A Catalina Elopement

Do you dream of a gorgeous island wedding, but the idea of getting everyone to Hawaii or Fiji is just a little too much? Or, do you dream of an intimate island elopement, just the two of you and some mai-tai’s, right in your backyard? Well, if you’re in the Central or Southern California coastal area, Catalina Island may be the answer for you!

The town of Avalon on Catalina Island is just adorable, and the perfect backdrop to the beachy elopement of your dreams. Pretty much everything is walkable, but golf carts are available - make sure to get them early in the day - to get you up the steep hills to more epic views. If you plan ahead even just a little (like, the night before) you can schedule a guided tour that will take you to the back country as well, which could be such a fun way to adventure with your bridal party! My husband and I took one of these tours and we were amazed at how remote it felt back there. Sadly we saw no bison, but we did see some island foxes, a secret lake, and some of the prettiest coves you could imagine. If you really want to rough it for an adventurous elopement, you can request a ride into the back country to do a little camping trip, and get picked up again the next day (or longer). I guarantee you won’t have any people in the background for those photos! (See the last 4 photos for some snaps from our backcountry Jeep tour.)

You can make your day as exciting or as relaxing as you’d like! A couple of fun things Catalina has to offer: Mini golf, parasailing, zip-lining, kayaking or of course snorkeling. On the chill side of the spectrum, you can make plans for a spa day, spend your afternoon eating and drinking at one of their beautiful waterfront restaurants, and grab some ice cream on the pier. Then you can stop by their ONE single grocery store, a Vons, to grab some wine and snacks to take back to your hotel.

Everywhere you go is scenic and has a character of its own. With these two, we took an easy stroll along the boardwalk, stopping at a cute little pub for some tequila shots, and then making our way toward the cove by Descanso Beach Club, where they recited their vows. When we returned to the pier area, there was a picnic waiting for them on the beach care of The Picnic Collective, with some yummy goodies.