Elope in Scotland

Rich in folklore, ancient heritage, and untamed scenery—Scotland offers an elopement experience that’s truly unique, capturing the magic of a place that stirs the soul.

Are you planning to elope to Scotland? Being about as excited as planning that big traditional wedding as giving yourself a hole in the head. Saying your personal vows in amongst the landscape, stunning scenery all around you. Taking your time on your day to do what you want? Relaxed, stress-free day that you can look back on and remember it as an amazing adventure rather than a day of stress.

Eloping to Scotland can have it’s own stresses, having that fear, will friends and family understand? They’ll get over it! And you can always have a party afterwards and just invite everyone.

Elopements weddings are personal, a day you curate to suit you, not everyone else, an adventure and a focus on what matters most. YOU. But why elope to Scotland? Because you can. Scotland is currently the only country in the UK where you can get legally married pretty much wherever, whenever you want; as long as it is conducted by a registered celebrant.

You’ve been travelling around Scotland previously and fell in love with the culture and the landscape and always said you would love to just get married at that spot on Skye, Glencoe, the Western Isles or the West Coast. We really do have some utterly stunning landscapes where you can immerse yourself in your day, taking it all in at your pace. Plus it means you’re not stuck in one venue. Go on a mini adventure for your photographs.

From woodlands filled faeries (can’t guarantee that), to rugged and wild mountains, turquoise watered white sand covered beaches to lochside wedded bliss. Scotland is beautiful and diverse.

Thinking about eloping to Scotland but don’t know where to start? I can certainly help a bit with a mini guide on the how’s, why’s and where’s which should help get you started on the road to that Scotland Elopement, with me as your photographer of course!

Do you need a wedding planner for an elopement? Entirely up to you, but if you look over my recommended supplier list, you probably won’t need one, we’ll look after you.

Choose a location – Think about what you want as your backdrop to your marriage, mountains, loch, forest? This can be somewhere that already holds memories or one where you want to create that memory. This is also required when you apply for your paperwork.

Choose a date – Do you have a date in mind? So you want autumn colours from September–November. A spring wedding or a summer wedding? Bear in mind that June through to August (ish) are the busiest times of the year in Scotland. And especially the Highlands. It’s also midge season!

Eloping means that you also don’t have to stick to the traditional timeline of a  wedding day. Whatever makes you happy, the most important thing is that you do you on your day.

Find a Celebrant – Getting married outdoors and embracing Scotland’s scenery, you are going to need a celebrant for your marriage to be legal. If you are non-religious and wish the ceremony to celebrate YOU, a humanist wedding could be the answer. The Humanist Society Scotland would be a good starting point. If you’re not sure or fancy something a little more spiritual, feel free to reach out and I can certainly give you options, be that an Interfaith Minister or a full-on minister.

Find your suppliers – Eloping needs far fewer suppliers than a traditional wedding, but there will be some things that you will want to book. The only supplier you actually need is a celebrant. You also won’t need to look for a photographer, I’m here. Think about florists and hair and makeup however.

Book your accommodation -Scotland has an abundance of accommodation options, from lodges, to castles, to Air BnBs to glamping pods and everything inbetween. When choosing your accommodation look for somewhere close to your elopement location to reduce travel time on your elopement day.

Witnesses – You will need two witnesses to be present at your elopement ceremony for it to be legal. This can be family and friends, if it’s not a couple-only elopement. However, if you are planning an intimate elopement, just the two of you, I am happy to act as witness and can help find another if required. Usually I rope in a close friend to come with me or another photographer who fancies a bit of craic.

Paperwork – whether you are having a civil, belief or religious ceremony, you need to contact your registrar/celebrant before completing the paperwork. Having some guidance at this step is key to plain sailing relaxed ceremonies. Your registrar/celebrant can guide you through the paperwork and fees.

Wellies – This is Scotland after all, take those wellies or hiking boots with you, Jimmy Choos at a lochside or up a mountain really are not going to cut it. Put on your feet what you are comfortable in. Or wear those flats/heels and take a change of footwear with you.

Humour – A sense of one at least, humour and oooo we are getting married will over come any ” I hate getting my photo taken” or “I’m really awkward in front of a camera” feelings.

What if it rains on our wedding day?

Embrace it, dance in the rain, take umbrellas and your wellies, a poncho or some long-forgotten tribal dance to stop the rain; It’s Scotland and one thing we can’t control, is the weather. It could be raining one minute and glorious sunshine the next; in between all of this, we’ve built a snowman. Blue cloudless skies are meh anyway.