If you are looking for inspiration for eloping to Scotland, you’ll love the story behind this Scotland elopement I filmed at the end of last year. It was one of sadly only a few special days I was able to capture in 2020 due to the pandemic. So being able to tell a love story in film in this difficult year made me feel all the warm and fuzzy feelings. Like many other couples, Katie and Jonathan’s wedding was disrupted by the recent pandemic and lockdowns. However, instead of postponing the date even further, they took the leap and headed up to Scotland from their home in Wales.
The setting
Katie and Jon chose Scotland for their elopement location as they wanted to feel like they were getting away from it all. They appreciate Scotland’s rich history and culture, and Katie also discovered her own Scottish heritage. Katie and Jon chose Crear Weddings to organise their big day, who helped put everything in place for the ceremony. Crear Weddings are based in Argyll and Bute, and as a wedding venue, they offer couples a remote and intimate setting for their elopement.
The views here are incredible and stretch over to the Isles of Islay, Jura & Gigha. On a clear day, you’ll also enjoy seeing the lighthouses of Rathlin Island, so the options of incredible backdrops for photos and video are unlimited. For couples looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this is the perfect spot for a Scotland elopement. The scenic surroundings and immersion in nature allow you to focus on what’s really important; your love for one another. Crear Weddings looked after everything to ensure that all the smaller details were taken care of ahead of the big day. The experience gave them even more than Katie and Jon could have imagined!
Eloping to Scotland – Rules and Regulations
If you’ve been researching potential wedding locations, you’ll know that in England and Wales you have to get married at a registered venue, with a civil or religious ceremony. Scotland is the only part of the UK where a humanist ceremony is legal. This type of ceremony can take place anywhere outside, and a humanist celebrant oversees the day. If you decide to organise your elopement yourself, you can find your perfect humanist celebrant through the Humanist Society Scotland. As for Katie and Jon, the choice of the celebrant was taken care of by Crear Weddings.
The Couple
After their traditional big wedding in Wales was postponed to last May, Katie and Jon were gutted as they had everything set for the big day. Lockdown happened on the week of Katie’s dress fitting, so like many others, they were devastated by the last-minute cancellation. What followed was that they reframed their ideas of what a wedding meant to them and opted for eloping in Scotland instead. They realised the most important thing about their wedding day was that they just wanted to marry each other.
Katie and Jon have been together for ten years, but have known each other for eighteen years, so they decided not to wait any longer and booked their trip up to Scotland. Instead of dealing with a hundred guests, Crear Weddings took care of their ceremony and all the details. The only thing left for the couple to do was book their accommodation for the journey up to Scotland. This was when they fell in love with The George – an award-winning romantic 19th-century hotel in Inveraray – which made their trip even more special and memorable.
Capturing the Special Day
While Katie and Jon opted not to have any guests at their ceremony apart from two of their very best friends, of course, they wanted to capture the memories of their special day. They decided to book both a videographer and a photographer, so that they could relive their day and share their special experience with everyone who couldn’t attend.
What does the videographer have to say? 🙂 Well, I was so thrilled that they asked me to capture this wonderful occasion for them, and I put all my heart and soul into documenting their Scottish elopement. I loved every minute of their journey – not only the day itself, but also the lead up to it and was pleased to be able to help in sharing our own elopement experience as well to calm the nerves. 🙂
The day of Katie and Jon’s elopement couldn’t have been more Scottish – a fun and relaxed morning of getting ready was followed by a beautiful ceremony in a rustic barn decorated with candles up in the hills overlooking the rugged coastline. After the ceremony they went for a walk along the beach in the wild Scottish weather to have some photos taken by the talented Neil Thomas Douglas and Ian Campbell playing the Braveheart soundtrack “The Gift of Thistle” on the bagpipe. 🙂
Katie and Jon love good music and it is a very important part of their lives, their relationship and also their journey together. Katie walking into the barn to the sounds of Roy Orbisons “All I have to do is dream” was such a wonderful moment to witness and so was their happy exit from the barn as newlyweds to The Stone Roses “Waterfall”.
A small wedding alone as a couple or with a few guests can be a wonderful alternative for couples during these trying times. A Scotland elopement provides a stunning backdrop for your intimate ceremony. While you may choose to elope just as a couple, capturing the big day with photos and video will give you a beautiful memory to share with everyone back at home who wasn’t there with you.
Regardless of whether you choose to organise your elopement yourself (check out our own Scottish elopement) or opt for a provider like Crear weddings to take care of the planning – you will have a fabulous time.
I can’t thank Katie and Jonathan enough for choosing me to be part of their wonderful Scottish elopement and thank all the suppliers for helping making this experience even more special for them:
