UK Elopement Ideas (2023)
Why Should you Elope in the UK?
Looking for some inspiration and a little bit of a kick up the rear to go ahead and start planning an elopement? I've put together this guide to help a little along the way. With tips on the Photography, locations, what you definitely will need and also what you can take or leave!
Elopements in the UK have become a lot more commonplace, and believe it or not, Gretna Green (although it’s a stunning location with great historical weight!!) isn’t THEE only place you can run away to and get hitched, So let’s dive in and have a look at some ideas and inspiration for your Elopement.
Although the tradition an elopement suggests, it doesn’t just have to be a run away and get married in secret, like the days of old. Eloping is an incredible way to give yourselves a unique wedding experience and truly tailor your wedding to the way you want to spend it, without any expectations and/or hefty budgets of a traditional wedding day… Spend it just with each other and anyone else you decide to surround yourselves with. There are constant updates with venues now accommodating wedding for two packages and even if you’re after a cheaper way to get married and considering an elopement, then you can still do it in style with a ton of options at your disposal.
In this blog, I will go over the planning stages as well as the things you will need to prepare for in terms of checking the legality of your elopement, notice of marriage you need to give and the difference between Registrar and Celebrant led elopement ceremonies.
Planning your Elopement in the UK.
If you’re only just embarking on this journey, there’s a good chance you’re wanting to dive right in and are eager to get things moving! The first step I recommend, is to read up on getting all the legal stuff sorted first of all. Even if you’re planning a humanist celebrant to conduct a personal ceremony that’s unique to you and your location, you’ll still need to legally complete your marriage at a registry office, or licensed venue and have your chosen witnesses present. Elopements aren’t quite as spontaneous as you’ve seen in the movies ya know!
As soon as you’ve chosen your no doubt legendary spot, I would strongly recommend booking your Celebrant or Registrar, and You will still need to give notice to marry at the registry office at least a month ahead of your elopement date. So these two should definitely go hand in hand to avoid any major glitches on the legal side! You’ll be able to get a lot of advice from the office too, so it’s worth tapping that resource as early as possible!
What information You will need to get Married - Marriage and Civil Partnership Laws in the UK.
You must be over 16 to be able to get married in England and Wales, and will need parental or guardian consent if under 18 years of age. Yes, the rules are different in Scotland or Northern Ireland. (e.g. where parental consent isn’t needed under 18). You will need to read up on all of these laws carefully!
Same Sex Marriages ARE allowed and couples can convert a civil partnership into a marriage in England or Wales.
Eloping in the UK if you’re from outside of the UK. - Eloping Abroad in the UK
If you’re planning a trip abroad to the UK to get hitched in style. First of all, You’ll need to apply for a visa to get married or form a civil partnership in the UK if you:
are not a British or Irish citizen
do not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK
do not have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme - Check out all the details on .gov here.
The visa or permit you will need depends on where you or your partner is from so it’s important to check these details. The different types of Marriage and Civil Ceremony Visas you can apply for are as follows:
a marriage visitor visa - if you’re planning on gettin’ hitched here and don’t want to stick around!
a family visa - to live permanently in the UK if your partner is a British citizen, settled in the UK, has refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
a family permit - to join your family member from the EU, EEA or Switzerland in the UK.
Places to Elope in the UK.
Here’s the thing, You can practically ‘get married’ in a ceremonial way of your choosing ANYWHERE! It’s the legal bits above that you’ll also need to consider to officially tie the knot. Wanting an extremely intimate and personalised wedding outdoors in the Peak District? then you can hire a Humanist Celebrant to conduct your ceremony, and deal with the legal paperwork at the Registry office, which will set you back around £50 plus your notice to marry.
If you’re getting married at a venue, they may already be licensed to hold the ceremony, in which case you’ll just need to book the registrar OR hire a Celebrant for a more personal experience!
So whether you’re planning a sleek city elopement or a hike for a wilderness adventure, hopefully this guide will give you some tips and inspiration! Here are some ideas on Incredible locations you can consider for an elopement!
Mam Tor - Hope Valley, Peak District
York City
St. Mary's Space, Argyll, West Highlands
Beauvale Priory, Nottinghamshire
Lud’s Church (not an actual Church), Buxton, Derbyshire
Ventnor Botanical Gardens, Isle of Wight
BoHo Cornwall
Yer own Back Yard!!!!
Local City Halls - eg. Nottingham City Council House
Venachar Lochside, Callander, Scotland
The Wedding Ceremony
This is the exciting part, where, if you’ve chosen a venue or location that doesn’t have a license for marriage. You can opt for a Humanist Ceremony which, in fact whether or not your venue has a marriage license, opens a whole world of options for you to have a truly unique, personal and memorable experience. By hiring a celebrant, You will get to discuss how you’d like it to go down. A real good celebrant will also jump at the chance to meet you both, get to know your quirks and make the whole experience something SO special.
Currently in the UK a Celebrant led ceremony isn’t legally binding so you will need to do the paperwork bit with a registrar at your local registry office (around £50)
Why book a Celebrant for my Wedding or Elopement?
If you’ve chosen to get married in an elopement style, then chances are you’re looking to do things differently, a little less traditional, informal & Personal (Personal, what the heck?!)
You don’t want a generic script read by someone who doesn’t know anything about you, your personalities & let’s face it, adds little to no personality of their own to your wedding. Most encounters just want to get it done and on to the next slot..
Unless you’re wanting a religious ceremony, I’d 100% recommend looking into having a Celebrant led ceremony. It can be hard to search and pick someone who you will vibe with and that will suit the kind of ceremony you are looking for, which is why it’s great to meet them and set expectations beforehand. To help a little with that too, here are some rad Celebrants in no particular order that you should check out. All of them offering something different and unique. Get in touch with if you’re planning your elopement, or Wedding day!
How to have a Quick and Easy Wedding in the UK?
Just to round up all of the above in a few quick and easy steps in terms of a timeline of importance. Wedding planning can quickly get out of hand and stressful to plan, so if you’re here because you’re wanting to take all of this away and elope quickly, with minimal fuss or you just have no idea where to start. Here ya go! Jot these down, carry on being legendary and go get hitched you pair of beautiful love birds!
Set your budget
Set your Date
Remember to give notice of marriage (at least a month before your set date)
Book your Celebrant
Meet with your Photographer & Book someone you can connect with who shares your vision.
Book your accommodation - Airbnb
Airbnb is incredible for finding unique spots wherever you are in the world. You might want to budget a little more for something really that’ll knock yer socks off. Or if you’re heading out into the Wilderness and you’re a pair of budding intrepid explorers, you could take a look at hiring one of the awesome custom Camper Vans from Quirky Campers and go wherever the road takes you.
Style it out - Wear whatever makes you feel best!
Forget the frills
Go and be Romantic and revel in your newly wedded eternal bond you beautiful human beings!