Lesbian Elopement In the Tekapo Lupines
See a real Lesbian Elopement In the Tekapo Lupines
Brace yourselves for epic beauty! This incredible lesbian elopement in the Tekapo Lupines will set your queer-loving heart on fire! Charlene and Wei Wei are just meant to be. And they shared so much JOY on their elopement day, after ten years of loving each other. Their same-sex marriage isn’t legal where they live, but they wanted to get legally married in New Zealand. After all, it was their first (of many!) international trips together, all those years ago. They returned and triumphantly eloped on the shore of one of New Zealand’s most beautiful lakes.. on one of the worst weather forecast days I’ve ever had.
Lake Tekapo Elopement Vendor Team
Elopement Celebrant – Caroline Mooney, Canterbury, New Zealand
Beauty Services – Simply Stunning, Tekapo, New Zealand
Planning & Photography – Me!
Tekapo Elopement Photos
We started with the ladies getting ready and glammed in a cute cabin in Tekapo. I can’t say enough great things about Haley’s team at Simply Stunning.. they are the utmost professionals, getting both ladies looking their best and finished early. Their warm presense makes you feel like you’ve known them for years, and they love celebrating LGBTQ couples as much as I do! The two women wore ADORABLE matching pajamas and hung the Chinese symbol for ‘double happiness’ all over the Airbnb. This tradition says to the world, ‘we are getting married today!’ They practiced putting the rings on each other’s fingers, and it’s a good thing they did because someone put the ring on the wrong hand, and it got stuck, creating a funny moment.
No First Look Elopement
Since both women had already seen each other’s wedding dresses, there was no big reveal moment. And I’m not about staging anything, so we didn’t need to pretend just to get a photo. Instead, Charlene helped Wei Wei into her dress by tenderly doing up the buttons. Wei Wei kept a constant eye on Charlene’s fringe, which kept blowing into her face. The little ways that these two show affection for one another is far more perfect than any staged ‘first look.’ If you don’t feel like the drama or pomp of a First Look is for you, just opt out! The photos of you getting ready together will be so much more YOU.
Lake Tekapo Elopement Ceremony in the lupines
The Lupines of Tekapo are so incredibly stunning, and they make a great backdrop for a colorful Lake Tekapo Elopement. These flowers are not native to New Zealand, and many folks consider them a pest. They bloom from mid November to mid December, and Tekapo is the best place to see them, although there are more spots elsewhere if you know where to look. On Charlene and Wei Wei’s elopement day, it was raining in the morning and quite windy. We pivoted to a part of the lakeshore that still had plenty of flowers, but was more sheltered from the wind. Rain fell during the ceremony, their veils blew in the wind, and the sun even came out – but our heroes were so focused on each other, they hardly noticed.
Eloping in the Flowers of Lake Tekapo
Caroline, their celebrant, was equally ready to to get windblown and rained on to make the couple’s dream of an elopement in the Tekapo Lupines come true. Caroline became an instant bff, and her ability to flex with the day’s rain plans was so appreciated. She has a huge heart, a “well, OBVIOUSLY” approach to serving queer couples, and a talent for distilling a beautiful ceremony out of every couple’s unique love story. You can see how much the ladies teared up, giggled, and doubled over belly laughing – during their adorable lesbian elopement in the Tekapo lupines. After they sealed the marriage with a kiss and another bonus giggle, they popped champagne and took a stroll on the lakeshore. For the first time as WIVES. I’m not crying.. you’re crying! (Except I actually DID cry.)
Elopement Star Photos at Lake Tekapo
Despite the ominous forecast, the skies were relatively clear that night, so we met up to take some photos under the stars. However, this was never meant to be overly serious, and they brought giant pink glowsticks from home just for this! I tripped over my equipment 46,000 times in the dark and ended up hollering with glee as the swirling pink light showed up on camera. Soon they were drawing hearts in the sky and goofing off – just us, the stars, a playlist of early 2000’s bangers, and a bunch of stubbed toes. Ahh, romance!
Hiking Elopement Photos at Mt Cook
The following afternoon, the weather was much more mild, so we met up again to complete the rest of their elopement adventure. Lake Pukaki is only an hour’s drive or so from Tekapo, and it provides an epic view of the tallest peak in all of New Zealand: Mt. Cook. The newlyweds tucked their dresses up into their coats while hiking the easy trail to a stunning glacial lake, with an actual giant glacier in the background. The photos we got to create together in these majestic landscapes truly take your breath away. Hold onto your butts, people!! I love them so much, I’m ready to hang their elopement photos on my walls. If that is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
LGBTQ Elopement Photos in New Zealand
To the newlyweds and my new friends: may laughter and joy follow you every day! I loved creating and photographing your unique lesbian elopement in Tekapo. Charlene and Wei Wei received over 700 colorful finished photos and 18 gifs just 1 month after their fabulous queer elopement. To those of you who would like to elope in New Zealand, in the flowers or not, my inbox is ready for you. Take a page from Charlene and Wei Wei’s book, reach out and let me guide you through this special and unforgettable way to marry each other!
Here are their Tekapo lupines elopement photos:
Want a destination elopement in the lupines of Tekapo?
Well I’m IN! Creating one of a kind elopement experiences for queer and straight couples is what I do best. I’ll jump in and take away the stress of planning so you can sit back and enjoy the entire experience. I offer full day, 1.5 and 2 day elopement photography & planning packages anywhere in New Zealand, and around the world. See my pricing and packages here and get in touch to make your dream come to life!