When the COVID pandemic hit, Kierney and William found themselves quarantined together, planning a wedding that was probably going to get cancelled, and ultimately, with an idea: what if they just went ahead and got married?  A COVID elopement, if you will.

They originally had planned a relaxed beach party for their wedding day at the Nevada Beach pavilion but had a hunch as far back as April that their day wasn’t going to go according to plan.  Thankfully, it wasn’t much of a shock when the county park called to cancel the venue rental about a month ago.

On May 5, Kierney wrote me on instagram, “HELLO ARE YOU FREE ON FRIDAY?? Can I book a photoshoot?”  I was already hired to be their wedding photographer in September so I just thought maybe they wanted some engagement photos squeezed in because everyone was going stir crazy in their homes.  Turns out, they had decided to just elope to which I responded, “Fuck yeah.”

With SO many of my clients faced with the tough decisions to cancel, postpone or downsize their weddings, many have decided to go this route: just get married and I am 100% here for it.  Like so many of my clients, Kierney and Will are still planning on partying later (now in their renovated and redone backyard, thanks to COVID house projects), but they were overjoyed to just go ahead and solidify their union in the most Tahoe-esque way possible: walking their dogs to the meadow near their home for Corona-themed beers, riding their bikes to the county clerk’s office and making it official while their family watched on zoom, and finishing with champagne on the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Venue: El Dorado County Clerk Office

Thinking about holding your own Covid elopement? Head here for more elopements, backyard weddings, and wedding planning resources.