Charlotte & Werner’s Intimate New Forest Elopement in Hampshire
Oh my days, this is something a little special. I honestly had no idea what to expect from Charlotte and Werner’s intimate forest elopement. It was shrouded in secrecy and impulse going in, so I simply turned up ready for just about anything. And this is exactly what happened.
I knew it would be good when I had a phone call from Charlotte in the morning of their wedding with a complete change of location and entire change of plan.
We kicked things off at Forest Yurts, a glamping site on the edge of the New Forest. Charlotte was getting ready in one of the yurts while Werner was struggling to put his shoes on while sat in his car.
Along with Charlotte’s best friend, the four of us then went on a sighting lap around the lake to find the best spot for their religious ceremony, of which we chose a small clearing right on the lakeside.
The ceremony was so special, proper intimate and full of beautiful little moments. While everyone was getting a quick drink and snack after the ceremony, we went off for photos which unintentionally turned into an absolutely epic session which included taking a small makeshift ferry across a lake.
Then it was time for part 2, the hand-fasting ceremony in the forest itself. Charlotte and Werner had a very specific and very special tree to hold the ceremony by. The weather wasn’t on our side at this point, with some quite pathetic rain and dense cloud cover. Not to be dissuaded, we soldiered on with umbrellas in hand.
I’ve never considered myself to be a religious person, but what happened next made the hairs on my neck stand up as the sun beamed through the trees and lit up the forest during the invocation of the four directions. This gorgeous light held through the entire hand fasting ceremony, and then just as quickly as it begun, the sun disappeared at the exact moment they tied the knot.
Incredible.
We finished things off with a couple of quick family photos and a 5 minute dash to catch the last of the light by Werner’s favourite trees in the giant sequoias along Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.