Photographing this intimate elopement in the Scottish Highlands was such a pleasure. As a Scotland elopement photographer, I always recommend my clients to choose a beautiful location to get married. Which Erin and Lisa did!

They chose a romantic and dramatic landscapes of Scottish highlands. Surrounded by Scottish wildlife and scenery they said ‘I do’.

And that was a perfect thing to witness as a Scotland elopement photographer.

Aren’t Glencoe and Glen Etive absolutely magical places for a wedding in Scotland?

Suppliers:

Celebrant: Angie Alexandra

Flowers: Thistle and the Rose

Hair and MUA: Clare Pearson Bridal

Erin and Lisa – intimate elopement in the Scottish highlands | Scotland elopement photographer

Lisa and Erin are an American couple from Ohio. They messaged me last year telling me about their plans to elope in Scotland the following September.

They are a super adventurous couple, they love to travel and gather new experiences together. And are drawn to nature. That is why they had felt a particular connection to Scottish lands when they last visited Scotland.

During their last European holiday they spent 48 hours in Edinburgh. They felt a special connection with Edinburgh and with Scotland.

Their hiked up Arthur’s Seat, had a long, private afternoon tea at the Signet Library and loved these moments most from their entire trip.

Without question, we knew we wanted our wedding ceremony to be wrapped up in our honeymoon – we both feel that going on a journey together for our ceremony is such a wonderful metaphor for the journey we\’re getting ready to take together in this life.

They also mentioned that they were hoping for a true partnership with the elopement photographer they choose. I knew we would be a perfect match then. And I knew I would love working with them. Nothing is more important for me in my job as a photographer than being friends with clients, not being just one more of the suppliers. I think this is the way that both clients and a wedding photographer can create unforgettable memories on a wedding day.

Celtic handfasting ceremony – elopement in Scotland

Handfasting is a symbolic Celtic ritual in which partners stand face to face to each other and have their hands tied together. It is often described as joining of the hands.

The ritual of handfasting dates back to ancient Celtic times.

It symbolises binding of two lives.

During the ceremony, the celebrant always starts with explaining the meaning of handfasting ritual. The couple then join hands together and the officiant proceeds with reading the vows. After that, partners can choose to exchange additional vows as well.

The Quaich Ceremony

A Quaich ceremony is a Scottish traditional two-handled cup.  It is also often referred to as the  love cup. And how is it used during the wedding ceremony?

Each of the partners need to take a handle to have a drink. It symbolises trust between two people. As much as you can fill it with a drink of your choice, in Scotland it is usually whisky. Some partners choose to combine two different drinks to symbolise two parties  becoming one.

In 1589 King James VI of Scotland presented a quaich to Anne of Denmark at their wedding. Since the vessel started to be incorporated in Scottish wedding ceremonies.

To sum up, quaich is traditional and ceremonial love cup. In the past it was used by two families or Scottish clans wanting celebrate a bond in a ceremony form, with each leader of the clan or the head of the family taking a sip of the drink from the vessel.

Nowadays, it symbolises the sharing between the couple.

Glen Etive wedding photo shoot in Scotland | Glencoe elopement photographer

If you’ve seen the Skyfall movie about the adventures of 007, you must have seen dramatic landscapes of Glen Etive. It’s a famous James Bond filming location.

Winding single-track road and a river in the middle of the valley make up a perfect elopement location. Amazing place to get married. Especially if you love moody Scottish landscapes.

It was raining the whole time during Erin and Lisa’s elopement photo shoot. But they totally rocked it, despite the weather and the midges! These girls were absolute troopers.

And I can’t say that it wasn’t worth it.

This is definitely my favourite weather for elopements. Who wants a sunny day for their wedding in Scotland anyway, right?