Mel and Brent walking hand in hand through grass with an island peak behind them, Lord Howe Island

LORD HOWE ISLAND ELOPEMENT

Mel & BrentA Lord Howe Island elopement, NSW

Banyan forests, empty coves and clifftop lookouts — two days wandering an island paradise, with a wedding somewhere in the middle.

I love shooting couples on Lord Howe Island, so when Brent got in touch asking for elopement ideas I was quick to suggest it as a location. It's perfect for a couple looking for a beautiful & unique getaway, with stunning landscapes and lots of very cool wildlife you can get close to, which makes for some pretty special photo opportunities. It's also a short (and fun) flight from mainland Australia, which makes it a pretty perfect micro wedding or elopement location. And for a wedding photographer it ticks every possible box.

Lord Howe Island feels like a secret paradise — part tropical island, part rugged mountain escape. There are only a handful of cars, the beaches are untouched, and every corner looks like it's been designed for a photoshoot. We wandered between banyan forests, quiet coves and clifftop lookouts, stopping every few steps because the light or the backdrop was too good to pass up. It also helps when the couple are as good-looking as these two!

For Brent and Mel, the island offered everything they wanted: privacy, adventure, and a chance to celebrate their love surrounded by nature rather than crowds. We planned their Lord Howe Island elopement around the soft afternoon light, chasing that golden glow that makes this place so magical.

What follows is our first evening on the Island, doing some exploring and getting some photos with the couple at some of the beautiful places we found.

PART 1 — LORD HOWE PRE-WEDDING SHOOT

Mel and Brent walking a track through the palm forest, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent embracing among the greenery, Lord Howe Island

The couple surrounded by ferns and kentia palms, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent facing each other in the forest, Lord Howe Island

Brent reaching for Mel's hand among the palms, Lord Howe Island

Mel standing alone in the palm forest, Lord Howe Island

Towering kentia palms above the couple, Lord Howe Island

Tall palms against the sky in the island forest, Lord Howe Island

Mel among the ferns on the forest floor, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent on a grassy headland above the beach, Lord Howe Island

The couple walking the headland as seabirds circle, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent embracing on the headland, Lord Howe Island

Close portrait of Mel and Brent above the beach, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent on the clifftop with terns overhead, Lord Howe Island

Brent leading Mel by the hand along the shore, Lord Howe Island

The couple embracing as birds wheel overhead, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent kissing above the ocean, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent at dusk with an offshore islet behind, Lord Howe Island

The couple embracing against a stormy sea, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent sitting on the grass above the beach, Lord Howe Island

The couple sitting together in the long grass, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent small on the empty beach, Lord Howe Island

A noddy perched on a fence post, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent silhouetted in golden light, Lord Howe Island

The couple framed by trees above a cove, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent walking the beach below the headland, Lord Howe Island

The couple standing together in the surf, Lord Howe Island

Brent on the beach with the waves behind, Lord Howe Island

Seabirds wheeling above the couple silhouetted on a headland at dusk, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent watching the sun set over the water, Lord Howe Island

Mel running along the sand, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent laughing together on the beach, Lord Howe Island

The couple silhouetted against a sunset sky, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent walking the grass with Mount Gower behind, Lord Howe Island

The couple embracing in the wind, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent in the grass beneath the mountains, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent embracing at golden hour above the beach, Lord Howe Island

The couple looking out to sea in the wind, Lord Howe Island

Brent pulling Mel along by the hand, mountains behind, Lord Howe Island

Brent lifting Mel off her feet in the grass, Lord Howe Island

A close, quiet portrait of Mel and Brent, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent looking out to Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island

Close black and white portrait of Mel and Brent, her hand at his neck, Lord Howe Island

Brent spinning Mel in the grass below the mountains, Lord Howe Island

Brent lifting Mel with Mount Gower behind, Lord Howe Island

Mel in the grass with the mountains behind, Lord Howe Island

Portrait of Mel in the long grass, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent standing in a forest clearing, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent in the deep green of the island forest, Lord Howe Island

The couple kissing among the trees, Lord Howe Island

Mel and Brent silhouetted beneath a tree at sunset, Lord Howe Island

The couple kissing under a tree as the sun drops, Lord Howe Island

PART 2 — NED'S BEACH AND THE WEDDING DAY

The wedding day dawned bright and clear, and we decided to head to Ned's Beach to feed some fish. It's quite a fun activity and always makes for great photos.

Afterwards it was time to get ready for the wedding. There's a few more logistics involved in an island elopement (fumigating flowers, getting dresses onto planes, arranging all the details by email etc etc), but on the wedding day everything fell into place. After getting ready at different locations, the couple met near Lover's Bay and got hitched.