Joyful and moody Glencoe elopement for two brides

All you need is love (and an epic Glencoe elopement)

Before COVID, Mary + Rosalie were in the throes of planning a big edgy New York wedding in a cool speakeasy bar. Where they ended up couldn’t have been further from their initial vision! Once COVID hit, they quickly realised that their plans would need to change. And secretly, they were relieved to be able to say goodbye to planning a stressful big wedding and instead seizing the opportunity to grab a small handful of their absolute favourite people to elope in Scotland.

After all the trials of postponements and nail-biting travel restrictions, there was absolutely NO WAY they were going to let a little (okay, a lot) of rain stop them from having the absolute time of their lives. And the weather forecast in Glencoe was definitely predicting A LOT of rain.

For Mary + Rosalie, they wanted to leave as little impact on the land as they could – taking only their memories and leaving only footprints. They wore pre-loved dresses, made their own bouquets using flowers from a local store, let the wind be their musical accompaniment and were very mindful to leave no trace throughout the day.

In the end, their day was a celebration of throwing caution to the (literal) wind and embracing a relaxed day full of love, loved ones, epic scenery and a warm fire in their bellies (but that might have been the whisky!). This LGTBQ+ elopement in Glencoe is one we’ll remember for a longtime and we’re very grateful to have made such wonderful new friends in Mary + Rosalie.

Same-sex elopement ceremony in Glencoe

They threw caution to the wind and trooped up the hill, along with a few of their family + friends knowing they might end up drenched within 5 minutes. And maybe mother earth admired their wild spirit because she stopped the rain precisely for the exact length of the ceremony. And after the moment they had toasted their celebration the clouds let loose everything they had held back for those 30 mins. The smiles and frantic scrambling and child-like joy of getting caught in the rain was such a delight to witness.

There is something about the rain that makes people surrender. Opening their arms wide to the sky and embracing the beauty of the things we can’t control. It makes you feel alive.

Before their ceremony they toasted with some Scottish whisky with their friends and family. And as they stood on a windy stormy hill, they were determined to enjoy their ceremony in their weddings dresses. These two brides were not to be deterred! And they embraced some of Scotland’s most beautiful wedding traditions – a handfasting (their cords were made from special material and garments from their histories) and drinking from the quaich (friendship cup filled with more whisky!)

Adventuring during a moody Glencoe elopement

After this, they spent a couple of hours exploring Glencoe, with its ever-changing and challenging wet conditions unless their perseverance was rewarded with an incredibly dramatic sunset over the iconic view of the Three Sisters mountain range.

Elopement celebration in a cosy Scottish pub

And to finish off this epic adventure, they retreated to a cosy hikers pub nestled in the mountain valley to meet their friends and family again. Speeches, dinner and yes, plenty more whisky!

Team of inclusive LGBTQ+-friendly suppliers

Location: Glencoe, Scotland
Accommodation: Isles of Glencoe Hotel
Photographer + videographer: Raini Rowell Photography
Celebrant: Alyson Stewart

Inspired to elope in Glencoe?

Don’t hesitate to get in touch to start planning your moody Glencoe elopement with me!