Elopements are legally binding – just like traditional weddings. Though, there are some key differences in how you plan an elopement, how much it costs and what it looks like. This posts illuminates the somewhat confusing elopement industry and gives you an action plan on how to elope. 

The History of Elopements in Scotland

The ability to elope is an innately Scottish custom. Unlike in England and many other countries, Scotland allows for wedding ceremonies to take place anywhere – including outdoors in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands. Scotland has been the home of elopements since 1753 when the Marriage Act passed in England, this prevented weddings from happening outwith Churches and Chapels registered with the Church of England. This Act also saw the age restrictions not permitting anyone under the age of 21 to marry without the consent of their guardians. This saw many star crossed lovers run away to Scotland where they could elope anywhere and without restrictions given they were aged over 16. While the age limit is now 16 in England too, you still cannot wed outside of local authority approved venues and so Scotland still has much to offer in the way of freedom and adventure.

Is an elopement a Wedding?

Elopements and weddings are often lumped together and while both share some similarities there are some key differences.

Elopements are legally binding

Just like traditional weddings, elopements are legally binding as long as they are performed by a registered celebrant or minister and the marriage schedule is signed and returned to the local registrars office. Two witnesses are also needed to sign the marriage schedule, this could be done by some of our guests, passers by or by your vendor team. Darren and I have been witnesses on more than one occasion – it’s such a hige honour and we’re always happy to do it!

Essentially, just because a Scottish elopement may take place outdoors or with fewer guests does not make the commitment any less legally binding.

Elopements are a celebration of your commitment

Elopements may be smaller in guest list but it is in no way a diminution of the commitment you are making to each other. Like traditionally weddings, elopements are all about honouring your commitment in whichever way feels most authentic to you.

Elopements are not the same as traditional weddings

Despite sharing the same goal in honouring your commitment, elopements and weddings are quite different. People choose to elope rather than have a big wedding for many reasons, a key one being that the couple want a day full of time together and freedom to do what they enjoy. Traditional weddings with large guest lists and timelines don’t allow much flexibility – especially for those of us who’d rather roam the mountains, spend time with our partners and stargaze on our wedding day.

Elopement vs Wedding: Key Differences with Pros & Cons

Elopements Pros

• Get married anywhere
• More time to savour the day
• No venue-imposed timeline, do what you like when you like
• Only invite the people you want to
• Epic photos
• Truly once-in-a-lifetime, unique experience
• Often cheaper
• Chance to spoil yourselves

Elopement Cons

• Adventure locations may not be accessible for less-abled guests

Wedding Pros

• Allows for more guests
• Traditional and so rocks the boat less with families

Wedding Cons

• Very busy day, not much time for the two of you to spend together
• Very expensive
• Things have to be booked very far in advance
• Not as flexible to allow for what you enjoy

Do elopements have to be secret?

No, elopements do not have to be secret. You can tell your whole family before you elope , though only if you like. You can have lots of your family and friends there – if you like. The ‘runaway’ elopers is a common myth but not all those eloping do so in secret. Though, some do and we take every care to help them elope in secret.

How to Elope in Secret?

You may choose to elope in secret in order to keep the experience sacred, just for the two of you without any input from the outside world. To do so, you may need to set some boundaries with family and friends. It can be helpful to say that you are going on a trip together and wont be able to respond to messages. On our end, we’ll do everything we can to help keep the secret including sending you next-day sneak peek images to share (when you’re ready) and keeping your photos off our social media / website until the secret is out.

How much does eloping cost?

With the average UK wedding costing just under £21,000 according to Hitched.com they are a huge cost in a persons lifetime. It is only natural to asses this – is something this expensive what you actually want? Eloping is a great alternative to the mainstream wedding.

Elopements are cheaper than weddings (£15,000 cheaper in some cases)

Elopements can range in cost from £5000 – £10,000 on average. Compared to the £21,000 wedding price tag, this is a great alternative. Part of eloping means you aren’t paying for 100+ guest to each dinner and drinks but rather you can spend money on the things that matter most to you – whether that’s luxury accommodation, great food, great photography. For elopement photography and videography our prices range from £2,000 – £5,000 covering 4 hours to multi-day adventures.

What does an elopement ceremony look like?

The best thing about an elopement is that it can look any way you like, that can also be the trickiest part too. With freedom and a lack of rules, it can feel overwhelming to plan your elopement. Let us clear some things up.

Not all Scottish Elopements happen at Gretna Green

Gretna green is a beautiful and romantic elopement location but it is not your only choice. You can elope at the top of Ben A’an, or by the sea at Achmelvich beach or in the mountains of Glencoe.

Do you walk down an aisle for an elopement?

The choice is yours. You may be eloping in a castle with a few guests in which case you likely will have an aisle. In somewhere wild like Glencoe or Torridon, you may not have an official aisle though you can still arrive at the ceremony location later and experience the magical moment of seeing each other for the first time at your ceremony location.

Do you have speeches at an elopement?

Elopements really can be what you want them to be. You can take the elements of a traditional wedding that feel good to you – if you always dreamed of making a speech make one! If you want to hear friends and loved ones say lovely things about the two of you – invite them to! We’ve heard speeches in medieval banquet halls and in the forests – it’s all good, we promise.

Do you have a first dance at an elopement?

The choice is yours! Are you sensing a theme here? If you’re not dancers – great you dodged a bullet. But if you want to share a dance please do. We have photographed an elopement where the couple specifically took dance lessons together for weeks to then share a romantic moment dancing in their own private ballroom.

What is an adventure Wedding?

