elope in West Australia
For the truly adventurous souls
As to why you’re on this page in particular, about eloping in West Australia? Well, either you, like me, have always known that you want to elope, or it simply sparked your curiosity… After all, isn’t an elopement something that only happens in Las Vegas chapels and Jane Austen novels?
The answer – not at all!
You deserve to have your very own dream wedding experience, and increasingly, a lot of us are realising that that doesn’t necessarily mean hosting a typical wedding. Maybe your dream wedding does mean inviting all your nearest and dearest to a winery down south, partying the night away. But perhaps, you’d prefer something a little more intimate or adventurous.
Either way, to make sure you have that incredible wedding experience, you need to know what all the options are.
Given you’re on my website, I’ll take a wild guess that you recently got engaged (congratulations!).
What does eloping involve?
An elopement is an intimate wedding where the focus is simply celebrating you and your love. It’s a wedding day crafted with intention and care, so that your wedding is meaningful to you and true to the legacy you want to create together.
This could mean heading up to Exmouth and starting your wedding day snorkelling, it might mean spending a day exploring the forests of the Great Southern, or how about hiring a private chef to cater the most incredible dinner at a cosy coastal tiny house… Or perhaps your dream is something totally different! Heck, you could even elope to Italy!
What makes an elopement an elopement is that it is a unique and meaningful celebration of your love. You throw out the rulebook and craft a day where the most important thing is that this is your wedding day, the day you commit to one another for life.
It doesn’t have to be just the two of you, you don’t have to “runaway” (but you can if you’d like!) – you just have to be true to yourselves, to your love, and to the life you want to create together.
An All-Day Elopement: Your Dream Wedding Experience
If you choose to elope, it doesn’t make your wedding day any less special or important. In fact, an elopement is an incredible opportunity to create your dream wedding experience, devoted to doing the things you love most. Give yourself permission to forget about the shoulds and the must-haves. Instead, ask yourselves, ‘what does our perfect day look like?’
It can be hard to do this, I know. We all know what a traditional wedding looks like – the ceremony, the bridal party, party favours, and seating plans. And if this is what you love, then you should absolutely go for it!
I have a sneaking suspicion though that the fact you’re reading this page (still!), means you’re curious about eloping. You might even be wondering what a full-day elopement in West Australia might look like?
So, where could you Elope in West Australia? Well, the answers are endless, but here are some truly magical West Australian elopement locations:
- Ningaloo (Exmouth) – if you’re an ocean baby who loves nothing more than starting your day in saltwater, especially when there’s so much marine life to see
- Koorabup (Denmark) – if you love tall trees, saltwater, and a chance to indulge in some seriously delicious food & wine
- Wurdimarlu (Kalbarri) – if you dream of something a little more wild, from hiking into gorges to spectacular cliffy ocean views
- Wangaree (Lancelin) – if you want something truly unique, elope to Wangaree’s famous sand dunes and the pinnacles of Nambung National Park
- Wooditup (Margaret River) – and of course how could I forget Wooditup, WA’s world-famous destination for foodies and surfers alike!
And to think this list doesn’t even cover the half of it… Literally! Ningaloo is about halfway up WA’s incredible coastline, and beyond that, there’s still Rubibi (Broome), Purnululu National Park (the Bungle Bungles, anyone?), and of course, Karijini National Park. I could go on and on!
But for now, I’d love to share a few sample timelines I’ve put together for what an All-Day Elopement in West Australia might look like.
Where to Elope in West Australia
- 9.00am: Photographer arrives, big old Aussie brunch
- 10.00am: Couple + Guests head out for a swim nearby, all photographed
- 11.30am: Everyone showers, dresses for a shared lunch at a beachside restaurant
- 12.30pm: Lunch
- 4.00pm: Getting Ready Photos – couple get ready together and help each other put on wedding attire, share some time together, and take photos of details
- 6.00pm: Ceremony
- 7.00pm: Celebratory drinks (perhaps with a custom cocktail made with local spirits?)
- 7.30pm: Quick sunset portraits
- 8.00pm: Long table dinner all together
- Party long into the night with help from an amazing local DJ yessss!
