West Marin Wedding Inspiration | Slow, Nature-Inspired Storytelling

As a Marin County native, West Marin has long been my favorite place in the world. dreaming of a wedding that’s rooted in nature and stripped down to what truly matters, West Marin offers an unmatched sense of place. This editorial elopement—set where rolling hills meet the Pacific—reflects everything I love about photographing weddings in this part of Northern California: wild beauty, deep intention, and the feeling that time has momentarily slowed.

As a West Marin wedding photographer drawn to presence, light, and meaning, I’m especially moved by celebrations like this one. In this editorial, the bride is a naturalist, known for gathering local flora—Queen Anne’s lace, thistle, coffee berry, grasses—and preserving them in glass jars. Her partner is a sailor, often at sea. For this day, they meet in between: land and water, solitude and love.

Their ceremony is quiet and personal, with a backdrop of soft fabric hung from the branches like the sail of a ship. She prepares a simple waterside picnic: figs, blackberries, cheeses, and a series of hand-drawn gifts. Her bouquet—gathered from the surrounding hills—is wild and textural: larkspur, succulents, tillandsia, acorns. Nothing is rushed. Everything has meaning.

This West Marin elopement was a creative collaboration with Meredith Law of M. Design and was originally featured on 100 Layer Cake. It remains one of my favorite reflections of what’s possible when weddings are allowed to be soulful, simple, and grounded in the land itself.

If you're planning a wedding, elopement, or intimate gathering in West Marin—or anywhere in Northern California—and want images that honor place, light, and the deeper story, I'd love to talk with you.

Vendors:
Styling, florals, paper goods & handcrafted details: Meredith Law, M. Design
Model: Sarah Rose Butler
Dress: Sarah Seven

Film development: Photovision

Photography: Julie Kay Kelly – West Marin & Northern California Wedding Photographer