Redwoods Elopement at UC Davis Arboretum

Waheeda and Bobby are both UC Davis alumni (me too! Go Aggies!). So the Redwoods in the arboretum and public gardens at UC Davis felt like the perfect place to have their elopement session. It felt so good to be back in Davis. There is so much beautiful greenery and so many picturesque spots by the water. Since I went to school here, I’ve learned all the best spots for photos. I absolutely love photographing here!

About the Redwoods and Public Gardens

The Redwoods at UC Davis Arboretum and Public Gardens is a really cute, romantic place for an elopement, wedding or really any couples’ session. We took photos at the redwood grove and around the arboretum, which had really romantic, dreamy vibes.

Waheeda and Bobby were nervous about the photos to begin with, but they ended up having a lot of fun. They said that I took the stress out of the photos, which made me super happy. I told them to just have fun, just be with each other in the moment, and leave the worrying about the photos to me. We walked, ran, danced, and dipped through the garden paths as I captured the precious little moments.

After the photos, we met up with their family for a mini reception and toast at Carolee Shields White Flower Garden and Gazebo. They were heading down to LA for another 4 days of celebration with the complete religious ceremony. I’m sad I can’t be there for that part, but I’m so, so happy for Waheeda and Bobby!

About the Eloping Couple

A little bit of backstory about the couple—I actually met Waheeda through her brother. He’s also a photographer and helped me with lighting when I was first starting out my photography journey in college. It was so good to see him again! It felt sort of meant to be that I was shooting Waheeda’s elopement now, like it came full circle.

Waheeda and Bobby were supposed to get married earlier this year, but then Covid happened. They didn’t have concrete wedding plans, but knew they wanted to get married. The couple actually hadn’t seen each other for almost 7 months until yesterday, which was the day before their wedding! Can you believe that?! So as you could imagine, Bobby and Waheeda were beaming with happiness the entire day, just happy to finally be with one another.

The day before the session, Bobby officially proposed with the ring and everything. He had waited so he could properly ask permission beforehand, observing cultural and religious traditions. He popped the question right across from the arboretum where we had the shoot the next day.

I’d love to capture your unique love story! If you’re looking for a California wedding and elopement photographer, contact me here! I’d love to talk with you.