"Down by the river, under the trees, love waits for me
to walk from the journeying years of my time and arrive.
I part the leaves and they toss me a blessing of rain.
The river stirs and turns consoling and fondling itself
with watery hands, its clear limbs parting and closing.
Grey as a secret, the heron bows its head on the bank.
I drop my past on the grass and open my arms, which ache
as though they held up this heavy sky, or had pressed
against window glass all night as my eyes sieved the stars;
open my mouth, wordless at last meeting love at last, dry
from travelling so long, shy of a prayer. You step from the shade,
and I feel love come to my arms and cover my mouth, feel
my soul swoop and ease itself into my skin, like a bird
threading a river. Then I can look love full in the face, see
who you are I have come this far to find, the love of my life."
-Carol Ann Duffy
Gen and Amelia ran off to Scotland to have the most romantic, beautiful October elopement.
They started getting ready in the most beautiful converted church called The Tabernacle. There the pair spent the morning getting ready to playlists they had made for each other when they first started dating. And this kind of sentimentality became a theme for the two. Everything they did and included in their day had meaning and thought.
Their ceremony took place in the forestry behind the house. We didn't have to walk far to feel completely secluded from the world. The wonderful Humanist Sarah Morrison lead the most beautiful ceremony reflecting on their relationship and story together. Between two beautiful readings (the poem above by Carol Ann Duffy and a beautiful excerpt from Jane Eyre) and the most thoughtful and romantic vows two people could write - no one was left without a tear in their eye.
Gen and Amelia added their own beautiful symbolic gesture to their ceremony. Both are very moved by water so before the ceremony they each collected water in little pots they had potted themselves, at the end of the ceremony they pours the pots of water into one larger pot. The symbol of the two becoming one.
After the ceremony we all sat down for some sushi and then the two cuddled on the sofa and ate brownies while they watched the view outside. I love these photos so much because they are simply what happened. They eat and chatted and cuddled and I recorded that. It's effortless creating beautiful images when two people are so contented together.
Later, we went for another walk in the forest area before heading to a nearby beach - Kenmore Beach. This was something they were both eager to do because, as I mentioned, they love water. They were excited to dip their toes in the water and splash and play. The wind was absolutely wild but the pair didn't care. They splashed and ran and cuddled. Like nothing else existed except them and the loch.
Truly one of the most romantic, sentimental elopements I've ever documented. It was such an honour to be apart of this day.
If you want your sweet day captured by me, please get in touch through the contact page - I can't wait to hear your plans!
Getting Ready
Ceremony
After the Ceremony
In The Forest
At the Beach
