If you're anything like me..
You've always known a big wedding isn't for you. The planning, the stress and the worrying over small insignificant details when all you want to do is get married to the person you love.
Elopements are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the last 4 years, and eloping somewhere as beautiful as Wales is definitely something a lot of couples are considering instead of a big formal affair - but how exactly can you do it?
Well, there's a few legal bits you need to be aware of, but the best thing about elopements is that literally anything goes. You can do whatever you like and take your photographer along with you to capture everything from start to finish.
Registry Office Ceremony
The first option you have is a registry office ceremony in Wales. You can choose an office that you like the look of or is close to particular beaches/mountains/attractions etc. This is a legal marriage and all you need are 2 witnesses (I am always happy to be one!)
When couples choose this option, we usually meet at the office, I capture the ceremony and then we head off to a beach/mountain for some photos.
Sometimes couples pack a picnic, stop off to pick up their dogs, book in for an activity (matching tattoos anyone??) the list is absolutely endless
Celebrant Ceremony
It's no secret that I love celebrant led weddings - they're so full of personality and really make your wedding special.
You can book a celebrant to attend at any location or venue you like, they will perform a ceremony that's 100% personalised to you and will get to know all about you beforehand.
A celebrant led ceremony is sadly not legal yet in Wales, so you would need to visit a registry office either before or on another date to make it official but the advantages of having a celebrant far outweigh this little issue.
Choose an elopement venue
We have a few stunning venues in South Wales which run specifically for elopements and micro weddings. One of these venues is the beautiful Nantwen.
Here you can have a legal ceremony at a much more picturesque venue than the majority of register offices in the area and they also provide accommodation the night before and night of your wedding. This option provides a nice compromise in that you can have the legal part taken care of and then free to explore the countryside and nearby beaches with your photographer
What Do I know About Eloping?
Hey Im Danielle and I've been a wedding photographer for over 6 years. During the pandemic I found a lot of my couples chose to elope and I fell in love with it.
Smaller, intimate weddings are now my specialty and I've been helping couples elope in Wales ever since. My inbox is always open to help with any questions you have about eloping in Wales and if you want to check out some of my work in the meantime hit the link below.
