Sunset Elopement Ceremony on The Beach of Vietnam
Saylah & Sarah’s Elopement Story
“Me and my fiancée are coming to Vietnam in November to elope. We want to get married in Phu Quoc”
That was what Saylah shared with me in our first conversation. I was thrilled to hear this because it would be the very first LGBTQIA+ wedding in my elopement photographer journey. All I wanted was to help Saylah & Sarah have the most personalized elopement experience in Phu Quoc island.
After 3 months of co-planning, we finally made it!
Saylah & Sarah traveled from the North to the South of Vietnam, Phu Quoc island was the end of their adventure and became their wedding destination. The couple wanted the elopement day to be fun & would be able to visit beautiful natural and historical sites.
When you come to Phu Quoc island for a destination wedding, you can’t miss the beach wedding at golden hour. Therefore Saylah & Sarah did the same, they held their elopement ceremony on the beach at sunset.
Saylah told me that they wanted to rent a scooter to travel for the day. Not just as a vehicle, the couple also wanted to have a ‘Just Married’ sign on it. I was so excited about their idea because it was unique and it would definitely enrich their elopement experience.
As the planning process had started, I provided a list of suitable wedding venues, local wedding vendors in Phu Quoc so the couple could choose based on their interests. Then I worked on location scouting, scooter’s decoration and timeline creation. Sometimes, I also helped the couple with translation when there was misunderstanding with the local vendors because of language barrier.
One day before the elopement, we faced a big problem with the ceremony venue. It was awfully windy. Saylah was afraid that the wind would disturb the ceremony, blow the flowers arch away and everything.
I came up with a backup plan. I showed the couple a quiet, wild sandy beach on the west side of the island. It is my favorite spot because the background is not just sand and water as you usually see. There is a creek across the beach that creates a few layers in the background. Sarah immediately loved the place so they decided to hold the ceremony at the new spot. All the local vendors were happy to follow the new plan.
We were all ready for the special day!
We started the day at 8am, rode our scooters to Ho Quoc Temple, the most peaceful Buddhist temple on Phu Quoc island. Then the couple spent some private time by the lake and little jungle.
After the morning adventure, we headed back to their boutique resort on the east side of the island for lunch and took a break before getting ready.
I met Saylah & Sarah again when they were getting ready in their room. The couple decided not to have the first look but to get ready together, helping each other with their wedding attire and accessories.
We headed to the (new) ceremony spot. The wedding officiant Ivy was already there waiting for us.
The ceremony went smoothly.
The post-ceremony was fun and lots of laughter.
My personal favorite part of the day was the couple’s portrait. The golden hour was gorgeous for the ceremony. The blue hour was even more impressive, you can tell by looking at their portrait.
Imagine you have the first 15 minutes as a newlywed couple to watch the sunset together. Can you resist that?
We went to the second beach for some more pictures. Shoes were off. Feeling the sand and cool water right off their feet. Saylah & Sarah were so happy and enjoyed their moments together. No first dance as usual, the couple had their own way of first dance and happily called it a successful elopement day.
When the night fell, we headed back to their bungalow on the beach for the wedding celebration – a romantic dinner. After capturing some more shots, I left the privacy for the newlywed couple. A full day of eloping went by so quickly and smoothly.
I’m so thankful to Saylah & Sarah for allowing me to be the photographer of their special day. It was my honor to witness and capture a beautiful love story.
What even more thankful was their kind words for me:
“We had an amazing experience with Anda on our wedding day. She is very friendly and knowledgeable about the area with great ideas for beautiful pictures and a good eye for lighting. With the help of her assistant we were able to take action shots on scooters. Spending times with her the previous day scouting out locations for pictures gave us the chance to get to know her before spending the day with her on our wedding day. She went above and beyond, giving us the contacts we needed in the area to make our wedding day so beautiful and special. Would highly recommend her services. She is very talented.“
This elopement wouldn’t come true without the coordination of wonderful wedding vendors in Phu Quoc island:
Wedding officiant: MC Phu Quoc (Ivy)
Makeup Artist: Jendda Huyền
Bouquet & flower arrangement: Chi Decor Phu Quoc
Scooter’s decoration: An Le
Accommodation & catering: Rocks Beach Boutique Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc Elopement Photographer
If you are planning a beach elopement wedding in Phu Quoc island, Vietnam and looking for a local wedding photographer who speaks English, understands couple’s challenges and can help them with planning, I would be delighted to be considered. Don’t hesitate to message me just to share about your idea, I can help from the day you reach out to me.
Want to explore other type of elopements and elopement service details? Check out these lists below