Imagine exchanging vows surrounded by majestic redwoods in a dreamy forest setting. If that sounds like what you’ve been searching for, then Henry Cowell State Park might be the perfect spot for you and your partner to begin your next chapter.
I had the chance to photograph Shane and Miles’ celebration at Henry Cowell State Park, one of my favorite locations for microweddings and elopements (and regular photo sessions, too).
Read on to learn more about what your wedding day at Henry Cowell State Park could look like and take a behind-the-lens look at Shane and Miles’ stunning fall wedding here.
Henry Cowell State Park Wedding
Henry Cowell State Park is a beautiful park/redwoods preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are two wedding venues you can choose from within the park: one is the Redwoods Preserve and the other is Roaring Camp. The couple featured in this blog got married at the Redwoods Preserve.
Inside the park, you’ll find babbling brooks, ferns, and giant redwoods with the scent of pine and moss lingering in the air. If you want a forest backdrop for your celebration or for it to feel like a woodland fairytale, this might be the elopement location you’ve been dreaming of.
The park also has so many great spots for gorgeous wedding photos, as you can wander the trails, pause next to the old-growth Redwood trees, or sit on a tree trunk with your partner next to the brook.
Permits
If you do want to elope here, you will need to get a permit, which you can learn more about here. Inside the park, there is a designated, reservable spot for your ceremony. I would recommend applying for the permit at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance. For the most up-to-date information on costs and permits, please visit the park’s official page, which you can do here.
If you want a more traditional wedding venue and want to invite more than a few guests, you’ll definitely want to check out the other wedding venue, Roaring Camp. You’ll take a steam train and cross a covered bridge to get to this unique location, nestled within the valley of the Redwood Forest in the Coastal Santa Cruz Mountains.
Wiccan Queer Wedding at Henry Cowell State Park
Shane and Miles planned an incredible autumn redwoods elopement at Henry Cowell State Park, where magic was woven into every detail of the day.
Getting ready
Their day started with getting ready at a charming A-frame cottage Airbnb, which you can check out here. It was the ideal spot to get ready, since the Airbnb is only 5-10 minutes away from the park.
This Airbnb also has a stunning deck surrounded by forest, which adds a woodsy, whimsical element to photos, and it was a great spot to photograph individual portraits of Shane and Miles before we headed to Henry Cowell State Park.
Booking a rental house for a getting-ready space or to stay in after your wedding is such a great way to incorporate even more personality into your wedding. Especially with locations out in the woods, there are almost always cool cabins that you can book. This way, you are more comfortable getting ready and can have a second location for your couples portraits!
The ceremony
Shane and Miles actually got married at the courthouse ahead of time, so their ceremony at Henry Cowell State Park could be just the two of them and me. For their Wiccan ceremony, they set up a circle of crystals and exchanged rings and necklaces to solemnize their marriage.
It was a truly special ceremony, and I’m honored to have had the chance to be a part of it. It reminded me that there are so many beautiful ways a queer wedding can look.
There were also so many other unique details about Shane and Miles’ day that I loved, from Shane’s embroidered orange dress that beautifully complemented our surroundings, to bringing tarot cards and crystals to their celebration, and their eye-catching alternative wedding rings.
Are you an autumn? Perhaps an orange-floral embroidered wedding dress like Shane’s is perfect for you. You can get one just like it here!
Custom edits
Something else unique about Shane and Miles’ day was that they asked me for a custom editing style. They let me know in advance that they were interested in a custom edit on my inquiry form, and then chose the style from the drop-down menu that best matched what they envisioned.
Miles and Shane chose a dark and moody edit that worked perfectly with the redwoods and their nontraditional flair. We went with fairly true-to-life tones with a bit of grain and deep shadows for moodiness.
If my clients know I’m the right *person* for them but want something different in terms of editing style, I’m open to switching things up! I often have people send me inspo images of edits they like, and then I creatively weave them together to create a one-of-a-kind custom edit that perfectly fits what they envisioned.
A quick note: This isn’t something every wedding photographer offers. But if you really like the photographer you’re considering and want to work with them, it never hurts to ask us if we are willing to do a different editing style for your wedding, like Miles and Shane did.
If you want to learn more about how my custom edits work, go here!
Ready to Plan Your Wedding at Henry Cowell State Park?
I hope you found all this info on planning a wedding at Henry Cowell State Park + inspo helpful! One of my top reasons to choose Henry Cowell State Park is that there are so many unique ways to celebrate your elopement here, including planning a romantic picnic together after your elopement, having a first dance in the forest, playing in the river, and so much more!
And…if you’re in the Bay Area, looking for a photographer who specializes in photos of love, weddings, surprise proposals, and engagements, feel free to reach out here or learn more about my services here. I’ll fully support your nontraditional ideas and celebrate you wholeheartedly! I can’t wait to learn more about your vision and all the ideas you have in mind.
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