‍

A year ago, I flew 24 hours across the world to film a secret elopement in Exmouth, Western Australia.

Not a traditional wedding.
No timeline.
No audience.

Just two people choosing to get married in the place they feel most alive, their boat anchored over the Ningaloo Reef in Exmouth.

Their boat, “Bandit” wasn’t just the backdrop.
It was the venue.
It was home.

Accommodation was limited, so I slept in a tent inside their garage.
That detail makes me smile.
Because this wasn’t about perfection, it was about real life.
The kind that’s honest, raw, salty, sun-kissed.

We spent three days together: sailing, talking, cooking, laughing, diving into their world.
I got to know them properly before filming anything.

That’s what I love about adventure elopements.
You’re not creating a performance.
You’re just living.
And I’m just there with a camera, documenting it as it unfolds.

‍

Super 8 makes perfect sense for stories like this

‍

There’s a reason more couples are drawn to Super 8 wedding films here in New Zealand, Australia and in Europe.

Super 8 feels like memory.

It’s grainy and warm and imperfect in the most beautiful way.
It’s film you can feel.

And when you shoot an ocean elopement like this… the nostalgia of Super 8 and the wildness and magic of the outdoors just belong together.

I shoot hybrid, analogue Super 8 for the emotional heartbeat… digital cinema cameras for sound and extra detail.

It’s the best of both worlds, seamlessly, and timeless.

‍

Your favourite place in the world can be your wedding venue

‍

Why not get married somewhere that matters deeply to you?

For them, it was the Ningaloo reef.
For you, maybe it’s a wind-swept cliff in the South Island.
Or a vineyard in Europe.
Or barefoot on the Tasman coast at sunset.

Adventure elopements invite you to think differently.

Your wedding doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s.
It can be a place that holds history and joy and ease.

‍

And then, my favourite part

‍

They kept their marriage secret for an entire year.

Twelve months later, they held their “official wedding” in Uluwatu, Bali, surrounded by all their friends and family.

And during the reception, they projected the film I had made from their secret Ningaloo elopement.

That was their reveal.

That was the moment everyone discovered they had already been married for a year.

The reactions… the emotion… I still carry that with me.

It was one of the most beautiful celebrations of love I’ve ever had the privilege of capturing.

‍

A closing thought

‍

I love adventures for work, especially the ones involving saltwater, waves, and open sky.
I love filming love that doesn’t feel staged.
And I love when couples choose to honour their real selves above expectation.

Super 8 wedding films feel like a natural fit in that space, for couples who want something meaningful, nostalgic, and timeless… not polished for the sake of being polished.

If you’re planning an adventure elopement in New Zealand, Australia, or Europe and you’re drawn to film that feels human, emotive and truely you,

I would love to hear your story.

‍