Lori & Jonathan’s Loving Sunset Cliffs Elopement in San Diego

Sometimes being sensible leads to wonderful things and that is the case for Lori & Jon. They wanted to skip all the large wedding stress and debt so that they could celebrate their love for each other and family. So they chose to wed on Sunset Cliffs in San Diego. The panoramic views and stunning sunsets were the perfect venue for Lori and Jon to promise their lives to each other. Can we just say that this is one of the prettiest elopements we have ever seen! Simply Eloped was there for these two every step of the way as they looked towards their future. Read more to find out how they met, their San Diego Old Town proposal and how they beat the pandemic to have the elopement of their dreams!

How did you meet? What was your first impression of one another?

Lori: Jon and I met when we were teenagers. We both worked at a local minor league baseball stadium. I didn’t notice Jon right away but he fell in love with me as soon as he saw me. At that moment, he decided he needed to clean up his act. He quit smoking cigarettes that day and got a haircut. The next day, he came back all cleaned up, and I definitely noticed! We started dating quickly after that. 

When did you first fall in love? How did you know?

Lori: Jon knew immediately, but for me it came more gradually. I don’t think I can pinpoint the exact moment I realized it. It just continued to grow.

How did you propose or accept the proposal?

Lori: Jon proposed by taking me out to our local old town area and taking me for a nice dinner. Afterwards, we walked around and ended up in front of this huge fountain at City Hall. He dropped to one knee, and I don’t remember a word that came out of his mouth! But I’ll never forget the look on his face. He started crying so, of course, so did I. A stranger walking by ran over and started taking photos of us.

 

What do you love about your partner?

Lori: He keeps me grounded. He’s always been my safe place. He’s everything I am not. We level each other out. 

What is the greatest strength of your relationship?

Lori: We are definitely a team. We function very well together and we communicate well together.

Why did you decide to elope?

Lori: Weddings always felt like such a waste to me. I watched so many of my friends take on large amounts of debt and stress all for one day. They ended up broke and frustrated. I saw friends literally destroy their relationships over wedding planning and divorce over debt. I didn’t want to have our wedding focus on all the wrong things. Our engagement time and wedding were meant to bring us closer together and I feel like big weddings only push couples apart.

How did you find Simply Eloped?

Lori: Facebook

How did you know Simply Eloped was the right fit for you?

Lori: It was simple, easy and stress free – which was exactly what we needed.

What attracted you to the venue you eloped at?

Lori: We wanted to stay close to home so that our kids and close family and friends could attend. We also couldn’t risk all the travel restrictions with the pandemic. Sunset Cliff was perfect. 

What did you do before the wedding? How did you prepare? HOw did you feel leading up to the moments of your elopement?

Lori: We took a premarital counseling course online with Marriage365. Other than that, we saved all the fun activities for our honeymoon!

Tell us about your experience with Simply Eloped leading up to and on your wedding day.

Lori: Stress free. We just had to show up. I was able to juggle being a Mom of three kids, run a successful business AND plan a wedding. I couldn’t have done that on my own.

How did you celebrate after your elopement?

Lori: After our ceremony, we went back with friends and family to our Airbnb on the beach. We had a nice dinner from a local restaurant, had our first dance and cut the cake. Everyone left so that we could continue staying there for the next three nights of our honeymoon. We were able to do lots of fun things in San Diego like kayaking, indoor skydiving, couples massage, a fancy dinner and a bonfire on the beach.

What words of encouragement do you have for those considering eloping?

Lori: You may regret a big wedding, but you’ll never regret eloping…do it!!

 

Officiation by: Brian Howarth
Photography by: Luisa Renay Miravet-Hopf
Hair & Makeup by: Stephanie Rae & Emily Van Scoy
Flowers by: Allens Flowers
Planning by: Simply Eloped
Venue: Sunset Cliffs, San Diego, California