Neverending cacti, a magical dress, boho florals, and rain for good luck – literally what more could you dream of for an adventure elopement out in the desert?🌵I am still OBSESSED with Missa + Elle’s Cholla Garden elopement at Joshua Tree!! These two were the sweetest, killed it in front of the camera, and truly brought all of my boho desert dreams to life. Who wants to go back here with me ASAP and create their own desert magic?? ✨
Missa & Elle’s Boho Cholla Garden Elopement
These beautiful humans have been through a lot in their two years together, so it was super special to be able to spend this time with them and witness their love. They met at a club and witnessed a tragic event together literally on their first night of meeting – which means they bonded (albeit over something not so great) right off the bat. And I’m so glad their worlds collided that night!! It’s so obvious how deeply in love they are, and how proud they are to show their love off to the whole damn world. Make sure you’re following their IG account, @elleandmissa, to see more cute moments from their relationship & all the fire shoots that they do together! 🔥
Final touches in an adventure van
Missa + Elle started by getting ready in a van, because who says you need a fancy hotel room to put on your elopement outfits? Nobody!! There are NO rules you guys, you can get ready out in the middle of the mountains or the desert or the forest. You can get ready in a changing tent, in your car, in your van, or just sit down on some rocks and put on your finishing touches. You don’t have to rent an Airbnb just to get ready if you don’t want to or if it’s not in your budget – I promise it’s more about the experience of getting ready with your love than where you do it! Plus, getting ready together in a small space can be such a special, intimate part of the day – especially when you’re somewhere beautiful like the Joshua Tree desert 🤷🏼♀️
Their boho AF Joshua Tree elopement outfits
Ok okkk now let’s talk about their outfits for a hot second before we go any further. Because I was FLOORED by how fire their boho elopement attire was from top to bottom!! Missa rocked a classic boho color palette full of beige, white, black, and rust orange – I was obsessed with the thick white turtleneck she layered under her corduroy jacket. SO GOOD. And Elle showed up looking just as bomb in the most magical dress from Salt Gowns (it’s the “Maya” gown btw, in case you want to rent it yourself), made of a gorgeous nude color + whimsical ribbon material that went perfectly with Missa’s classy look. I can’t even count the number of times I had Elle spin around in this gown (carefully avoiding the cacti of course, hahaha). Literal Vogue magazine models, are they not??
Oh aaaand I have to mention their florals, too, because they were another amazing addition to the whole boho-desert theme of this elopement. Instead of having a huge bouquet with a ton of flowers, it was simply made up of a bunch of little daisies and eucalyptus stems, with a white ribbon draping down! Love love loved it, it really let Missa + Elle and their outfits stand out and didn’t distract from the epic desert landscape.
A private Cholla Garden elopement in the rain
I know everybody loves Joshua Tree because of its iconic California sunshine, but have you ever seen it in the rain?! It’s just as magical in a totally different way! These two danced around among the cacti in the Cholla Garden, letting the rain sprinkle over them as they said their vows and snuggled up close. The Cholla Garden is such a perfect place for a private elopement if you want to be a little further away from the north entrance of the park, but still want those incredible views of the Pinto Basin & surrounding desert!! Plus all the teddy bear cholla cacti are just so unique and look amazing in photos.
Ultimate Joshua Tree Elopement Guide
I will literally take any opportunity I can get to go out to the sunny (well, sometimes rainy) Joshua Tree desert, and I love it SO MUCH as an elopement location for couples. Sooo I put together a whole Joshua Tree Elopement Guide for any couples who are considering eloping at this amazing place in SoCal! I included everything from the best time of year to elope at Joshua Tree, to how to get your California marriage license, to the best spots in the park for ceremonies and MORE. 10/10 recommend checking it out if you’re dreaming up your desert elopement – and 10/10 recommend reaching out to me to photograph it 😉 You can find all the deetz about my Joshua Tree Cholla Garden elopement packages here!
Want some more magical elopement inspo like Missa + Elle’s? I gotchu, boo!!
Beachy Calla Lily Valley Elopement in Big Sur
Spooky Halloween Elopement on the Oregon Coast
Or maybe you want some more California elopement resources because you haven’t decided on a location yet – I’ve got plenty more of those, too!
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