Imagine being with the person you love in a stunning location having a fun, romantic and intimate elopement or wedding ceremony. You are surrounded by nature, whether it is the gorgeous sunset with your toes in the sand on a California beach or the majestic Big Bear mountains with a green forest of pine trees and a stunning lake backdrop. Perhaps it is the amazing Joshua Tree National Park with it’s unique boulders, trees and in springtime, a surprise patch of wildflowers. This is a “no stress” adventure with Alan and Heidi as your guides as well as your internationally award-winning, creative photographer and your amazing ordained wedding officiant.
As a husband and wife team that have been involved with elopements and weddings for over 15 years, they can help with planning every step of your adventure, from where to stay, complete marriage license information, help you find hair and make up, and finding the perfect adventure spot for your elopement or micro wedding.
Heidi will feel like your “cool” aunt and will craft a wonderful, unique, custom ceremony that is not long and boring but fun, romantic and fits the two of you. Alan is like having your favorite uncle that is in charge of creating all of the memories of your day with his epic realizm style. He is there to document your story, to let you be yourselves and to help you remember just how you felt that day!
We will have an awesome ceremony with just the four of us or with some of your close friends and family. In nature, we will respect the beauty and leave it as we found it. Then you both can have a wonderful, romantic, natural and fun photo shoot with Alan. Even if you’re typically camera shy, Alan is there to help calm your nerves, make you laugh and help you have spectacular photography that you will remember forever.
Alan and Heidi work closely as a team, Heidi reads your ceremony to Alan the night before so he knows where all the good stuff is! Heidi makes sure to get out of the “kiss” picture so you don’t have a weird third head in your photo! They work together seamlessly on the most important day of your lives. The most important gift that Alan and Heidi share with you is their secrets to still being madly in love after almost 21 years together. You would be sharing your day with two people that are best friends, hold hands every day, love nature and want to create a unique and wonderful wedding day just for you.
It’s a wedding distilled down to the good stuff! With just the two of you, your officiant and photographer, and your closest family and friends in an absolutely beautiful location. It is romantic, fun, intimate and without all the stress and cost of a wedding.
It is not – set ups, arbor or arch, an aisle, petals on the ground, sound amplification, candles, chairs (we can make exceptions for the disabled or the elderly), etc. We’re not at a venue but in nature and the decorations listed above could require expensive permits.
For the ultimate
California elopement!
Any location within the entire state of California!
Unlimited elopement planning help and advice
Assistance in choosing & writing your vows
Customized ceremony with your personal “Love Story”
Elopement with up to 4 guests*
Bouquet & boutonnière*
Your choice of sparkling wine or sparkling cider
plus a dessert for couple to celebrate with
5 hour photography coverage
Edited, high-resolution images with usage rights
16×24 canvas print of your choice
Photo book with selected images from your day
Password-protected online gallery with sharing
An emailed copy of your ceremony & vows
Certified mailing of your marriage license
Guidance on changing your last name
Monday – Thursday
Add $400 for Holiday or Friday – Sunday events
*Currently limited to a maximum of 4 masked guests due to pandemic restrictions & health & safety concerns, contingent on government ordinances, seasonal flowers, some exclusions may apply, contact us for details
Almost everything you’ll need to
run away & get married!
Unlimited elopement planning help and advice
Assistance in choosing & writing your vows
Elopement ceremony with up to 4 guests*
Bouquet & boutonnière*
Your choice of sparkling wine, sparkling cider
or dessert to celebrate with
3 hour photography coverage
Edited, high-rez images with usage rights
12×16 canvas print of your choice
Password-protected online gallery with sharing
An emailed copy of your ceremony & vows
Certified mailing of your marriage license
Guidance on changing your last name
No travel charge for most Southern California locations
Monday – Thursday
Add $300 for Holiday or Friday – Sunday events
*Currently limited to a maximum of 4 masked guests due to pandemic restrictions & health & safety concerns, contingent on government ordinances, seasonal flowers, some exclusions may apply, contact us for details
An elopement ceremony matched
with gorgeous photography
Unlimited elopement planning help and advice
Assistance in choosing & writing your vows
Elopement ceremony with up to 4 guests*
1-1/2 hour photography coverage at one location
Edited, high-resolution images with usage rights
Password-protected online gallery with sharing
An emailed copy of your ceremony & vows
Certified mailing of your marriage license
Guidance on changing your last name
No travel charge for many Southern California locations
Monday – Thursday
Add $200 for Holiday or Friday – Sunday events
*Currently limited to a maximum of 4 masked guests due to pandemic restrictions & health & safety concerns, contingent on government ordinances, some exclusions may apply, contact us for details
An intimate wedding is generally more than 10 guests or at a venue. *Depending on the location, you can have your bridal party, your venue decorated with flowers everywhere, DJ, dance floor, and all the other amazing things that make a wedding so much fun!
