Organic luxury in this Mt. Tamalpais Elopement inspiration

Nearby San Francisco, the beauty of Mt. Tamalpais offers a gift to the senses and a true experience of pristine natural wonder. It is also a most amazing location for an elopement or intimate wedding in the Bay Area. Having met, fallen in love and married while living in Northern California’s rolling hills, Talia and Juan Pinnel of Southern California wedding photographers PINNEL PHOTOGRAPHY wanted to create a story within this landscape that would inspire others to fall in love there as well. They teamed up with planner and designer SOPHIA GOFF, who grew up watching sunsets with friends at Mt Tam, to explore what it would be like to celebrate an intimate wedding amidst this most blissful place.

Sophia's designs were created with the intention to give the bride and groom and their guests the experience of earthly luxury. The natural environment influenced many design decisions from the colour palette to the materials used for the table top and even for the florals. Many thoughtful details were included to give the table a refined feel. The texture of the linens, the earthen quality of the serving-ware, the fineness of the organic cotton paper and design in the stationery create a palpable richness that is heightened by the natural beauty all around.

PINNEL PHOTOGRAPHY then included the natural texture of grass and rocks in their compositions, and played with juxtaposing these elements with the sky and the ocean in the images, to convey the idea of the couple being on the top of the world, yet embraced by the warmth of the earth. The majority of the photos were taken on medium format film. Juan shares with us, "we love the look and feel of film – both the art and process behind shooting it and the result of natural, radiant colours in our images.”

Florist UNWRITTEN FLORALS created modern, whimsical arrangements to adorn the ceremony site, the tablescape, and for the bride's bouquet and groom's boutonniere. Vanessa's process also includes connecting with the environment and creating intentional designs that not only complement nature, but are an offering to the space. Her arrangements for this shoot celebrated the playfulness of the elements and were made even more beautiful with the inclusion of handmade pottery and naturally dyed silk ribbon.

Exquisite downtown San Francisco luxury boutique Jin Wang offered a modern gown by DANIELLE FRANKEL. Danielle Frankel's designs, which celebrate simplicity, delight, and elegance, are the quintessential modern, cool wedding gowns. The bride wore a silk slip dress with lace sleeves and back detailing, and the look was made complete with Joy Proctor's dreamy Peony Bootie from her collection with wedding shoe designer BELLA BELLE SHOES. Accessories from ERIN COLE BRIDE and JENNIFER BEHR brought an extra touch of style and sparkle. Hair & make-up was done by talented artist CHRISTINA CHEN, who created a clean, natural, and timeless look.

A huge thank you to Southern California wedding photographers PINNEL PHOTOGRAPHY for sharing this truly gorgeous inspiration with us! Married couple, Talia & Juan are Inspired by natural light and the look of analog photography. They work with both film and digital mediums to create timeless yet modern photographs. Their ethereal light filled imagery is both raw and refined; the wild feminine tamed by the stoic masculine.

Each experience with the Pinnel team is artisanal; every detail thought out. Cultivating connection, they lead with a sense of purpose and awareness. Their warmth and calm presence puts their clients at ease, allowing what is real between them to shine through in their photos. Head over to their portfolio to see more.