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Sam & Stelle’s Central Coast Elopement at Towoon Bay
In spring 2024, I got to photograph Sam & Stelle’s beautiful Central Coast Elopement. But it wasn’t the first time we met. It was a bit of a journey to get to this point.
I first met Sam and Stelle in early 2024 after they recently got engaged. Sam initially reached out to me to capture the proposal, but the nerves kicked in, and she ultimately decided she didn’t want to go down that route anymore. It was too much pressure. So once Sam asked Stelle to marry her, we were on again.
One autumn evening, we headed to Bateau Bay Beach, which just quietly is my favourite beach on the Central Coast and we did a a very cute engagement session nestled under the cliffs. During this session, I was immediately drawn to how affectionate they were with each other. It all felt so natural, and you could tell that no matter what life threw their was,y they were exactly where they were meant to be.
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, seeing this sort of love always tugs at my heartstrings. So, being able to capture another lesbian couple is always special for me.
We ended this session with no plans and parted ways. To my knowledge, they were in no rush to start planning a wedding.
Fast forward a few months, and I receive a text ”Kayla! Me and Stelle are eloping at Kims Beachside Retreat at Towoon Bay! Please tell me you’re available”. Thankfully, I was, and we began our journey planning their elopement.
We didn’t have a great deal of time, but Sam and Stelle were more organised than anticipated, and we ultimately decided 4 hours of coverage was going to be perfect for them to capture everything that was important to them.
For many 4 hours coverage for an elopement seems like a lot, and normally I’d agree. But after working with Sam & Stelle to create their dream day, I am a huge advocate for the extra time now.
Sam & Stelle are romantics. So this moment was not only was this elopement a huge deal (as it should be) it was a day they wanted to savour. Take it in and really just be present. So the 4 hours of wedding photography for us really meant that nothing was rushed. Everything was on their time and it added a real sense of calm to the day.
Across the afternoon, we captured getting ready (they got ready together, got each other dressed and everything, how cute is that!), the ceremony, drinks and their portraits. Having this extra time allowed for moments to unfold naturally, and created a real sense of intimacy to the day, which elopements can often lack due to the time constraints.
One thing I loved about this elopement was that it was a true elopement. No guests, no crazy timelines, and everything took place when they were ready because no one was waiting. I was one of the witnesses (my first time being a witness, which was exciting), and Lauren, the celebrant, brought a friend to witness the ceremony. Totaling 5 people, it was truly a beautiful moment between two people madly in love.
Kim’s Beachside retreat offered the perfect backdrop for their elopement, from the beach backdrop for the ceremony and lush bamboo jungle for the portraits, there was a great deal of photography options for us to explore throughout the wedding day.
Sam & Stelle’s elopement is one that I look back on often if I’m being honest. It’s one of my favourite Central Coast weddings I’ve photographed, and being honest.
If you’re dreaming of a day like Sam & Stelle’s, I would love to capture your elopement!