Kate Waterman Rose - Northern California Wedding + Elopement Photographer

Foggy Half Moon Bay Wedding


Brittany and Terry planned the sweetest just-the-two-of-them elopement along the bluffs and beach at Half Moon Bay, with a good friend from Terry’s work officiating — one of those wonderful elopements so intimate and private that I served as both photographer and witness. The pair had moved from Texas to the California Coast about a year before, and chose to celebrate their wedding with a carefree ceremony in the coastal environment that they both adored.

The weeks leading up to the elopement date were threatening, with fires around the state and smoke filling the air, but on the very morning of Brittany and Terry’s elopement, a miraculous ocean breeze picked up and carved out a smoke-free spot around Half Moon Bay so that the two could have their celebration outdoors in the clean, open air.

In September along the coast, warm, sunny days and cool fog are equally likely. Brittany and Terry had imagined a sunny sunset, but rocked their elopement despite the foggy weather and with a grand sense of adventure, exploring the bluffs, running barefoot on the beach, saying heartfelt handwritten vows, and wrapping up in warm layers as they toasted with their favorite local beer.

venue | half moon bay

dress | reformation

suit | bonobos

beers | henhouse brewing

Foggy Half Moon Bay Wedding: Brittany and Terry walk along the bluff-top path, surrounded by the dense fog. They've just arrived together at Half Moon Bay, their chosen elopement location, and are excited for what's to come.
The almost-married pair goes in for a quick pre-ceremony kiss, barely able to contain their excitement
In a gentlemanly gesture, Terry kisses Brittany's hand as they walk through the cypress grove above the beach
The two gaze into each others' eyes as Terry playfully tucks Brittany's hair back behind her ear
The sweethearts hold each other close as they look out at the bluff-top landscape around them
We can see the excitement on the couple's faces as they walk from one scenic location on the bluffs above the beach to another
Terry sets down the cooler bag full of celebration beers as the two approach another scenic photo spot on the edge of the bluffs overlooking the beach
The two elopers snuggle together on the bluffs
We zoom in closer on their faces as the eloping couple gaze out at the foggy sea
Terry snuggles Brittany from behind as they enjoy the view from their perch on the edge of the seaside bluffs
The sweet couple walk hand-in-hand along the Half Moon Bay bluffs, leaning in close to each other to chat
We see the bride's bouquet and a close up of her engagement ring, which she designed in collaboration with a local goldsmith
The sweethearts remove their shoes before heading down to the beach at Half Moon Bay
Full of excitement, the pair makes their way to the beach stairs
Terry tucks his shoes into a nook under the rising cliffs as the two walk barefoot along the beach to their chosen wedding ceremony spot
After setting down his things, the groom runs excitedly to the ceremony location where his bride is waiting
As the wedding ceremony begins, we see the bride and groom together, their good friend officiating, with the warm-colored sandstone cliffs rising above them in the background
We zoom in on the groom, grinning with excitement as he gazes at his bride
We see the bride, her eyes full of love and overwhelming feelings for her betrothed
The groom reads his vows under the sandstone cliffs
We see the bride reacting to the groom's vows; her face is filled with joy
As we step back to see the full scene, we see the bride continue to grin at the groom's handwritten vows; the striated sandstone cliffs rise above them and recede into the distance behind them
Still grinning, the bride begins to read her own vows
We see the groom's reaction to the bride's vows; as she hold's the couple's shared vow book, the groom takes her flowers into his hands and holds them for her
As we zoom into the groom's face, we see the subtle smile playing at his lips, and the way his eyes crinkle with joy when he looks at the bride
The officiant takes the reigns of the ceremony again, and the marrying couple both laugh as he makes a humorous remark
With the conclusion of the ceremony nearing, the bride and groom take each other's hands and stare into each other's eyes as the officiant says a few words
We zoom in on their faces, full of love for each other
We see their hands clasped, the groom's hands warmly enfolding the bride's
The bride plucks a wedding band from a ring box offered by the officiant, ready to slip it onto her groom's finger
She gently slides the ring onto her groom's hand
The legal ceremony completed, the bride and groom take a second to hold hands and look at each other before their kiss
Brittany and Terry pull each other in for a deep kiss
A closer view of the bride and groom's kiss; we can see the passion in their faces, the groom's arm's wrapped around the bride
The ceremony is done! The bride grins at us with satisfaction as the groom shakes the officiant's hand
