Anastasia + Damien | Bruny Island, Tasmania

When Anastasia and Damien, two incredibly talented Sydney creatives, pitched us their idea of eloping in a wild corner of Tasmania’s Bruny Island we were like ‘HELL YES’ and pretty much danced around the studio for days. These two glorious humans – one of them a genius photographer with a passion for all things analog, and the other one an absurdly gifted mural artist and all round raconteur – are our kinda people, and it’s a huge honour to get to be alongside fellow artists at such an important time in their lives.

Fast forward a few months, a couple of flights, a long drive and a wild ferry ride, and before you know it we’re driving down the dirt road to Sheepwash Bay on a stormy Tasmanian winter’s day. One of the beautiful things about an elopement is the complete lack of any stress or urgency – even in the face of crazy weather. We hung out by the fire in Nastia and Damien’s lil off-the-grid shack while it poured outside and we figured out a plan for the next couple of days. Go on an adventure to a lighthouse, pick some flowers, prep a few things and wait for the celebrant to show up with a cake that their friends made. Game on.

Two days later we were back in the shack alongside D&A as they opened hand-written letters from their parents, cried over beautiful memories, and got ready together before the ceremony. A small wooden shack, by a wild bay, with a roaring fire, coffee on and the most beautiful storm raging outside. Maria the celebrant showed up (bringing the most beautiful cake you can imagine), we picked a gap in the weather, dashed down to a rocky beach and magic unfolded. And just as they took their first steps together on a blanket that Nastia had made with her mum, the heavens opened up in a perfect downpour – picture us sheltering under a giant gum tree, drinking champagne out of hand-made mugs with Mikey the dog trying to get in on the action.

Perfection.

We all dried out with an indoor feast by the fire and then we faded away into the night. Two days later we found each other in a crowd of thousands of people gathered around a giant blazing paper mâché parrot at Dark Mofo in Hobart and shared beers and left-over wedding cake (smuggled in by Nastia) in the middle of the craziest arts festival in the world.

And THAT is pretty much why you elope. Because you make friends for life.

Here’s a lil bonus of some film we took throughout the day taken on 35mm and Rolleicord…

Location: The Shack at Sheepwash Bay, Tasmania 
Celebrant: Maria Bond
Flora: The Bride – Nastia Gladushchenko  
Picnic & cake: Port Cygnet Catering Co.  
Nastia’s outfit: Annie Hamilton & Alpha 60  
Damien’s outfit: Golden Goose & COS