North Carolina Oceanside Elopement

 “Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu

Having a sacred wedding ceremony alongside the movement of the ocean waves reminded me of the power of love, how it can be so gentle yet so powerful, all at once. That is the sort of love I felt while documenting the love between Sarah and Sam on the Fort Fisher State Park during their intimate beachfront elopement. The day was simple and quiet and as we all arrived, we all felt the weight of the moment mounting.

Her white dress and flower crown coupled with the touches of greenery around his neck, the ceremony had a quiet simplicity that spoke to the couples mutual understanding that love does not need to be dressed up to be real and meaningful. As Sarah approached Sam on the beach, their eyes created a line of connection no one could break through. You knew at that moment that the holiness of the ceremony had begun and they were about to promise their lives to one another in a way they intended to keep forever before God and their family.

You could sense the support of the family and the excitement of this new beginning. The moment the final kiss happened you could feel the burst of happiness from everyone’s heart, mine included! We all had stood still witnessing the vows and joining of their lives but in that moment of finality, the celebration of it all was felt.

Those moments following any wedding ceremony are some of my favorite moments of the day. The rawness of the couples’ love can be felt so genuinely. It is just them, the moment they just had, the promise of their love and life together so fresh and so tangible. Before all the family photographs start and the posed wedding day portraits, it is just the organic moment of them experiencing this new phase of their love and it is so beautiful to document.

As the rest of their beach elopement unfolded, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and warmed the moment. We explored the beach sand together as we created photographs together that represented their love and this moment. We even had some dog visitors photo bomb!

Cheers to Sarah and Sam and the sincere simplicity of their beach elopement. May their years of love ahead be as strong and as soft as the water behind them during their wedding ceremony.