The groom caringly wraps a fur or faux-fur jacket over the bride's sleeveless gown to keep her warm on the cool foggy beach
He snuggles her from behind, and the two kiss again
They pose barefoot on the sand for a portrait, hands held tightly together, looking in each other's eyes as they grin
The pair take a moment to speak intimately with one another, the colorful sandstone cliffs rising behind them
They set off down the beach towards the water of Half Moon Bay, hand-in-hand and barefoot
They smile as they walk near the waves, standing out brightly against the fog-filled landscape
The newlywed couple stand by the water's edge and look out at the vast ocean
The bride and groom playfully dodge the lapping waves
The waves at their back, the two newlyweds grin at us, full of joy
We see their bare feet in the sand; the bride wears a white beaded anklet for the couple's beachy Half Moon Bay elopement
The pair pose for a conventional smiling photo on the beach; behind them, green ice plants create a striking contrast to the warm oranges and yellows of the sandstone cliff
The groom reaches out lovingly to adjust the bride's windswept hair
The two kiss passionately under the cliffs
The eloping couple go in for a warm embrace, the bride's arms up around the groom's shoulders; his arms around her waist, as if they are slow dancing
We zoom in on their faces as they smile at each other warmly
They smile and go in for a kiss
Just the two of them below the cliffs, they dance slowly on the sand
In a sweet gesture, the groom kisses the bride's hand; we can see the love in her gaze as she looks warmly at him
Ready for the next part of their adventure, the couple walk down the beach hand-in-hand; behind them, we can see the striped sandstone cliffs of Half Moon Bay in perspective, disappearing slowly into the distant fog
The eloping pair walk excitedly together, almost running
They set down a blanket on the sand and the bride kneels upon it in her dress, waiting expectantly for her groom to sit beside her
Sitting on the blanket, the newlyweds enjoy a celebratory beer; the bride takes a second to playfully adjust the groom's windswept hair
They curl up together on the blanket and grin excitedly as they compare their new wedding rings
We step back to see the glorious landscape of Half Moon Bay around them as the two lean in towards each other for a passionate kiss
We step in closer to see the newlywed couple's faces as they share a laugh
They both giggle as they snuggle on the blanket
The bride smiles as the groom whispers something into her ear
Framed by colorful sandstone cliffs, the newlywed couple sit with their legs entwined on their blanket in the sand
As the bride and groom lean back to snuggle on their blanket, we move to the other side to view them with the beach stretched out before them, the ocean in the distance
They both lean in for a tender kiss in the sand
Ready for the next part of their adventure elopement, the groom reaches out a hand to help the bride up from their blanket
They settle their blanket onto a large driftwood log that has washed up onto the beach at Half Moon Bay; they make themselves comfortable sitting on the log with their friend and officiant
The newly-eloped couple and their officiant toast to their wedding ceremony with a trio of IPAs from their favorite local brewing company, HenHouse Brewing
They sit together and chat excitedly about their ceremony and their new lives
The groom leans stylishly against the driftwood log as the bride sits upon it, his well-tailored blue suit looking snappy
The newly-eloped pair look out across the beach and laugh together
The newlyweds and their officiant reconvene for a moment of paperwork with the marriage license to make the celebration official
As the officiant ensures that the marriage license papers are in order, the groom helps the bride to remove bits of wildlife that have entangled themselves in the skirt of her long white Reformation dress
The bride grins as the groom hugs the officiant in thank-you for his help with the elopement
The newly-eloped couple walk together along the beach once more, the dramatic cliffs fading into the distance
They approach a nook in the cliffs, where the green ice plant and orange sandstone of the cliffs create a particularly dramatic effect
The pair hold hands as they find the perfect spot for one last celebratory dance before the end of their dreamy beach elopement
The groom lifts the bride and swirls her around in a beautiful spin; her long white dress swirls out around them
The groom kisses the bride's neck as the sun begins to set behind the fog and she soaks in the last of the Half Moon Bay beach's sunlit beauty
Satisfied, the pair return along the beach to their ceremony spot to regather their things
We see their smiles as they walk barefoot in the sand
We see the bride and groom from behind as they walk off along the beach to their next adventure, their carefree and adventurous elopement completed

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