When Plan B Turns Out to Be Perfect

Laina and Seth had their hearts set on Lake Erskine. High in the Southern Alps, wide open and remote. But February had its own plans, and low cloud and steady rain put the high mountain landings firmly off limits.

So Scott, Soph from Married by Friends, Laina and Seth waited, watching the sky, hoping for a gap. And when things shifted just enough, they decided to go for it. That decision is one of the best things that can happen on an elopement day. It allows for the unexpected which is really where the magic happens.

Lake Lochnagar in the Mist

Scott redirected the flight to Lake Lochnagar, and what greeted them there was something entirely different from the Erskine they’d imagined. The low cloud had wrapped itself around the lake in misty layers. The mountains behind were a smudge of greys and the colours of the landscape — the tawny tussock, the deep greens all popped against the moody grey backdrop. It had the feeling of a film set, except completely real and completely theirs.

Lochnagar in full summer sun is stunning. Lochnagar in the rain, with mist forming and reforming at the edges of the frame, is something else!

The Ceremony

Soph led the ceremony with the relaxed, natural warmth she always brings. She has a way of making the words feel true to the people saying them, and the whole thing unfolds without any sense of performance or pressure. Laina and Seth’s day had that easy, unforced energy throughout.

A River Landing in the Middle of Nowhere

The second landing was a river valley Scott discovered with wide open spaces, rolling hills stretching out in every direction. These are the kind of locations we love, the ones that are the middle of nowhere in the best possible sense. Laina asked if she could get in the water. What would any decent photographer say except a big YES!

Both of them waded into the shallows — dress and all — and the photos from those few minutes are some of the most joyful of the whole day. Spontaneous, a little bit silly, completely romantic. Exactly the kind of moment you can’t plan for and wouldn’t want to.

The Best Days Don’t Always Go to Plan

That’s the thing about elopements that don’t go exactly to plan. The backup location turns out to be extraordinary. The rain makes the light do something magical. The couple decides to wade into a river on their wedding day. And you come away with a story — and a set of photos — that’s entirely, unmistakably theirs.

Laina and Seth, we loved being part of this one.