Elopements are a popular choice for those of us who are more adventure-inclined. If the idea of being stuck in a venue all day makes you feel a bit jittery – an adventure elopement could be for you.

Adventure elopements often incorporate something thrilling like a hike, a wild swim or stopping off at an epic location.

Elopements can be indoors

Though elopements attract the thrill-seekers among us, there is no pressure to partake in activities that you don’t particularly enjoy. Elopements can be relaxed, they can be indoors. They can be spent indoors at Castles or Celtic Roundhouses or in enjoying a late afternoon picnic and watching the sunset. Whatever makes your heart beat, thats what an elopement should be.

Does Eloping mean Excluding Loved Ones?

When you elope, you tend to have a very few number of guests – if any at all. Though, elopements aren’t exclusionary by any means. The extend to which you want your loved ones present can be accomodated.

How many guests can you have at an elopement?

As many as you like but we have found working with our couples that 20 maximum seems ot be the sweet spot.

How to include family in your elopement?

If you opt to have no guests at your elopement, you can still include family and friends in other ways.

Have them write letters to you

This is such a sentimental way to have family with you in some form. It makes for a really beautiful addition to your morning where you get to connect with them and your roots before beginning your new family.

Have tokens from them with you

Things like photographs, jewellery and heirlooms can help you feel grounded and connected during your elopement.

Live Stream your ceremony

Since covid, a few of our couples have opted to live stream their ceremonies. Though this is less common as it requires stable wifi and a dedicated guest to record and set up – both of which aren’t always present when eloping in Scotland.

Photography and Videography of your Elopement

We take our jobs so seriously as elopement photographers and videographers because we know that your photos and film are all that will be left of your day. They are heirloom pieces of art which we capture with you, your families and your future family in mind. If there is anything worth investing it – it’s photography and videography. I know we’re biased but we plan to spend the vast majority of our own elopement budget on this too. It’s the greatest advice we can give.

Albums

Speaking of heirlooms, your elopement wedding album will likely be your first hierloom. Our albums are deigned to the highest quality and we’ll work together to craft the perfect story from the day.

When you have an album from your day, you get to welcome loved ones into the adventure you had and this creates such a beautiful moment of connection while still holding the day you shared just together sacred in your memories.

Our albums come in leather, cloth and velvet materials with artfully designed covers inspired by Scottish landscapes and folklore.

Parent Albums

Albums are a gift not only to yourselves but to your parents. Parents treasure photography albums and really value seeing your photographs in real life. We want you to be able to give this gift to them and so we offer discounted duplicate parent albums when you order your own.

Elopement Packages

Should you book an all-inclusive elopement package?

All-inclusive elopement packages typically mean that you book all your vendors in one place. While this might sound nice and simple, it may not be everything you hope for. When you book these packages you are unable to select all your vendors they are pre-chosen for you. With elopements – where you have limited guests – your vendors make up such a huge part of your day and that is why it’s important to look for vendors you really like and would want to be friends with.

When you book with us we can give you access to our list of trusted vendors but we always encourage you to reach out and get to know your vendors before booking – they really do make your elopement experience!

How long are elopements?

Just like you’d have a wedding DAY we suggesting looking at your elopement like the full day celebration it is!

How long should you book your elopement photographer for?

It is a good idea to book your elopement photographer for full day coverage. This has many benefits including:

• You don’t need to feel rushed
• You can have every part of your day captured
• You have lots of time for adventure
• You can work with the weather

Especially in Scotland, flexibility is key. It is a good idea to allow time to get out of the rain / cold for a while and to have time to drive between locations where you want to be photographed.

Full Day Elopement Ideas

Not sure how to fill an entire elopement day? Let us help you.

• Morning – a slow morning writing your vows, taking a walk, reading letters and enjoying the ritual of preparations.
• Afternoon – Ceremony and a few hours to visit dream locations.
• Evening – meal and whisky at the local pub or stargazing at your remote airbnb.

or…

• Sunrise ceremony followed by adventure and ending the afternoon with a wild swim and a picnic.

Elopement Photography

Elopement photography seeks to capture the adventure, authenticity and emotion of your day. To honour this, elopement photographers aim to have you present in the experience as much as possible.

Elopements are not All Day Photo Shoots

Though you may opt for full day coverage, elopements are not just photo shoots. They are intentional days that you craft to celebrate your love and they are documented. Photography is never the point of an elopement, it is simply the process of documenting the day. The point of an elopement is to commit to the one you love.

How to Pose for elopement photographs?

Elopement photography is not based on posing, so – good news – you don’t have to worry about this. The best photographs always come from real emotions and real experiences. That is why during your elopement, we wont be posing you constantly but rather documenting your adventure.

Elopement Vendors You Need in Scotland

For your Scottish elopement you will need:

• A celebrant
• A photographer / videographer

You may opt to add:

• Flowers
• Bagpiper
• Rings
• Wedding outfits
• Catering
• Accommodation

Best places to elope in Scotland

Scotland is full of gorgeous places to elope from the borders to the most northern highlands and islands. Here are some popular elopement locations:

• Edinburgh
• Perthshire
• The Cairngorms
• Glencoe
• Isle of Skye
• Isle of Mull
• Isle of Arran
• Torridon & Wester Ross
• Assynt
• Dornoch & The Black Isle

How to elope in Scotland?

Eloping to Scotland is easy and a great decision. Learn more on how to elope in our dedicated blog for 2024.

How to Book Your Scottish Elopement?

So now you know what elopements are, how much they cost and what they look like, get in touch with us to step into your Scottish adventure.

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