warn you when we see ‘em!)
Beyond that, we’ve collaborated on so many elopements that we don’t need to over-communicate or micromanage the flow. We show up, trust each other’s unique magic and creative impulses, and create an atmosphere where couples feel seen, supported, and free to drop into the vulnerability and ecstasy of the moment. Whether it’s a dramatic cliff-side ceremony, an intimate fairy circle in the redwoods vow exchange, or a secluded beach elopement at golden hour, we know how to adapt and respond to the moment.
You can hire us à la carte, of course. But when you hire us together, you get a team that works in harmony. A team that tends to you with skillfulness and artistry and heart. A team that understands that elopements aren’t about performance—they’re about raw authenticity and presence.
Melissa Ergo: Thoughtful Photographer with an Expert Eye and a Grounding Presence
Melissa Ergo’s photography is dynamic, honest, and deeply felt. Her images carry emotional truth, depth, realness and beauty without ever feeling staged or overdone. She captures fleeting moments and layered textures that let you remember not just how things looked—but how they felt.
And one of the reasons I love working with her is this: she is not pretentious or performative.
In a sometimes vapid wedding industry with no shortage of self serving and self important wedding vendors, Melissa stands apart. She’s humble, attuned, and truly focused on the couple in front of her. She brings years of experience without ever making herself the center of attention. That balance—of being both professional and grounded, both talented and gentle—is rare. She’s an artist behind the camera and off camera too, playing piano, writing music, and channeling her creativity in myriad ways.
Melissa’s why:
“The reason I have been a wedding and elopement photographer for 12 years is simple: honest, thoughtful documentation of our deepest moments adds meaningful longevity to the memories and milestones we worked hard to create. My heart feels full when I use my gifts and skills to do meaningful work that makes a bright little difference in a monumental moment in a person's life.”
Her presence creates calm. Her photos capture wonder, nuance and depth. And she’s a true artist, with her feet on the ground and a lens on what matters most.
My Ceremony Style: Reverence-Meets-Levity-Meets-Realness
As an officiant, I create ceremonies that feel like a breath of fresh air: sacred but not stuffy, poetic but not pretentious, gravitas but without being heavy handed or overly serious.
My work is especially resonant for couples who are spiritual-but-not-woo-woo, god squeamish, nature-loving, rebellious, non traditional, and allergic to anything cliché. I don’t rely on outdated traditions or filler content. I ground you, help you stay present, and make each word count. I make space for the full range of emotions—whether belly laughs or ugly crying, or something simpler and more understated.
“We wanted to really feel the transition, the peace, the profoundness of the moment, and Naomi gave us this and so much more. Every word was meaningful and deeply personal, not a single one wasted. She slowed everything down.” –Aubrey, bride
I use tone, pacing, and language to help you drop into the energy of a sacred pause. A moment to mark the turning point in your relationship, support the transformation, and bring your commitment into sharper focus.
In my humble opinion, your ceremony is the heart of the day—an anchor and a “tone setter” for everything that follows, and I treat it as such.
“A giant THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for officiating our wedding!!! You truly helped make our wedding the most magical and happy day of our lives. The ceremony was so beautiful and meaningful, speaking to who we are without the religious mumbo jumbo. I was in awe during the whole ceremony at the different phases you walked us through in taking the next big step together in our relationship. I truly felt you guiding us like an old friend, helping us stay present and in the moment.”
It’s that feeling I want for every couple. When I work alongside Melissa, it only deepens. And when we work together in Big Sur it is even richer and more textured because the landscape adds a magic all its own. (I am a very well traveled woman and despite spending time in some very beautiful places around the world, I absolutely think Big Sur is one of the most jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring places on earth!)
What Happens When We Work Together
When Melissa and I collaborate on an elopement, here’s what you can expect:
Seamless Flow: We’re not stepping on each other’s toes. We’re aligned and responsive to the moment. There’s no rushing, no awkward pauses, no confusion about what’s happening next.
Emotional Depth: We both value real, meaningful connection—not cookie-cutter experiences. The ceremony and photography both reflect that.
Artistry with Presence: We care deeply about our crafts, but we’re not making it about us. We’re tuned in to you—how you’re feeling, what the landscape is offering, and how to gently guide the day in a way that feels impactful and alive.
Ease and Experience: Between us, we’ve supported hundreds of couples through elopements and Big Sur weather variables and terrain considerations. Rest assured, you’re in good hands.
The Couples Who Love This Collaboration
This offering is ideal for:
Couples who are eloping from out of town and want trusted, local guides who know the land and can help streamline their experience.
Nature lovers and free spirits who want their day to feel sacred and spontaneous.
LGBTQIA+ couples, spiritually diverse couples, secular and atheist couples, mindful and intentional couples, and all those who don’t resonate with mainstream traditions but still want the day to be profound and personal.
Creatives, introverts, and those who want to skip the performance and savor the moment.
Couples who want their elopement dollars to support local, women-owned businesses.
Here’s a little snapshot of an elopement I officiated at Glen Oaks Big Sur that will give you a sense of my ceremony style and approach.
A Little Extra: Our Gift When You Book Us Together
If you choose to book both Melissa and I as your elopement team, we’ll include a few thoughtful extras to enhance your experience:
📖 Vow-Writing Tutorial (from me)
I’ve created a beautiful, accessible vow-writing resource to help you write heartfelt, real vows—without stress, overthinking, or awkwardness. It’s normally $30 on Etsy, but included free when we collaborate.📷 A Roll of Film (from Melissa)
Melissa will shoot one roll of film (yes, actual analog film!) during your day, giving you a collection of images that feel nostalgic, iconic and timeless.
These are small personal touches intended to add a little extra zhuzh to your special day!
Get Inspired
Here are a few photos from various elopements Melissa and I have collaborated on. There is such a delightful mixture of whimsy and wonder in these photos!
Let’s Create Something Timeless, Together
Big Sur isn’t just a backdrop—it’s an evocative and animate presence. A place where time slows down and energy is palpable. When Melissa and I work together in this landscape, we treat the entire day as something to savor. Not in an “in your face” way, but in a quiet, reverent, humble and happy one. After all, we get to live and work here, and we delight in sharing the Big Sur magic with couples!
If you're looking for a photographer-officiant team that will bring heart, skill, artistry and ease to your elopement, we’d be honored to support you. There are some other local, women-owned wedding professionals we love collaborating with who also offer thoughtful touches and incentives when you book us together for your elopement, so be sure to ask us about them when you book!
Ready to reach out?
🌿 Contact me
📷 Melissa Ergo Photography
Let’s create something wild, true, and beautiful—together.