Golden Hour Desert Elopement in Palm Springs, California

Maria & Patrick

One of the best parts about photoshoots is that you can do them just about anywhere. Seriously, you can make almost any backdrop and any location work - it just takes a little bit of work and a tiny bit of a creative eye. For Maria & Patrick's session, we wanted to aim for a more effortless and grungy type look. If you haven't noticed this type of style isn't something I typically do, BUT I never stray away from an opportunity to get creative, meet new people, and just have fun. This golden hour desert elopement in Palm Springs was definitely one that turned out to be one of my ultimate favorites and I am so excited to finally be sharing with you how these turned out!

We're taking it back to when I flew from my cozy home in Utah to the beautiful sunny state of California to Palm Springs. For those of you who have never been to Palm Springs and/or are wanting to learn more about this beautiful city, a recent blog I just published deep dives more into how beautiful Palm Springs truly is. To read all about that, click here! For Maria & Patricks' golden hour desert elopement, we were able to rent out this insanely beautiful Airbnb there in Palm Springs, California. We were quite literally in the middle of the desert, so it truly felt like the world was our oyster. We began this shoot close to golden hour and despite what you're thinking of California's blazing heat, it was actually quite cold!

So as I mentioned above, the theme of this desert elopement was centered around it being messy, undone and bit more on the grungy side. Hence Patrick wearing a leather vest with no shirt and Maria's dress being a bit more scandalous than a traditional wedding dress. Since it was golden hour and the sun was going down fast, we quickly began shooting. We first started off on the spiral staircase located outside by the pool of the Airbnb. Fun fact, I have always wanted a spiral staircase in my home so I feel like I was living vicariously through them - lol. The temperature was quickly dropping and it basically felt as if we were back in Utah in the middle of winter! Am I being dramatic? Probably. Will I stop though? Nope.

Shortly after spending some time soaking up the remainder of golden hour, we quickly snuck inside to not only warm ourselves up but to do quick outfit change! Maria changed into this beautiful lace dress that was pretty see through but ultimately the perfect dress for the vibe that we were going for. Now at this point the sun had gone down and we had officially entered into blue hour territory. The sky was painted this deep rich blue has the sun crossed the horizon. Blue hour is truly an underrated time during the day and is actually one of my favorite times to shoot. To read more about what blue hour is, click here! Still, on the Airbnb's property, we moved more towards the open yard area where we were surrounded by tons of cacti. As the light began to fade out, we of course had to end their day of celebration with a classic champagne pop! Beware though, you may or may not get soaked during this process - lol.

how to elope in an Airbnb

When it comes to eloping, an Airbnb is a great alternative for those not wanting to spend a ton of money on a wedding venue. An Airbnb can become a much more cost-effective option for anyone looking for a small intimate elopement, with not a lot of work and planning involved. However, there are some things you must keep in mind when you're planning to elope in an Airbnb.

Location - Make sure that you're Airbnb is close to any locations that you're wanting to go to. Especially if you're planning on hiring a wedding photographer, you are better of figuring out locations for your photos first and THEN choosing an Airbnb close to those locations. Trust me when I say this will save you a ton of stress, time, and travel!

Suitable for Events - When looking to elope in an Airbnb, make sure that the one you want to rent out is suitable for events. Most Airbnb's will put their guidelines on the listing stating whether or not they allow guests or parties and to what capacity. The last thing you want is to book your Airbnb just to find out you can't have your wedding there all because of the rules enforced by the host.

Let The Airbnb Speak For Itself - When choosing to rent out an Airbnb for your elopement, it's best to choose one that does most of the talking. Having to buy a bunch of decorations to fit your wedding theme can ultimately get overwhelming and don't even get me started on cleanup! You are better off finding and investing in an Airbnb that is much more versatile (aka has tons of natural lighting, good decor, nice views) than risk having to put in more work than you have to!

Eloping in an Airbnb does not have to be difficult, you just need to know what to look out for! In Maria and Patrick's case, we lucked out with this beautiful Palm Springs Airbnb. It truly was one of a kind and really helped emphasize that grungy, effortless look that I've come to be obsessed with. Now I'm going to be over here obsessing over how amazing these turned out... what about you?

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Photos By Gayle does more than just take photos of people. Rather, it is capturing moments of LOVE and HAPPINESS. Singing to the skies, dancing in a field, smiles that hurt because they’re so big. There is nothing else I would rather be doing than photographing these unique details that make you and your significant other a couple. If these photos from Maria & Patrick's session puts a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!