homestead bay elopement

A Relaxed Homestead Bay Elopement in Queenstown - Sharni & Joel

A Relaxed Homestead Bay Elopement in Queenstown - Sharni & Joel

Some couples want help bringing every part of their elopement together. Others already have their plans in place and simply want someone there to document it all beautifully.

Sharni and Joel were very much the second kind.

They travelled from Sydney to Queenstown after almost nine years together, choosing a simple ceremony on the beach at Homestead Bay and booking my Keep it Simple Collection - my photography-only option for couples who already have their elopement plans sorted.

The weather wasn't exactly giving us blue skies that day. It was overcast, there was drizzle in the air and umbrellas were definitely required. But Sharni and Joel arrived with umbrellas, huge smiles and absolutely no intention of letting a bit of Queenstown weather get in the way of getting married. And the photos were their reward.

Almost nine years in the making
Sharni and Joel met when they were just 16 and 17 at their high school in Sydney.

They've grown up together in so many ways, becoming the people they are now alongside one another. By the time they married in Queenstown, they were just about to celebrate nine years together.

When I asked them to describe their relationship in three words, they chose:
Deep. Humorous. Unbreakable.

Before the wedding they told me they were pretty relaxed, super friendly people who were simply excited to get married together in a truly special moment somewhere beautiful.

Which is pretty much exactly how the day unfolded.

A beach elopement at Homestead Bay
Homestead Bay was such a beautiful fit for the kind of elopement they wanted.

Tucked along the edge of Lake Wakatipu, you have the beach, lake and mountains all around you without needing to travel miles between locations. It's one of those places where Queenstown does most of the decorating for you.

And on an overcast day, it has a completely different feel.

The mountains become moodier, the colours soften and the low cloud creates layer upon layer in the landscape. Instead of fighting the weather, we worked with what the day gave us.

A few umbrellas came out when we needed them. We kept moving. We laughed.
And we made some really beautiful photographs.

What if it rains on your Queenstown elopement?
This is probably one of the biggest worries for couples planning a destination elopement.

And understandably so. You've travelled all the way to New Zealand, you've chosen this incredible place to get married and then you look at the forecast and see rain.

But Sharni and Joel's day is a lovely example of why I wouldn't automatically see an overcast or drizzly forecast as a bad thing. Queenstown weather changes quickly, and some of my favourite photographs have been created on days that weren't "perfect" on paper.

The important bit is coming prepared and being willing to embrace it. Bring the umbrellas. Bring an extra layer. Trust the plan.

And most importantly, remember why you're there. Sharni and Joel did exactly that.

Keeping their Queenstown elopement simple
Because they already had their plans sorted, they didn't need me to organise the entire elopement for them.

They booked my Keep it Simple Collection, which is designed for couples who are happy arranging their own celebrant, flowers, hair and makeup and other details, but want relaxed, beautiful photography and a local photographer who knows the area.

For these two, that meant meeting at Homestead Bay, documenting their ceremony and then having time together afterwards for portraits.

Nothing elaborate.
No huge production.

Just two people who had been together since they were teenagers finally getting married on a beach in Queenstown.

And a couple of umbrellas.

"We've never had professional photos taken"
There was one other little concern. Sharni and Joel had never had professional photos taken before.

That's something I hear all the time, and you genuinely don't need to know what you're doing in front of my camera.

I'll give you gentle direction when you need it, but I'm much more interested in the two of you interacting with each other than putting you through an hour of poses.

Afterwards, Sharni wrote:

"We booked Emma for our elopement in Queenstown, we are based in Australia and didn't feel like there was an ocean between us. On the day she put us at ease, especially when we have never had professional photos taken!"

I love that, because that's exactly how I want the whole experience to feel - particularly when we're planning from opposite sides of the Tasman.

Simple doesn't mean ordinary
I think Sharni and Joel's elopement is a really good example of something I want couples considering this collection to know.

You don't need to add more and more things to your elopement to make it special.

You don't necessarily need a helicopter. You don't need an elaborate timeline. And you definitely don't need perfect weather.

Sometimes a beach, the mountains, two umbrellas and the person you've loved since you were 16 or 17 is more than enough.

Their photos tell the rest of the story.

Is the Keep it Simple Collection right for you?
My Keep it Simple Collection is my photography-only ground elopement option, created for couples who have their plans in place and simply want beautiful, relaxed photography somewhere unforgettable in Queenstown.

It's a great fit if you're comfortable arranging the other pieces yourself and don't need full elopement planning - but still want someone local behind the camera who can guide you, help you feel comfortable and make the most of whatever Queenstown gives us on the day.Rain included.

From Sharni & Joel
"The photos we received are all outstanding! I would choose her over and over to do my wedding pictures or any other photos for that matter! Thank you Emma 🩷"
Sharni & Joel

Planning your own simple Queenstown elopement?
If you're coming to Queenstown with your plans already in place and mostly need someone to capture it all, you can explore my Keep it Simple Collection and see whether it feels like the right fit.

And if the weather forecast is already making you nervous?

Don't spend your holiday refreshing the weather app every five minutes. Pack an umbrella. We'll make a plan.