Sunrise Elopement at Virginia Beach
The sun was just beginning to paint the sky a purple hue when I stepped on to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. Sarah & Dylan met me at the top of the boardwalk stairs and we made our way to the oceanfront. The sand was cool beneath our feet as we kicked off our shoes and the salty, refreshing wind whirled around us as the comforting sound of the waves crashed along the beach. It was the perfect Summer sunrise, peaceful and serene.
We began Sarah & Dylan’s elopement with some portraits in the pink, purple, and golden sunrise light. We had so much fun enjoying the first moments of the sunrise. As they ran along the waves, I captured all the sweet moments between them. After the sunrise portraits, Sarah & Dylan exchanged their vows right where the ocean water met the sandy beach. It was a beautiful moment. When they were done exchanging vows, we took some time to get some more golden lit portraits. While capturing their portraits, Sarah & Dylan decided to completely go for it and run into the ocean waves after their vows. I absolutely loved capturing the spontaneity of that moment for them and the photos turned out so incredible.
[Just a side note, always throw yourselves into the moment and go for the spontaneity, you won’t regret it.]
There were two places that Sarah & Dylan had specifically requested for their elopement day. One was a cute, quaint coffee shop called Pinup Coffee. And the other was Norfolk Botanical Garden. I was so excited for both. I knew they would have an amazing experience at both locations and get phenomenal photos to commemorate this day.
After taking some time to refresh, we met up again at Pinup Coffee. Photos of the two of them ordering coffee and sitting in the coffee shop seem like ordinary things but there’s also a marvelous simplicity in them. The small, candid, ordinary moments are beautiful in their own right and I love capturing that.
Then we made our way to Norfolk Botanical Garden where we walked among the stunning flowers and extraordinary fountains. As we walked along the paths, we listened to the wind blowing through the towering trees and the rushing water of the fountains. We captured a few more portraits around the gardens and then ended our time there.
Sarah & Dylan’s elopement was so special. I loved capturing their adventurous spirits and their moments of happiness. I’m so, so happy that they chose me to help them create and document this incredible part of their amazing story. ❤️
