How to plan an Elopement in the UK
With many large weddings this summer postponed due to the dreaded C-word, smaller humanist or non religious ceremonies and elopements are becoming more and more popular. But a lot of people have a set idea in their head about what elopements are, and after dreaming of having the big wedding for so long, are probably struggling to imagine how an elopement would work for them. If this thought has crossed your mind, but you have no idea what is involved in an elopement, you’re in the right place because I’m going to do a bit of myth busting for you and hopefully help you imagine a different way of doing this whole wedding thing!
Having a Celebrant Led Wedding
First of all, I’ll cover the biggest question of them all. Will we be legally married if we have a celebrant led ceremony in the UK? Simply put, no. Well, at least not in England and Wales yet. Scotland is slightly different. But don’t let this worry you. When registry offices are open, you can go and have a just for paperwork ceremony to make it legal, either before or after you elope.
For this kind of ceremony, rather than having the ceremony conducted by a registrar that you probably only met that morning, you will be looking at getting a celebrant. One of the best things about a smaller wedding is how personal they are, and the biggest reason for this is the celebrant. They will get to know you both as a couple and help plan the ceremony with you, so you really can bring it back to just being about the two of you and how much you love each other. You can bring in as many personal touches as you’d like, whether that be themed around your favourite film, or with nods to bands that you’ve seen together. You can do your ceremony your way!
“Eloping is a chance to break tradition and create a simple wedding that reflects you both as a couple, without the added pressure of having to please hundreds of family and friends.
Ultimately a marriage is union of two people, hopelessly in love, coming together as one.
It’s not about signing a piece of paper or even the huge celebration filled with food and booze.
There’s something so intimate about saying your I do’s, just the two of you, speaking from the heart and committing to a lifetime together.
Eloping can prove to be the ultimate romantic getaway.”
A really common misconception about elopements is that it’s unplanned and spontaneous, and usually doesn’t involve your loved ones. This is not true for many modern day elopements. Many couples spend months, or even years planning their day, just like with larger weddings, only with the focus on other areas such as travelling or adventures. And many involve guests too, just in much smaller numbers, sometimes just immediate family and closest friends. It’s often just a case of a slight adjustment in priorities. The day usually plays out in much the same way too, with the couple getting ready, sometimes apart, but sometimes together, especially if it is just the two of them. The ceremony takes place, then at some point there’s food. The specific details though are entirely up to you. That’s the best part of eloping, you can totally throw out the rule book!
“ A common worry with smaller weddings is that the ceremony won’t feel as special.
My micro-ceremony couples would say the opposite! Actually when you take away the pressure of lots of guests, and all the stuff they expect, the focus shifts to being solely on you and your partner and the importance of the commitment you’re making! It’s actually MORE emotional when you have just the really important things to think about.
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planning an elopement
My absolute favourite thing about planning an elopement rather than a big wedding is that the ceremony could potentially be anywhere. It could be on the side of a mountain in the Peak District, or on the beach where you had a walk after your first date, the options are endless.
And it isn’t all about the ceremony either. Although the day usually doesn’t have the same format as a traditional wedding, a lot of elopements often involve many of the same elements, just done slightly differently. For example, the sit down wedding breakfast could be a family gathering in a local pub after a ceremony in the mountains; Or Bride/Groom prep could potentially be done together as its just the two of you and its just part of the day and part of the excitement. The key thing is, it’s your day however you’d like to do it.
And if you’re planning an elopement, it’s also highly likely that you both enjoy having an adventure. Hiking, travelling, skiing, surfing. Rather than wanting to spend your wedding budget on the table decorations or the flowers to dress the church, you’d much rather spend it on another experience. And why not do that on your wedding day itself? Whether that is sticking on best hiking boots on under the wedding dress and going for a wander in the Peak District after your ceremony, or jumping in a row boat into the middle of a lake. Or if you don’t fancy that, even just jumping in the car and hopping out at really epic locations and just enjoying the sunset from such an amazing place. You could even rent a nice Air B&B and get some caterers in, and end the day sat around a fire toasting marshmallows.
Credits
Eloping in the UK: If you can dream it, you can live it. Hike a mountain in your wedding dress. Watch sunset together wrapped up in a blanket with sheep looking on. The world is yours, you’ve just got to think out of the box.
