The first session I did during my time in California was a Shark Fin Cove Elopement. Santa Cruz is home to many beaches and coves but Shark Fin is, perhaps, one of the most recognizable with its famous fin-shaped rock protruding out of the water. With paths along the cliffs on both sides of the cove and access to the beach itself it makes for an incredible elopement location.

Permit Information

Most Central Coast beaches do require permits for elopements. In Santa Cruz County elopement permit prices can vary between $345.00 – $4,485.00 per day. Rules and regulations vary by location and number of participants in the elopement event so you can get an exact quote by calling (831) 425-1234. You can find more information about permits at santacruz.org.

Time of Year

California often has nice days at any time of year but you’ll likely have the most privacy during the off-season which is Late-October through Mid-March. Shark Fin Cove is not a large beach so take that into account when thinking about how much privacy you want and if you’re inviting any guests.

The other thing to think about when choosing a date is whether you want to see any beautiful flowers along the coastline. You’re most likely to see blooms in the Spring and Summer seasons. We opted to do our session in January which meant the beach was not very busy but there were no flowers.

Access

Shark Fin Cove is just 15 miles north of Santa Cruz and has a pull-off parking lot along the road. There are paths on the cliffs above the cove as well as a path down to the beach. Shark Fin Cove is not ADA accessible. I would recommend arriving early enough to take your time walking down to the beach. It’s rocky and steep in a few places and could be slippery when wet.

The Session

My amazing friend and California local, Cassidy Heen (@_cass.captures), took the time to coordinate plans with our couple, Austin and Travis, as well as provide a wedding dress and some props from her client closet. Our beautiful bouquet was made and provided by FLORANETTI Floral Design.

We started by taking photos on the cliffs above the cove, opting for a less-seen view of the back side of the Shark Fin formation. The spot we chose had clear views of the coast to our north and lots of privacy since most visitors were choosing to trek above the other side of the cove.

The biggest challenge was the wind. Both Austin and Travis have amazing long hair that we felt was an important part of their looks but it also meant lots of adjusting whenever gusts came through.

Once we finished on the cliffs we made our way down to the cove and ran around on the beach and found a spot on some rocks to take blue hour photos. The puddles of water left over from high tide gave us a chance to play with reflections and we were in the perfect spot to capture sea spray as it hit the edge of the rocks we were on.

To wrap up, we took a few final shots of Austin and Travis on the beach and some detail shots before all heading out to get pizza!