Same Hearts, Different Festivals: A Lake Perris Elopement
Lauren-Sydney (she/her) and Mik (they/them) didn’t picture their wedding in a traditional venue. For them, love has always looked like dancing under lights, camping with friends, and finding community in the middle of a music festival. As a lesbian and a non-binary person of color in a queer interracial relationship, their marriage carried meaning shaped by identity, family, and culture. So when the chance came to celebrate at the Same Same But Different Festival in Lake Perris, California, it just felt right. What they didn’t expect was running into Talya Herring, a photographer they initially thought was part of their package, an accidental gift from the universe who offered to capture the day and ended up giving them the wedding album they’d always wanted.
How did you two meet?
Mik and I met on the set of a music video. Mik was part of a group called Boi Band, and the whole moment felt cinematic. Music quickly became the center of our story, and festivals turned into the backdrop for so many milestones. Countdown 2023 is where it all began, Mik proposed at EDC 2023, and on New Year’s Eve 2023 I proposed back.
What made you decide to elope?
We had tough relationships with our families, and the political climate made it feel unsafe to plan a big wedding. On top of that, the cost of a traditional event felt overwhelming. Eloping at a festival gave us the intimacy we wanted while keeping us connected to the music that shaped us.
Why were festivals so meaningful as your wedding locations?
Both of our elopements took place at festivals. We had originally planned a full-circle wedding at EDC Las Vegas 2024, and while we legally married in Nevada, the night was overshadowed by unsupportive family, friends, and the loss of memorabilia, which left it feeling tainted. Those spaces have always been safe and affirming for us, so when we married at the Same Same But Different Festival at Lake Perris, it finally felt like closing the circle. Our love story, amplified.
What was it like sharing your decision with loved ones?
Honestly, it wasn’t easy. Our families weren’t supportive before or after, and that was painful. But our friends who could attend made up for it with love and celebration. They did everything possible to make our night feel special, and that kind of chosen family support mattered so much.
Walk us through your elopement day.
We were camping, so the day started off like any other festival morning, dragging ourselves out of uncomfortable beds. We carved out quiet time together, rewrote our vows without peeking, and meditated on everything we’d built as a couple. Later, we had our own first look and first dance, just the two of us.
One of the most emotional moments was reading our vows in the exact spot where we had gotten engaged the year before. Mik cried through every word. And after the ceremony at the Same Same But Different Festival, we took a hot air balloon ride that felt like something out of a movie.
How did you personalize your ceremony?
We knew the actual ceremony time would be short, so we found a private spot earlier in the day to read our vows together. We also brought our own touches from home and styled things in ways that reflected us. Nothing about the day felt borrowed or forced.
Did you have vendors involved?
Not really. We were on a tight budget, so most of what we used came from home or small internet finds. The biggest surprise was meeting Talya Herring, who wasn’t part of our original plan. She offered to take photos, and those images turned out to be everything. For the first time, we felt fully seen on camera.
Looking back, would you change anything?
We probably would have given ourselves a little more time to plan. Everything felt rushed, and that’s the part we’d tweak. But eloping was definitely the right choice for us. It was intimate, meaningful, and gave us the freedom to celebrate without compromise.
Do you have advice for other couples thinking about eloping?
Stay true to what feels safe and affirming. Don’t let outside expectations weigh you down. Whether it’s at a courthouse, a mountain, or the Same Same But Different Festival, your wedding should reflect the spaces that make you feel most at home.
Photography by Talya Herring
Celebrant Angel Morales
Ceremony Venue Same Same But Different