DAY-AFTER
- 5:00pm: Meet couple, already dressed. Head out to take photos around in the nearby forest
- 6:00pm: Arrive at a scenic coastal spot for sunset, like Sugarloaf Rock
- 7.45pm: Head back to the Accommodation
Just because you choose to elope, doesn’t mean you have to get married without any of your favourite people present. This is a sample timeline for a WA Elopement in Wooditup (Margaret River), where you’ve booked out a boutique accommodation by the beach for the two of you and 10 or so of your loved ones. Because quality time with your people is so important to you, I’ve also added a day-after portrait session.
A Sample Timeline for an Intimate Wooditup (Margaret River) Wedding
- 1.30pm: Meet at your accommodation, photos of the two of you getting ready separately, first look at the location
- 3.00pm: Head out to the forest for a little hike and to share your vows amongst the Great Southern’s famous tall trees
- 4.30pm: Stop at a winery for a celebratory wine tasting
- 5.45pm: Drive to the coast
- 6.00pm: Sunset Portraits at Greens Pool
- 7.00pm: Make your way back to your accommodation for dinner with a private chef
- 7.30pm: Photography ends
This is an example of a cosy elopement in the Great Southern where it’s just the two of you. In this scenario, you could either solemnize the marriage in your home country, or I could help you to arrange for your legal vows to be said at a location of your choosing.
A Sample Timeline for a cosy West Australian Elopement in Koorabup (Denmark)
- 6.00am: Couple and photographer head out together in a 4WD to arrive at the couple’s chosen beach (or hey, you could always book a boat tour!).
- 6.30am: Casual portraits at the beach to coincide with sunrise
- 7.00am: Head into the water together for a snorkelling session
- 8.30am: Make your back to the accommodation, catered champagne breakfast
- 10.00am: Naptime!
- 4.00pm: Meet at the accommodation, photograph details and get ready in separate rooms
- 5.00pm: First look and portraits
- 6.00pm: Sunrise ceremony at a location of your choosing
- 7.00pm: Private, catered dinner
- 8.00pm: Finish
The most epic thing about choosing to elope is that you can actually create a day filled with everything you love, even if that means taking a break in the middle of the day to escape WA’s famous sweltering summer days. For this imagined Ningaloo elopement, I’ve pictured a day that follows my own heart, starting with a lazy morning snorkelling session around some of Ningaloo’s amazing reef. Of course, you could always reverse this and start your day with sunrise vows on the beach, and head out on a snorkelling boat tour in the afternoon!
PS. If you love the sound of this West Australian Elopement, I’d be willing to fly back to Australia earlier than usual (or back up to Europe later than normal) to make sure we’re in Ningaloo at the best time! It’s a huge dream of mine so just let me know!
A Sample Timeline for a West Australian Elopement in Ningaloo
Basically, an elopement can look however you want it to. These are just three ideas that I dreamed up on a Wednesday afternoon, and there are plenty more ideas where these came from – from hot air balloon rides to tiny houses, hikes in the Porongorup National Park, to days spent wining & dining in the South West’s best wineries… the list goes on and on!
The one thing any elopement – or wedding, for that matter – should have in common, is that it’s a commitment to the person you love. You’re committing to life and love, to adventure and misadventure, to tears and laughter and everything in-between! Life is a wild ride, and you deserve a wedding that reflects the life and relationship you’ve worked to create – the things you love, the places you love, and more than anything, the person you love.
Oh hey, that’s me!
Oh hey, that’s me! I’m an Australian photographer who’s passionate about sharing the wonders of life with the people around me, and making everyone the hero of their own story. I believe there is always joy to be found and beauty to be discovered, and that life is one epic adventure. While these days I spend most of the year on the road, I come back to the land I grew up on, in West Australia, for at least a few months each summer. While I’m here, I reconnect with family & friends, and help at least a few magical souls to document their epic Boorloo (Perth) Wedding Day.
When I’m not on Whadjuk Noongar land, you’ll usually find me in Portugal or Italy, where I spend my days photographing, surfing, editing, cooking, and adventuring. Wherever I am, one thing is for sure – I’m doing my best to make the most out of life, and I’d love to share that joy with you.
about rhianna may
Acknowledgement of Country
I acknowledge the Noongar people as the traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work. I pay my respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connection and contribution to the land and waters.