The best Margaret River elopement venue for A rainy day

Wet weather elopement venue Margaret River

What if it rains on your elopement wedding day in Margaret River?

I can organise this awesome wedding venue for you. Try and imagine the space without the long tables and this beautiful space bathed in flattering window light is yours. Yes, the show goes on and some might say this is an upgrade to their original plan.

A real elopement wedding ceremony on rainy day in Margaret River

Jason and Janice were absolutely thrilled when I organised Black Brewing Co as their wet weather alternative venue. They had requested an arbour and ceremony furniture which I set up infant of the gorgeous stone fire place which was lit and nice and warm. Real elopement wedding at Black Brewing Co Margaret River

An elopement wedding ceremony at Black Brewing Co on a rainy day

Relax by the fire after your elopement ceremony

After their ceremony, Jason and Janice ordered a few drinks from the bar and chilled for a bit with their mates. We had plenty of time to get photos in the beautiful gardens once the shower stopped.

How to get to your elopement venue from Margaret River

Located just twenty three minutes from Margaret River town, Black Brewing Co is the best wedding venue in Margaret River for your elopement if it rains on your wedding day.

I will book this awesome wet weather wedding venue for you

If the forecast indicates that the weather gods are not going to play ball, I will arrange the booking of Black Brewing Co for you. I will notify my team of vendors the new location and any schedule time shifts that are required. It’s really simple and not worth stressing about. I want you to be positive about your wedding day and to enjoy your experience.

Epic architecture and gardens for your elopement wedding photos

After your ceremony we will venture outside for some photos, this venue is mind blowing and we can get a lot of fantastic photos in a short window of time. Check out the pics below from a recent wedding I photographed

Have your ceremony in the gardens if the weather is good

If the rain is playing games with us and it now looks clear and bright for your ceremony we can swap to the ceremony deck overlooking the lake. It’s as easy as moving to the new location and away we go.

Can you book this venue as your first choice?

You can book this venue with me as your primary choice, it doesn’t have to be rainy for you to be able to book it. Just let me know if you’d like Black Brewing Co and I will organise everything for you no worries.

Margaret River Mouth Beach Elopement Wedding

Best Margaret River beach to elope

Popular Margaret River beach elopement wedding location

Just ten minutes drive from Margaret River town is a beautiful beach where Margaret River meets the Indian Ocean. This location has plenty of great spots for your wedding ceremony. Steps and ramps lead you to the beach from the car park.

Planning your elopement Margaret River mouth beach

Your ceremony could comfortably have up to twenty guests but typically I work with just the couples or they have up to six guests. There are two sites marked x on the pic below. One is with the ocean view and the other is a windy day option, tucked around the river and sheltered by the headland.

Epic elopement photos at Margaret River Mouth Beach

This beach has large dramatic rocks that frame photographs. It also has rock that you can safely stand “near” the ocean. There are also some beautiful photos we can capture just up the river a tad, a short walk.

Your elopement experience at Margaret River Mouth Beach

The various backdrops and scenes are located super close to each other. So, you are not having to walk ages on sand ever at this location. There is heaps of parking and toilets.

Redgate Beach Elopement Weddings Margaret River

Beautiful beach elopements Margaret River

Redgate beach is one of the best elopement wedding locations in the South West

If you love the ocean and the feel of sand beneath your feet Redgate and Margaret River Mouth beach are two of the best options in the South West. Conveniently located nice and close to everything that Margaret River has to offer

Elopement photos at Redgate beach Margaret River

This beach has some awesome rocks that add that dramatic landscape look to your photos. I love using the large rounded rock shapes to frame your photos and add perspective.

Elopement ceremonies at Redgate Beach Margaret River

A short sandy trail from the car park leads you to a small beach. Prefect for groups of up to twenty people but please consider any elderly guests who may not appreciate navigating the sandy trail and rocky sections. A more suitable venue would be Basildene Manor for your ceremony and then head to the beach for sunset pics after

Planning your elopement at Redgate beach Margaret River

I will help you to time your wedding ceremony for the best light, that way we can transition into having your photos at this stunning beach straight after your ceremony. Why not bring along some champers so you can celebrate the moment together.

Margaret River Elopement

I love the accommodation that Bradley & Kirsten booked for their elopement in Margaret River. It’s just a twenty minute drive to Boranup Forest and ten minutes to town.

Getting ready shots have many benefits, you get comfortable with the camera being around. I photograph lots of pretty detail photos. It’s a nice way to start your wedding story with some natural candid pics of what it was like before you got married.

