Intimate queer beach elopement in Yorkshire

Wedding InspirationStyled shoots
Written By Holden So
Jenna and Cat, two brides (both are white with long hair) on a beach in front of a broken floral arch. Cat is in a white dress showing off her hand with a ring on it. Jenna is in a khaki suit smiling.

This queer beach elopement shoot was such a joy to be a part of.

Jenna (she/her) and Cat (she/her) are a real couple living in York together - and they just got engaged a few days before, which made the shoot feel all the more magical.

This beautiful elopement shoot took place at Thornwick Bay, Yorkshire, and we were blessed with clear blue skies and sunshine - although it was still a bit chilly, being on a beach in the middle of March in the North of England! But Jenna and Cat were absolutely brimming with love for each other, and we were all warmed by it. It was a pleasure to lead a mini ceremony for them.

Ione @ionefilmsandphotos, our photographer and videographer (the talent behind these breathtaking photos), had come up with the concept for the shoot, having spent lots of time on the Yorkshire coast. It’s a stunning part of the world, and you’re going to have such a dreamy time if you elope there!

Doina @uniq.decor.florist created an incredible broken floral arch which looked simply jaw-dropping on the beach against the blue of the sea and served as the perfect backdrop for our ceremony.

Jenna and Cat standing inside a broken floral arch, facing away from the viewer. Their celebrant, Holden So, an East Asian nonbinary person with short black hair, is standing between them reading from a folder.

Jenna and Cat’s personalised celebrant ceremony

Jenna used to live in Cornwall when she was little, so I told her favourite childhood story, the Mermaid of Zennor. In this Cornish folktale, a young man called Mathey runs off with a beautiful, mysterious woman who is a stranger to their town - and years later, sailors come across a mermaid who looks exactly like that woman, and she says she has made a home with Mathey under the sea.

I concluded the story by saying that Jenna had found her mermaid in Cat - at which point we found out that Cat can’t swim, and lots of laughs were had!

Holden, Jenna, and Cat on the beach, all laughing together. Jenna and Cat are holding hands.
Jenna and Cat laughing and looking at each other, holding each other's hands and also pastel flower bouquets. Holden stands to one side, their back to the viewer.

Jenna and Cat read vows to each other from beautiful vow booklets designed by @jbcweddingstationery. There’s nothing like reading your own personal vows to each other during an elopement - the intimacy of it is unreal, and you can really let yourself feel your feelings without worrying about crying in front of hundreds of guests!

Close-up of Jenna reading from a vow booklet which has a gold border and gold lettering on the front, and is bound with a white ribbon.
Cat and Jenna smiling and looking at each other, holding hands and also their vow booklets.
Close-up of Jenna and Cat holding hands. Cat is also reading from her vow booklet.

Making memory jars

Memory jars are a really wonderful idea for elopements especially! Get yourself some small, clear glass jars - you can usually find some at charity shops. And then at your elopement, fill it with things from the environment around you, so that you’ll be able to take home with you a tangible reminder of the place that you got married in. At a beach, this could be sand, seashells, pebbles, even seawater!

This resulted in some wonderful moments for Cat and Jenna - as you can see from the photos!

Close-up of the memory jars that Cat and Jenna are holding. Jenna is pouring water from her jar into Cat's jar.
Cat is holding up and looking at her memory jar, smiling while Jenna kisses her hair.
Jenna is crouched on rocky ground, looking up at Cat adoringly while Cat is looking into her memory jar.

Elopement picnic & cake time!

Jenna and Cat seated on cushions at a styled picnic table draped with white, pastel flowers all around them. They are smiling and holding each other's hands across the table.

An elopement picnic is so special! @uniq.decor.florist styled this lovely picnic set-up and Cat and Jenna got to enjoy some delicious vegan cake made by Hannah @hannahskitchenleeds - Hannah also made some really excellent brownies for us suppliers to enjoy while we were shivering on the beach!

If you’re having an elopement - do consider getting a styled picnic set-up. It makes for some truly gorgeous photos and gives you a comfortable and pretty space to relax in after your adventurous ceremony and soak in your newly married bliss!

Cat and Jenna are cutting their wedding cake together, which is a white cake with decorated with small pressed flowers. They are both laughing.
Jenna feeds Cat a forkful of cake while Cat holds a slice of cake on a plate. The cake is chocolate-flavoured.

Details: elopement stationery, headpieces and jewellery, and bespoke banner

To complete the shoot with some special touches, we had cool stationery from @pearlandpapier including an elopement newspaper, sparkling headpieces and jewellery from @rwweddings and the cutest custom banner from @daydreamer_creative_studio!

A flatlay of black and white elopement stationery including invites and personalised newspapers with Cat and Jenna's photos on them, set amongst pieces of glittering jewellery and a pair of white heels.
Cat and Jenna pointing at each other while holding a coral coloured banner that says "Waiting for a girl like you".

The dream team

This styled shoot was created by a whole group of wonderfully talented and extremely dedicated suppliers! (Special shout-out to Doina @uniq.decor.florist, who admirably lugged all her boxes and boxes of flowers and decor down the uneven path to the bay from the cliffs and then back up again, and Hannah @hannahskitchenleeds who carried her cake safely down the same!)

Check out everyone involved:

Want to elope and have your idyllic, intimate elopement ceremony on the beach or another outdoor location of your choice?

Holden So, an East Asian nonbinary celebrant, standing on the beach looking dreamily into the distance, holding a turquoise coloured folder. They are dressed in a beige leather blazer and white trousers.

Hi! 👋 I’m Holden (they/them), a queer wedding celebrant specialising in inclusive, authentically romantic ceremonies that are all about what makes you swoon with joy.

A celebrant-led ceremony can take place absolutely anywhere, anytime, and it’s completely bespoke to you and your love story! I adore elopements - take me with you and I’ll write you a ceremony that feels truly magic.

Holden So
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