Mono Lake Elopement | Robbie & Lily

Many miles off of Highway 395, off a dirt road overlooking the beautiful Mono Lake is where Robbie and Lily expressed their vows to one another. Robbie and Lily could not be more perfect together. They both worked on the Mono Lake committee, and this whole area played a huge part in their lives, so it was a very fitting place for an intimate wedding.

My assistant and I met Robbie at 7 AM near the ceremony location. We set him into position and waited for Lily’s arrival. From the first look, I knew this was going to be a magical day. Authentic smiles and reactions were plentiful. I think I was able to go 10 minutes at a time without even saying anything to them, and just capture the real moments.

The small, intimate elopement ceremony began at 8 am. The views were breathtaking, the weather was warm, and the wind was nowhere to be found. Fun Fact, Robbie’s best man actually makes custom suits, which both he and the groom are wearing.

Robbie and Lily had their family and best friends close by to celebrate their new life together.

We headed down the road a bit and found this glowing, forest-like area right off the side of the dirt road. It was a complete change of scenery and background from what we had shot earlier, so I knew we had to stop! I thought that having their friends and family around to watch may have made the couple uncomfortable, but that was not the case. Robbie and Lily continued their routine and we were able to capture some of my favorite moments to date. This first shot started my love for the “twirl her” moment. The best part is that I don’t think I even told him to do it!

This story actually gets really interesting here. Because of the early morning elopement, we were not going to be able to photograph any golden hour moments. I proposed to the couple that I would stay in town until sunset neared because I did not want them to miss out on the opportunity. However, it was not as simple as I had hoped.

The plan was for my assistant to head to the June Lake area after the elopement and then return to the couple in the evening. We were supposed to meet Robbie and Lily at a house on the far side of Mono Lake, opposite of where the ceremony had taken place. However, while spending time in near June Lake, I noticed that not one, but TWO tires on my car was going flat. I must have run over something way out on the dirt road earlier. My assistant and sat at the gas station for multiple hours to keep the tires aired up. We could not risk being at the lake and being unable to return.

With planned stops to fill up the tires, We were able to make it to Robbie and Lily, have a golden hour session, and drive down to Bishop where we were staying. I ended up replacing all four tires the next day. I should add though, that I was told by the service department a week earlier that my tires looked well. I think it’s safe to say they didn’t check.

These images made it all worth it. Robbie and Lily had the same positive attitude that they started the day with, and we were able to capture beautiful moments. Thank you, Robbie and Lily, so much for allowing me to capture your intimate Mono Lake Wedding, I wish you two nothing but the best. Keep smiling!

ABOUT ME: Hi! My name is Nic Hilton. I am a destination wedding photographer based in Los Angeles. I shoot many weddings in the Mammoth Lakes area as well as Southern California but I am available to travel worldwide! Contact Me today because I would love to tell your story.