St Augustine Elopement | Sammie + Clint

Florida Elopements

July 24, 2024

Sammie + Clint’s St. Augustine elopement was the epitome of a laid back, good time. From stepping foot into Washington Oaks Garden State Park for their ceremony to getting bath-inspired cocktails (trust me on this) at The Tipsy Duck Parlor to getting matching tattoos of their wedding day, their elopement was the easygoing. Continue reading to learn more about their elopement from start to finish!

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Their Story

Sammie and Clint’s love story started with a swipe on Tinder. While they were both looking for a fling, they found love in a Chick-fil-A drive-through and have been inseparable ever since. Sammie, a self-proclaimed “plant hippie,” loves visiting gardens, while Clint enjoys helping her combing beaches for seashells and likes to watch her chase the seagulls. When it comes to spending a day together, they love sunsets and finding cute local hole in the wall food places; laughing at stupid jokes and never being serious. My favorite part about spending the day with S+C was seeing how much they love the simple things and finding joy wherever they go.

Their Decision

When it came to the decision to elope, S+C didn’t care about the big wedding traditions or social norms. During their consult call, Sammie said “We don’t care about the whole big wedding idea and really just wanna share the love with each other and our kiddos for the ceremony.”

S+C chose St. Augustine as their elopement location simply because it was one of their favorite vacation spots. They visit multiple times a year to soak in the history and adventure and felt it was the perfect spot to get married.

Choosing the right photographer was important to them, especially since Sammie is a photographer herself. She wanted someone who could bring her vision to life and make the day stress-free, saying, “These damn kids have me too busy to worry about wedding plans.” 😂

The Plan

Sammie and Clint were the epitome of “go with the flow.” When asked about their elopement vision, they simply said, “Zero expectations literally 😅.” They wanted a fun, relaxed day in the city they love, with beautiful photos to remember it by. Challenge accepted.

Their Elopement Day

Washington Oaks Garden State Park was the perfect backdrop for Sammie and Clint’s ceremony. The lush greenery and majestic oak trees made it a dream location for a plant lover like Sammie. Despite the hot and humid June weather, the excitement of the day made it all worthwhile. Surrounded by their children, they exchanged vows under one of the park’s famous oak trees, a symbol of their love that they later got tattooed on their arms.

Surrounded by their kids, S+C were married underneath one of the famous oak trees of the garden – the same oak tree that they would later get tattooed on their arms in celebration of their marriage.

After snapping some quick photos with their family, we headed across the way to the beach for a private vow exchange and some sea shell hunting. One of my favorite moments from their vow exchange was when Sammie was describing their life as , a wave chaos, a wave crashed behind them for extra emphasis.

After making promises and collected the prettiest shells on the beach, we headed back to St. Augustine for some exploring. Walking the historic streets of St. Augustine, we stopped at The Tipsy Duck Parlor for a cocktail, walked down St. George Street, stopped at some of the historic sites along the way.

To end their elopement day, we headed to the tattoo parlor where S+C would get matching tattoos. Gamble Tattoos designed a detailed piece that depicted the Utah mountains where Sammie calls home, the sea near where Clint grew up, and the oak tree where they got married. This was my first tattoo elopement and I have to say…there should be more of this! I can’t wait for the next one.

Looking back, Sammie and Clint’s elopement was the perfect blend of laid-back vibes and meaningful moments. It was a day that truly reflected who they are as a couple—two people who find joy in the simple things and love being in each other’s company.

If you’d like a sneak peek into how their day flowed, here’s the timeline:

9:00 AM Ceremony at Washington Oaks Garden State Park
9:15 AM Portraits at the park
10:00 AM Private vows on the beach
11:00 AM Travel to St. Augustine
12:00 PM Adventure around St. Augustine
2:30 PM Travel to tattoo shop
3:00 PM Get tattoos

Are you inspired to elope in St. Augustine and ready to start planning your own elopement? Let’s create something epic! I’m here to help you craft a day that’s totally unique to who you are as a couple.