The garden at this property is absolutely epic for photos. The forest is literally just outside and there are heaps of different spots for really nice photos in the gardens.

Light plays a major part in where I choose to photograph. I am always scanning a property, a landscape or a beachscape for exciting light.

In these portraits I have used the direction of the light to naturally retouch any dark shadows, blemishes or unwanted lines.

Boranup forest is a gorgeous place for your wedding, it has a special feeling and no matter whether it is in the morning or afternoon the light is epic there.

After the ceremony we literally go for a walk, have a chat and laugh a lot. It’s so easy and relaxing that everyone loves their experience in front of the camera. It’s a major skill that I have worked on for many years. I believe when people are relaxed and enjoying themselves, they look awesome in their photos.

I love dramatic coastlines, the rocks and bumps add that sense of adventure to your wedding story. I plan your schedule so that we arrive at the beach in time for the most flattering natural light and beautiful soft colours.

Essential guide to Boranup Forest Elopements

Elope in Boranup Forest Margaret River

Boranup forest is in my top three favourite elopement locations in Margaret River. Every year I photograph hundreds of family and couple portraits in Boranup Forest and I love the place.

Conveniently located close to Margaret River

Just 25 minutes from Margaret River town I have a favourite location in Boranup Forest that you can have your ceremony and your photos after. This makes your experience very easy, stress free and enjoyable.

In what seems no time at all, we will check out some cool spots and I will capture all the fun naturally. Giving you hundreds of awesome natural memories in spectacular landscape scenery.

Get married anytime in Boranup Forest

You can get married in the morning or the afternoon. The location I use is fantastic throughout the day, in full sun or overcast. It’s a lot more forgiving than say a beach ceremony which you would need to have later in the afternoon for optimum photo light.

I also photograph in the forest throughout winter and I have only had to reschedule a handful of sessions due to heavy rain.

Adventure Elopements in Boranup Forest

This forest offers a unique experience with breathtaking scenery and a real sense of adventure. My clients love how they feel they are in the middle of nowhere, yet it’s conveniently located close to Caves Road and town.

Kids love Boranup forest and my favourite locations are safely hidden away from roads etc so you can let young kids explore a bit and enjoy themselves.

Wedding ceremonies in Boranup Forest

The wedding ceremony spot that I love is in a clearing of trees that creates a natural amphitheatre shape for small groups to gather. There are alternative spots that I photographed large weddings in the forest but this one is super intimate.

It’s nice and convenient to get to and you don’t have to walk far at all. This makes getting any decor or furnishings for your ceremony on site super easy.

It’s also close to my favourite locations that I use for my portrait work which offers you a variety of incredible landscape scenes all within a tiny walking distance.

How long do photos take in Boranup Forest?

Your ceremony will be twenty minutes or there about. Depending on the number of guests you have we will have congratulations and then group pics.

After this we will simply go for a stroll through the forest, we’ll have a chat and a laugh as I capture lots of awesome natural memories for you. I’d allow forty five minutes for this, so it’s fun and easy going you know.

My clients always love their experience in Boranup Forest

I have photographed that many sessions in Boranup that I have a plan for anything and everything. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times parents have arrived stressed for a session cause their kids are not playing ball and it’s turned out to be an awesome session with fantastic portraits.

I can work with varying light, weather and practically anything and make your experience great and your photos perfect. It’s a big call but I’ve done it year in year out.

Elopement Hidden Valley Forest Retreat

Hidden Valley Forest retreat is an awesome elopement venue in Margaret River. Tucked away between Bussell Highway and Caves Road just twenty minutes drive from Margaret River town.

The Hidden Valley Forest Retreat elopement package includes a bright modern chalet with an outdoor spa and bbq to unwind and take in the beautiful forest views.

A two minute walk from your chalet and your ceremony is all set up for you on a decked ceremony island with enough space for an intimate wedding. Surrounded by water and forest this is an epic setting to exchange your vows.

It was so relaxing, everyone was totally in the moment and enjoying the experience and I was lucky enough to be there to capture all the joy.

Cake and champagne, what better way to kick off your celebrations. It was a really nice way to continue enjoying the moment with great friends and family without needing to rush for photos.

The property at Hidden Valley has beautiful natural bush areas for photos and you could very easily have all of your photos there at the venue.

I helped Sophie & Ash with the timings on their wedding day to work in with sunset, everything flowed so easily and after their little beach shoot they headed to a local restaurant in Yallingup to continue celebrating through the night.

Epic elopement in Boranup Forest Margaret River

Aaron & Amalia love getting out in nature, camping in their swag and taking their Ranger ute on some awesome trips throughout Australia. They have a motto that they follow which is to never waste a weekend. I love these guys.

Originally Aaron & Amalia were planning to elope overseas but they had to change their plans with Covid-19. They were then considering Exmouth but I chatted to them about the insane amount of flies and hot winds at this time of year up there and Margaret River became their preferred location.

Boranup Forest is an incredibly beautiful place with some fantastic clearings for a small or large wedding.

An Emu dropped in to check out what all the fuss was about.

Amalia’s family couldn’t travel over from Queensland so Aaron & Amalia organised a video camera on a tripod with an external microphone to capture all the atmosphere.

I love looking out for moments of emotion. A wedding is a significant highlight in our life story and I love to give my clients photos that will remind them of how amazing they felt and how special their day was together.

Aaron & Amalia love adventures together outdoors in nature, camping in their swag and finding hidden away camping spots to enjoy together.

There is some beautiful natural light to find in the forest, the really flattering light that takes away any skin blemishes or wrinkles. It’s how professional photographers photographed people before there was photoshop retouching. I use these traditional skills in camera all the time, it gives a really beautiful natural look.

I love this curvy section of Caves Road running through the forest.

Finding locations that have heaps of variety for photos in a close area really improves my clients experience. They want amazing photos but I feel that making the experience easy for them, so we have fun together and it’s relaxing is the so important. It does reflect in their photos.

Beer is one of many passions in Aaron & Amalia’s life, they love sampling and discovering new craft beers together.

After an adventure in the forest we headed to the beach for a champagne spray and watch the sunset.

Aaron & Amalia texted me after receiving their link to their personal wedding webpage.

“OMG John, the photos are absolutely AMAZING. We're on our drive home at the moment and Amalia's sitting in the passengers seat smiling from ear to ear and crying at how beautiful the photos are - thank you so much. Super keen to have a proper look on the computer when we get home later today, thanks again!”

What is included in my Perth elopement packages

Eloping in Perth and you need help with what elopement package to get?

Ok, first up, your elopement package needs some essential services to make it happen.

1. You need two witnesses to sign your marriage certificate.

2. Celebrant to make your wedding legal, help calm your nerves and personalise your service.

3. Elopement photographer helps you design your day, create a kick ass plan and capture everything as it happens naturally, so you can always look back and enjoy the memories.

That’s it! An example of a real basic elopement package for you. As you can see you can wear whatever you want and get married practically anywhere you want. I do love how couples can choose to make their elopement really simple or as extravagant as they wish.

Whats included in a basic elope package Perth costing $2150-$2550

I have added the flowers into this basic package but you can BYO flowers and remove them from this package no worries.

Note that photography is for two hours, any shorter than two hours and I feel your experience and resulting memories captured will be poor quality.

• $1100 Elopement photographer 2 hours, help designing your elopement experience, planning including timings and vendor intro’s and capturing your special memories.

• $750-$950 Elopement Celebrant. Helping you in personalising your marriage vowels and making it all legal.

• $300-$500 Brides bouquet and grooms button hole. $300 would be more off the rack, custom options are slightly more but worth treating yourself.

Awesome extras to add to your Perth elope package

I photograph elopements every week and I get to see some really nice ways to make your elopement experience unforgettable.

If you have opted to change your wedding plans to eloping you might have some budget to play with.

Here are some cool ideas in no particular order off importance.

• Hire a local private chef to come to your property and cook for you and your guests. Choose from a menu and create a beautiful dining experience, perhaps snag a few cooking tips along the way.

• Book to travel to and from your elopement in style, remember if you keep to a midweek elopement, preferable Monday to Thursday, lots of opportunities open up for you. Pricing rates come down and availability opens up. Choose a VW Split Screen Kombi or one of these awesome classic cars.

• Treat yourself to booking your elopement with a week or so away at a luxury resort destination like Pullman Bunker Bay Resort or have a look at these five best luxury resorts in Western Australia They include swimming pools, day spa, gyms, restaurants and bars to enjoy.

• Plan an adventure experience in the beautiful outdoor surroundings we have here in Western Australia. This could be connected to something you both love to do. The beauty of elopements is that they can be incredibly personal. Remember the experience could be the day after or the morning of your elopement. Your photographer could document your experience together naturally, so you have that memory, the story to relive.

  Examples could be trekking together, a small mountain trail down south, sailing, an epic helicopter ride, surfing, Rottnest Island trip.

• Book a small bar space to celebrate with close family and friends later that evening.

Check out my elopements page for lots of helpful advice about planning elopements