A Magic Elopement in the Woods

15 Jul

There’s something crazy special about meeting a lady from Oregon and a fella from Louisiana, who met and live in Alaska, finding you on the internet and coming all the way to the muddy woods in East Lothian to elope. A generous wee lesson in trusting my own ideas, going with the impulsive moments and being grateful to those who trust in them too.

Not gonna lie, I’m not a huge fan of weddings. I’ve never been married. A lot of the wedding industry’s habits and messages drive me nuts. The feminist in me screams at some traditions. I’m not religious. But I really love making photos with people. I think a lot of you feel the same about weddings so I’m glad we are finding each other.

Kira had her hair beautifully done in the comfort of the cabin as part of our elopement package

I think the reason I’ve spent so long working in an industry that often makes me want to quit cos I feel like a total fraud as part of it is because there’s something really special (and probably a bit creepy) about being so close to people at such a vulnerable moment in their lives. It has taught me to be able to recognise when those things were not what was happening for me in my life. It helped me to build my self worth too. And I always think whenever I start writing about this type of stuff it either sounds like I’m taking the piss or being wild levels of earnest but I think that the wee days we help to create are just joyful, relaxed and special experiences and I’m really proud of them. So a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone working with me on this community as you give me an amazing sense of purpose in the way I work.

“whenever I start writing about this type of stuff it either sounds like I’m taking the piss or being wild levels of earnest but I think that the wee days we help to create are just joyful, relaxed and special experiences and I’m really proud of them.”

The minute folks get engaged there’s a flood of preconceived ideas about what a wedding is that are utter bollocks and totally unnecessary. If you want to elope in Scotland, you don’t have to climb up Glencoe, if you want a wedding you don’t have to hire a big barn or hotel you have no connection to and invite everyone you know, unless that’s what you really want to do.

Commonly asked questions

The beauty of the chats I’ve had with our couples so far this year is the joy of seeing the worry lift from their lovely faces, to see them relax into the idea that they can give themselves permission to marry in whatever way they like.

I’m so happy that this year we have built on the first handful of elopement and micro-weddings we helped to plan last year. Unpretentious, honest wee celebrations just have a far more relaxed atmosphere and can feel so much more special for that. There’s no pressure to entertain anyone else, couples can just be present with each other.

Andrea was the perfect celebrant for Kira and Kared’s day where she married them under a canopy of trees

Which leads me back to the chat from this really special day. Andrea, known as Soulful Celebrant, did the most amazing job. She’s incredibly spiritual and she created a really beautiful ceremony which really represented Kira and Jared’s love for nature. They wanted to marry on protected woodland, near the water. They’ve a shared love of Scotland and our folklore and the geography.

Andrea created a dogwood circle for them to stand in during the ceremony and carried it through the mud to the far end of the woods by a lake. Kira and Jared picked a spot by a spring surrounded by old trees for their ceremony. We walked through the woods, stopping for some photos when we saw some nice light and trees to use and didn’t pass another soul. It felt very special to have the whole woods to ourselves, except for the birds.

I’m really grateful to be able to work with such an ace community of suppliers. Many of the folks in The Elopement Society aren’t traditional wedding industry folks, they’re local creatives and service industry people who value offering great service, working with the best local suppliers and having striving to do everything in ways that’s kind to the planet too.

For their day, Kira and Jared picked our Secret Cabin East Lothian elopement idea and worked with Caked by Catherine, Studio Seapink from Dunbar, Emma Combe Hair and Wine Wednesdays in North Berwick, Andrea and I from Portobello and they brought their rings, quaich and outfits from home (and that beautiful blue shawl was hand crocheted by a lady in Ukraine and sent to Kira the day before the war broke).

elopement Packages

If you are thinking of eloping to Scotland from further afield, our celebrants can help with the legalities and we can help pin down a ceremony location (indoor or outdoor) which you’ll need. One of the great things about marrying in Scotland is that you can pretty much marry anywhere at any time of day. So we always begin with a chat about your shared interests and the types of spaces you like to hang out together to come up with some local and independent businesses that can help create something special for you. Check out our FAQ page, or get in touch if you fancy finding out more.

This package includes two nights in this sweet little cabin in the woods

Secret Cabin is also super close to the beach so we said our goodbyes by the crazy wind and waves. Lorna at the Cabin is a very generous and kind host, she looks after our couples so well and is always just delighted to be a little part of something so special too.

Secret Cabin Elopement

Discover | Enquire Now