Spirit of Adventure - A wedding to reflect the real you

Spirit

Never crush your true spirit for traditions that don’t sit well with you.

It’s easy to get so caught up in ‘wedding-mania’ that sometimes we lose sight of what really matters… each other and what makes us happy.

A lot of us have an outfit we already own that that makes us feel special. That when we put it on, our partners say, ‘you look amazing’. Would it not be just as special to walk down the aisle in a dress that makes you feel this way, rather than just wearing a dress you see in a magazine.

We pass wild flowers and foliage all the time. Go take a walk together and pick your own bouquet.

We create menus to cater for all our families and friends rather than eating the food we love, or just picnicking in a field till the sun goes down.

The definition of elope, is to run away. Over the years, more and more couples choose to elope. But not for the purpose of running away. They do this to ensure they get the wedding day of their dreams. The most romantic or private or meaningful or exotic or spiritual place for them providing them with the perfect setting to say I Do.

Not all couples want to be watched when they exchange vows and spend a day talking to hundreds of people rather than spending as much time as possible with the one they love.

Places

In the UK, you can’t just get legally married anywhere, with a days notice (for example). There are restrictions in place such as having to give 28 days notice of your intent to marry and the location having a permanent structure that holds the licence to your marriage being legal. This means that you can’t just rock up in a wooded area with a celebrant, say your vows and be legally married… boooo!

Many couples now have their legal ceremony in a register office with a couple of witnesses in order to have a legally binding marriage, then elope to a remote location and have what they class as their ‘real wedding’.

You still need to factor time in to your planning. Whilst you may not be wearing a dress that needs ordering and altering or a suit that’s coming from a tailors, there’s still elements of planning to consider… venue (or location, such as a wood), accommodation (we all need to sleep somewhere, right?), vows (if your doing them), rings (if your having them) etc.

But ultimately, you can have the wedding of your dreams, with as little or as many people as you wish, wearing whatever you choose to and eating and drinking anything you want! You can finish your evening off with a huge party, or a takeaway in front of the telly!

The main thing is to make every aspect of your day all about the things you love, rather than what you think is expected of you. Couples I have captured who have truly kept the day to their liking are visibly happier, more relaxed and utterly carefree.

Already there

The great thing about eloping abroad, or to a remote location, or to somewhere close to your heart means you are already in a truly special place. So what better thing to do than stay there for a week or so and kick off married life in spectacular style. Combine your wedding with your honeymoon and keep all the feels going for as long as you can.

You can always have a party once your back home if you wish to celebrate with friends and family, or you can just show them the pictures!

Even when escaping, it is so important to have those moments captured. You don’t want loads of people around, that’s why you’ve eloped, but one photographer (yup, that could be me!) isn’t going to be a distraction and certainly doesn’t need to be with you all day. Imagine making all those amazing memories but not having anything to look back on! It is of course a personal choice and ultimately, ‘your day, your way’ MUST come first, but don’t write it off without proper thought.

So, if you have a free spirit or don’t want loads of fuss and expense, this may be just the wedding for you!