These two had a Plan A…and ended up finally tying the knot with Plan E! No joke, 2020 has sure taught us all about resilience. I am so so happy to share about this amazing elopement in Napa!

When Jill and Rob contacted me, they had already been put through the ringer, already having to postpone their original wedding (in another state). While they had made peace with that, they REALLY didn’t want to have to wait another year to seal the deal. After being in a long distance relationship, and then moving to be together, they just didn’t want to wait any longer!

Then, it gets a bit laughable- their next plan was to elope in Napa- except Napa wineries have a really strict policy about not having weddings performed on site (they can get fined big time). So then (Plan C?) they contact the city and ask if they are allowed to get married in a park/any public place- and were told that due to COVID, all “gatherings” have to be under 8 people, but there are no guarantees of space available/an intimate moment due to it being a public location. We joked that we would meet there, almost like a flash mob, and be ready to run if necessary! But all joking and silliness aside, all these two wanted was to be able to say their vows, savor the moment, and ENJOY their day- FINALLY as husband and wife! So when, on a whim, Rob asked the hotel they were getting ready at if they could have their small ceremony on their rooftop, and they agreed without any fuss, they were in shock- but we ran with it!

Then the fires came. You guys, I can’t make this up! After a crazy heat wave (for Northern California) of over 100* days, we then had a freak thunder and lighting storm (which, I’ll admit, was pretty cool, in the moment). The lightening caused fires to start, and evacuations. I sent a text to Rob a few days in, asking how they were feeling- he replied that he hoped they could just get married before the world ended!

And then, Plan E came together. Due to air quality, the rooftop lounge was deserted, which gave them, their two officiants, their witness, and me, the whole place to ourselves. It felt like time stood still, watching them finally have the moment they had been fighting so hard to have!

Their ceremony was one for the books- first, in her vows, Jill mentioned how a “nip slip” ended up happening on their first date (seriously, I have heard a lot of stories during vows- that was definitely a new one lol), and they BOTH quoted Moulin Rouge (I loved how shocked they both were at realizing that!). Their officiants told some amazing, funny stories and really made this the best Plan E ever.

After the ceremony we took a walk down to the River Walk area and got some great shots with all the greenery and flowers- Jill is a huge plant lover, so she was overjoyed to realize it was open!

Lastly, the Laces + Limos Tuk-Tuk arrived! Such a unique ride and a fun way to celebrate while driving through town, heading to their first of several wine tastings!

You did it, guys!! I am so happy you didn’t 2020 win!

Want to see another couple who didn’t let COVID stand in their way? Check out this Stinson Beach Elopement!