North Hampton Beach, NH Elopement

July 6, 2021

North Hampton Beach Sunset Elopement | Tips on Sunset Beach Elopements

ASIA & TERRENCE | NORTH HAMPTON BEACH , NEW HAMPSHIRE

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In this post you will learn:

ALL about my time with these two smoke shows, Asia and Terrence,
as well as learn tips on how to elope at the beach at sunset in New Hampshire (rocking the inevitable dirt, finding that perfect light, and more).

Coastal New Hampshire is such a hidden gem, and eloping here is the perfect intimate, stunning, tranquil location. 10/10 recommend for those who love the great outdoors, quiet beaches, local eateries, and calming ocean waters.

For more on what the heck eloping is and where to even begin if you’re thinking of eloping, head to my blog post ALL about elopements!

Click here for my “Elopements 101” blog post

About the freakin’ amazing couple:

Asia and Terrence were one of several ANGEL couples who got married last summer during the heat of COVID-19. This summer, they wanted to capture the beauty of this new time as a married couple with nature and intimacy (and some rock scaling) at sunset in one of their favorite places: North Hampton Beach. Asia rocked her etherial gown for the second time, and Terrence broke out his brand new custom tux which he didn’t get to sport last summer.

The party vibes were on, and we had an absolute blast together. We got ready in a literal DREAM mansion by the water, took in the fresh salt air, and forever captured special moments between these two kind, confident, lovely souls.

Happy one year of married life to a couple I could literally hang with any time. Thank you, Asia, for bringing your confidence, light, and up-for-anything attitude, and thank you Terrence for your kindness, busting some impromptu dance moves, and being a pro dress-holder. Thank you both trusting me to capture these moments of YOUR married love.

Preparing for a sunset beach elopement

Asia and Terrence did it right: overnight, relaxed vibes in a STUNNING North Hampton Beach home overlooking the rocky beaches of seacoast New Hampshire. They got to take their time getting ready in the home’s beautiful, naturally lit rooms, rock some tunes, hang with family friends, and yes enjoy the company of two precious doggos. While it’s not a requirement to have dogs with you for your elopement, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ADDED JOY.

It was a perfect moderate summer evening, despite sprinkles and THICK AF humidity every waking minute before sunset.

About an hour before sunset, we made sure we were ready in time to start the evening outside in the backyard, overlooking the marshlands and wildlife (THERE WERE TWO DEER). This gave Asia and Terrence a chance to take one another in and get comfortable taking pictures before heading to the beach for sunset. These two were naturals, though, and required zero warm up whatsoever. Giddiest third wheel, over here. Seriously, let’s do this for every anniversary of yours, please?

Preparing for rainy weather during your elopement

Thankfully, the angels in the sky cleared the clouds and (some) humidity just before our sunset time together 🙂 BUT, my best advice to anyone in preparing for uncertain weather (hello, New England) is:

as best you can, don’t stress (I know, easier said than done). I promise, it all works out in the end. We literally have no control over the weather. BUT, I think there are some serious guardian angels on our side- 90% of the time, clouds clear out just in time for pictures. It amazes me every damn time it happens.
hair. spray. The magical wonders of this stuff (and all cherished hair products that work for you & your hair). Summer in New England is about as humid as the inside of a sweaty gym at peak hour. But, the beauty of ample hair supplies on hand is invaluable to your elopement day.
back-up plans. Plan A is the beautiful, great outdoors, which is great. Having a backup location or some cushion time indoors to wait out tricky weather is always a great idea.
Embrace the elements. To this day, one of my FAVORITE sessions was a sunrise session in the frigid, pouring rain. The pictures were stunning, romantic, and the clients were madly in love with them. Shy of safety concerns, getting a little dirty and wet is the beauty of nature and I say embrace that on your day if that’s your vibe. Towels, umbrellas, and a change of shoes exist for a reason! I also have my own supply of clear umbrellas that are my little travel pals, so if sprinkles emerge, I’ve got you!

Creating a timeline for sunset portraits during your elopement

Asia, Terrence and I planned out our evening together beforehand. It went roughly like what you’ll see below, and it was a freakin’ blast. Even if the weather HAD stayed cloudy or had even sprinkled, I think we would’ve stayed with this timeline anyway because no monsoons were on the forecast 😉

2 hours before sunset: get ready pictures, hang out with the dogs, catch up on life, listen to some music.
1.5 hours before sunset: start somewhere with some shade so the sun flare isn’t out of control in pictures. We had this beautiful backyard of marshlands, tall grasses, and trees. This backdrop made for the perfect pre-sunset, partially shaded experience.
1 hour before sunset right up to sunset: While it’s important to know 1) where the sun sets and 2) at what time given the specific location you’re at, we went with the pretty basic “golden hour” concept. We headed toward the beach about an hour before sunset. We trekked there just a bit earlier because the sun sets over the houses at North Hampton Beach, so we knew we’d have a bit less sunset glow time time than had the sun set over the water. It was a beauteous sunset of cotton candy skies.
sunset to 15 minutes AFTER sunset: this is some of my favorite lighting time! Right when the sun disappears and that orange “halo” leaves from behind the client’s heads, I turn the clients around and have them face TOWARD the sun. This creates really soft, pale orange/pink light. It rocks. After this post-sunset period comes the gentle blue light in the sky, and that is how we ended our night which you’ll see below!

Seacoast New Hampshire is a hidden gem. Let me show you around some time.

The healing power of spending a quiet night on the beach with your human while the gentle, clean, waves create a hum around you, is something I REALLY believe in.

Thinking of a sunset beach elopement, adventure session, or just a reason to get out with your loved one(s)? Let’s book some time together. I can’t wait to meet you.