It can also be the two of you and an intimate amount of guests celebrating your love in nature. Alan and Heidi can create a package for your wedding photography and/or wedding officiating that is customized for what you need.
*Depending on location, number of guests, decorations, DJ, etc. could be limited, require permits, or prohibited.
Assistance in choosing & writing your vows
Crafting your Love Story to share with your guests
Wedding ceremony with up to 200 guests
A digital copy of your ceremony & vows
Certified mailing of your marriage license
Follow up on how to change your name
No travel charge for most Southern California locations
Assistance in choosing & writing your vows
A digital copy of your ceremony & vows
Certified mailing of your marriage license
Follow up on how to change your name
No travel charge for most Southern California locations
A marriage license is required, but not included. You must purchase a marriage license from a California County Clerk. Tax, travel & shipping fees where applicable. Discounts cannot be combined. Prices effective 1/2021, subject to change and availability.
I am an ordained Minister through the Universal Life Church and, I was a wedding planner for many years. I performed my very first wedding as an ordained wedding officiant in 2016. I’m a professional writer, I have been in theatre for 30 years and I have been married to the love of my life for 20 years.
My ceremonies are inclusive and LGBTQ friendly! They include a range of wedding and elopement ceremonies from romantic, spiritual, interfaith ceremonies, non-religious ceremonies to non-denominational, Pagan, Agnostic, Earth-based, and Unitarian couples, vow renewals, and more. I have officiated hundreds of weddings: Simple, Elegant, Spiritual, Intimate, Fun or Over the Top and all unique!
If you want choices, consider meeting with, and making a commitment to an Officiant as soon as you know your wedding date and have booked your venue. The details of your wedding ceremony can always be worked out closer to your wedding. I have couples who have booked me as far out as two years, especially for Destination Weddings with guests coming from other states and countries. With that being said, if we have availability, we can also perform a simple ceremony with little or no notice.
Sometimes our couples tell us horror stories about how uncomfortable their close friend’s wedding ceremony was. The reason? They chose a friend or family member or an officiant with little experience. We’ve heard things like:
Emergencies do arise in every profession, and an officiant is not exempt. If by some reason (hasn’t happened yet) I am unable to perform your wedding, I have other officiants that I am associated with, that I love and I also have my husband and son that are wedding professionals that are ordained and can perform my ceremony if needed.
You will be asked to approve and sign an online contract that confirms the booking details and provides all pertinent information regarding the event. This protects everyone concerned.
A non-refundable, but transferable, 50% retainer fee is required at the time of booking. This reserves me for your date. You can pay online with a debit or credit card, check, cash or Zelle.
Your remaining balance is due two weeks before the wedding date.
Your wedding ceremony is created just for you and the processions, readings, music, and unity ceremonies really dictate how long the ceremony will be. My ceremonies are never longer than 30 minutes, and most are 15-25 minutes.
To obtain your California Marriage License, you must go to any California County Clerk’s Office together with valid photo identification Monday-Friday. Many Counties will allow you to fill out your application online and set an appointment.
Once you have the license, take care of it and keep it safe. Be sure to bring the license to the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony I will be sure that the witnesses sign it. I will then complete the form with my credential information and sign it as well. It is the officiant’s legal obligation to submit the license back to the same County Clerk where it was issued, within ten days. .
Yes, we have a discount if either of you is Active duty Military.
Definitely!!! We have done destination weddings and elopements all over the Pacific Northwest and many other parts of the country. Heidi is able to perform weddings in 40 states.
Yes, you need at least one witness for your ceremony but you can have two, and they should be over 18 and be able to see and write well enough for a legal document. However, California also has a confidential marriage license which does not require any witnesses.
The truth is that I almost never go to rehearsals. It’s really just for the couple and the wedding party to know where to stand and who to walk with. The officiant just stands at the altar and watches, so there is really nothing to rehearse. Usually, the actual wedding ceremony isn’t rehearsed (it’s a surprise), although you should practice the kiss, you should hold it for 3 seconds so your photographer gets a good photo! If you or your coodinator really needs me to be there and I am available, my fee for attending is $175.
Since the reservation fee reserves your wedding date and time for you only, the initial deposit is always transferable. If you reschedule your wedding to a date and time that we are available, we will apply the deposit to the new agreement. If you cancel your wedding altogether, there is no balance due beyond the initial deposit.
Okay, I may be biased but I think my husband, Alan Merrigan, is amazing. He is friendly, an international award-winning wedding photographer, and always makes sure my couples have fun and he captures all of their favorite memories of their wedding day! There is no requirement that we work together but I share your ceremony with him and I make sure he can get the best photos during your ceremony!