4 reasons why Garrapata State Beach is amazing for elopements and engagements
If you’re reading this post, it’s probably because you’re ready to elope or have an engagement session and you’ve chosen Big Sur as your location. And as you’re doing your research you’re realizing that Big Sur has so many gorgeous spots to choose from. But many going to ALL of your favorite location may not be doable (or maybe it is and more power to ya!) and you need that 1 location that just screams “Big Sur”.
Being from this area, I fall in love with the drive down Highway 1 every time I’m heading out to work. And its a luxury that I have that I get to “work” and drive by these locations pretty much every weekend. And what I find is that most couples that I’ve met and photographed are only in the area for a limited amount of time and coming from out of town or just passing through to elope or have an engagement session. So literally the #1 question that I get all the time is “What’s a location that can check off as many boxes when it comes to what Big Sur has to offer?” Or some other form of that concept. I’m super proud of being from this area and will recommend so many locations that you’ll be back to square 1 when choosing a location. But I started to think, “okay, if I’m coming from out of town, what location is can serve as a Big Sur 101 crash course?”
Then it just hit me all of a sudden:
GARRAPATA STATE BEACH
Let’s first clarify that Garrapata State Park and Garrapata State Beach are 2 separate locations. In which Garrapata State Beach is technically “Gate 18 & 19” of Garrapata State Park. Confusing? I know, but google maps has got your back. It’s also very important to note that a lot of exploring Big Sur is literally just turn offs and viewpoints, aside from the State Parks. You’ll see plenty of people doing this, especially on the weekends. Okay, onto my 5 reasons why Garrapata is amazing for elopements and engagement sessions!
It’s easy to get to
LOL yes, that is my first and #1 reason why it’s my top recommendation to couples coming from out of town and want a quality Big Sur experience. If you’re not a local or have never been here before, Big Sur can be daunting. There’s so much to do and see, I feel like Garrapata Beach is an amazing introduction. All you have to do to get here is park on the side of the road. No hiking, no hidden trail, no turning onto Sycamore Canyon Road (inside joke about Big Sur), but no really, you don’t have to turn off into some dirt road, and lastly, you don’t have to worry about a national park parking lot getting full before you arrive and having to wait around. Also, a majority of Big Sur is a dead zone for cell service. So for me professionally, last thing I want is a couple to get lost getting to a location. Side note: it’s probably in your best interest to meet in a neighboring town outside of Big Sur and caravan with your photographer, if possible, to any location in Big Sur just to ensure that either of you won’t get lost, ESPECIALLY IF IT’S YOUR FIRST TIME. So yeah, my basis for reason #1 was convenience. If ease of getting on-site is something that will increase my chances of my couple having a positive experience with me then I’m all for it! And let’s be honest, not all of us are the most adventurous and willing to hike (don’t be ashamed to admit it, no judgement zone, fam), but we still want the Big Sur experience, then Garrapata State Beach is the location for you.
2. All-in-one location (almost)
Big Sur has breath-taking rocky coast lines, beaches that run for miles, beautiful cliffs, and redwood forests. I really hate to “categorize” nature, but for the sake of this post, just go along with it. As far as landscape, that is Big Sur in a nutshell (I’m still cringing at how shallow that sounds). Anyways, reason #2 why Garrapata Beach is amazing is that is checks off a majority of those boxes without ever having to leave this general area. Also, if you scroll down to my image below, you’ll see that there is a little hidden gem in this location. Typically, if you’re eloping or having an engagement session here, you’ve got anywhere between 1-3 hours with your photographer. Now, how can you maximize your time without having to jump in your car and spend time driving to another location? Choosing Garrapata Beach allows all those landscape elements to be apart of your elopement or engagement session. Like I mentioned before, a lot of exploring Big Sur is turning off the side of the road and checking out the views. What’s a bummer is that you’re stuck to the limited space on the shoulder of Highway 1 most of the time. However, you can get out your car and take a short walk to the beach or the bluffs and feel immersed in the Big Sur when you’re at Garrapata Beach.
3. Diverse options
#2 and #3 might sound synonomous or go hand-in-hand, but reason #3 is Garrapata Beach is so diverse that it can look like you’re shooting at totally separate locations. Because of the bluffs and the beach it’s like there are 2 “floors” in this location, so there are plenty of options for you and your photographer to really get creative with. Check out my images down below for a visual reference. The photos are all probably taken within a 100 foot radius of one another. Albeit it takes some “cropping”, but with some clever framing you could probably get away with telling your family and friends that your photos were done in multiple locations. This reason may resonate more with photographers, but hey, the couples that I bring here love all the exploring that they can do within one general area and get a bunch of different looks.
4. Intimacy
There are plenty of beaches in the Monterey County area, and to be completely honest with you it’s hard to find some intimacy in them. Especially if you’re planning an elopement, intimacy is very key, in my humble opinion. I mean even for some couples doing engagement sessions, it is a little nerve wrecking to be in front of the camera, and add being in front of the camera in front of other people, it’s just another level of discomfort. However, with Garrapata Beach having so many nooks and crannies along the bottom of the cliff, within Calle Lily Valley, and with how vast the beach is, it’s so easy to find some privacy. I’ve gone to this beach plenty of times (obviously) and people who are visiting come, walk around the cliffside, go down to the beach, take in the view for a couple minutes, then head out doing the rest of their Big Sur exploring. So I’ve honestly never seen this beach jam packed, and even the couple times that I’ve seen quite a bit of people there, within 30 minutes they had all filtered out and new visitors started to trickle in. I would also like to add that I’ve shot at all times of the day at Garrapata Beach: morning, afternoon, and evening/sunset, on weekends and weekdays, during summer, & during fall. So I believe that it’s safe to say that I’ve seen it all here and not once have I felt bad for my couples because of the crowds.
Here’s a little recap, if you’ve forgotten what I’ve said so far:
Convenience
The ultimate Big Sur experience (almost)
Variety
Privacy
And there you have it. My 4 reasons why you should consider eloping or having your engagement session at Garrapata State Beach in Big Sur. I hope this blog was helpful and to the point, because you’re probably so busy planning and you need straight to the point information. I would like to send you off with the impression that this is not the end-all location, however, for those couples who’s concerns lie within at least 1 of these reason, then Garrapata Beach should be a viable option for you. I love Big Sur and all that it has to offer, so realistically down the line I’ll write another blog post about another location that you should consider. So my intent is not to say that Garrapata Beach is the best location, but a location that should not be overlooked by any means.