San Diego Courthouse Alternative Packages
For couples who want to keep things
simple
but still have
incredible photography
Have you been thinking about a courthouse wedding but want something more...
✓ Stylish
✓ Personalized
✓ Outdoorsy
✓ Romantic
✓ Beautiful
✓ Emotional
✓ & Epic?
Skip the stuffy courthouse and say your vows in the beauty of nature!
Get the best of both worlds!
Our courthouse alternative packages are where the simplicity, affordability, and ease of a courthouse wedding meet the beauty, special family moments, and incredible photography of a modern wedding.
"One of the best decisions we ever made was eloping with Joni!"
-Brittany
Hi, I'm Joni
I'm known for my constant laughter, flowy dresses, and free-spirited travel habits. As an ENFP, spontaneity, surprises, and meeting new people makes me feel the most alive--I think I've landed in the right job! My warm, bubbly personality is guaranteed to make you feel relaxed and confident on your wedding day!
I'm passionate about the environment, veganism, having experiences over things, and ordering dessert. I love classic rock (The Doors, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac), zero waste living, and music festivals.
"From the moment I met Joni, I knew magic was going to happen!"
-Maegan
What could your celebration look like?
✦ A scenic first look (optional) ✦
✦ A heartfelt ceremony in a breathtaking location ✦
✦ Touching family photos ✦
✦ Fun & gorgeous sunset portraits ✦
Courthouse weddings...
✘ are stuffy and anticlimactic
✘ make you feel like just another number on their docket
✘ don't allow you to express your love and happiness
Instead, you could...
✦ celebrate in a beautiful place without stress
✦ enjoy heartfelt moments with your loved ones
✦ read personal vows full of meaning and emotion
The Location Options:
Sunset Cliffs
Coronado Beach
La Jolla
"I went into it a bit nervous to be taking so many pictures, feeling like it might be awkward to pretend to be candid, but Joni gave us tons of cute and funny games that naturally made us laugh and cry and just have a ball!
The photos turned out incredible, simply because we truly were just having the best time."
-Becca
The Courthouse Alternative Packages:
#4 ✧ The Micro Wedding Package
For weddings with 20-35 guests
- Photography coverage:
- 3 hours of photography coverage to document your first look, ceremony, family & group photos, and sunset portraits of the two of you!
- Joni, with her 15 years of photography expertise, to guide you through a fun photo experience where you’ll feel comfortable in front of the camera
- 1 dreamy location for your ceremony & photos:
- 3 location options to choose from: Sunset Cliffs, Coronado Beach, La Jolla
- Permit application done for you, if needed (permit fees not included)
- Officiant signature:
- Joni will sign your marriage license as the officiant and make everything legal
- Opportunity to have a loved one guide your ceremony or lead the ceremony yourselves (learn more in the FAQ section below)
- Amazing photos + free downloads:
- 300 edited digital images to relive your touching moments
- A personal gallery to share your images with friends and family
- Free high-resolution digital downloads for everyone (no paying per photo or per download!)
$4000
#3 ✧ The iNTIMATE Wedding Package
For weddings with 5-19 guests
- Photography coverage:
- 2 hours of photography coverage to document your first look, ceremony, family & group photos, and sunset portraits of the two of you!
- Joni, with her 15 years of photography expertise, to guide you through a fun photo experience where you’ll feel comfortable in front of the camera
- 1 dreamy location for your ceremony & photos:
- 3 location options to choose from: Sunset Cliffs, Coronado Beach, La Jolla
- Permit application done for you, if needed (permit fees not included)
- Officiant signature:
- Joni will sign your marriage license as the officiant and make everything legal
- Opportunity to have a loved one guide your ceremony or lead the ceremony yourselves (learn more in the FAQ section below)
- Amazing photos + free downloads:
- 200 edited digital images to relive your touching moments
- A personal gallery to share your images with friends and family
- Free high-resolution digital downloads for everyone (no paying per photo or per download!)
$3400
#2 ✧ The Mini elopement Package
For weddings with 0-4 guests
- Photography coverage:
- 1 hour of photography coverage to document ceremony and sunset portraits of the two of you!
- Joni, with her 15 years of photography expertise, to guide you through a fun photo experience where you’ll feel comfortable in front of the camera
- 1 dreamy location for your ceremony & photos:
- 3 location options to choose from: Sunset Cliffs, Coronado Beach, La Jolla
- Permit application done for you, if needed (permit fees not included)
- Officiant signature:
- Joni will sign your marriage license as the officiant and make everything legal
- Opportunity to have a loved one guide your ceremony or lead the ceremony yourselves (learn more in the FAQ section below)
- Amazing photos + free downloads:
- 100 edited digital images to relive your touching moments
- A personal gallery to share your images with friends and family
- Free high-resolution digital downloads for everyone (no paying per photo or per download!)
$2800
#1 ✧ The Papers & Polaroids Package
- A quick & simple wedding ceremony at Oceanside Beach, with the opportunity to say personal vows
- Joni to sign your marriage license as the officiant and make everything legal
- 3 polaroids for instant photos to enjoy and remember this moment by
$350
Get married in 3 easy steps:
1
Book your date
Hop on a call with Joni to get all of your questions answered and start the process!
2
Prep for your day
Have fun picking out wedding outfits, grabbing a marriage license, and writing your vows!
3
celebrate!
Enjoy beautiful scenery, special family moments, and incredible photography!
FAQ
Will you officiate our ceremony?
These packages are designed to get you legally married simply, while still allowing you to read personal vows.
While I will sign your marriage license as the officiant, I will not be leading your ceremony as a professional officiant or judge would. During your ceremony, I will be focused on photographing the emotional and meaningful moments as you read your vows. For this reason, I will not take on the officiant role until it comes time to sign the paperwork.
This means you have the opportunity to lead the ceremony yourselves or have a loved one take on the role of officiant (without being ordained).
What could our ceremony look like?
Your ceremony could be performed in one of two ways:
#1
A friend or family member can lead the entire ceremony while I, Joni, photograph your special moments. After your ceremony, I’ll ask for your “I Do’s,” pronounce you married once more, and sign your marriage license.
#2
You can lead your own ceremony where you read vows, exchange rings, and have your first kiss without a speaker reading a script. I’ll start you off with a grounding exercise right before your ceremony to bring you two into the present moment, and then you take it from there! After your ceremony, I’ll ask for your “I Do’s,” pronounce you married, and sign your marriage license. See what this looks like in this ceremony:
Are chairs, an arch, or decorations included in the package?
These packages are designed to give you exceptional photography while keeping things as simple as possible.
For most couples, this means having a casual standing ceremony without chairs or decorations. If you want seating or decor, you can either rent or bring your own, but please note they are not included in these packages.
Are you LGBTQ+ friendly?
Absolutely! You are welcome and celebrated here!
WE ARE AWKWARD IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, can you help?
You’re not alone - many couples feel this way before working with me! After 15 years of working with couples, I’ve developed fun ways to get you feeling comfortable in no time! I will have loads of silly games and funny activities to help you two have fun together, rather than stress about getting your photo taken. You’ll have a great time - promise!
Not convinced? Check out the loads of reviews from "awkward" couples, just like you!
"Joni was a breath of fresh air during my search for the right photographer."
-Kate
Ready to elope Wild & Free?
You deserve an elopement that throws out all the rules and focuses on what matters most.
We don't want you to have to do this alone, so it’s ok if you don’t have the details figured out yet -- we’ll help you design your day from start to finish!
Wild & Free Elopements is based in Southern California and photographs elopements all over the world.
Direct Email: [email protected]