Modern transatlantic love story turned into a wee runaway elopement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland

8 Nov

Alex & Ben eloped on the quiraing - north of Skye - last summer faraway from the busy city life

Alex from Nashville, US and Ben from England after falling in love online they spent months crossing the atlantic back and forth to be together. during the covid pandemic they chose a runaway wedding rather than a traditional one and they eloped to the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland last August.

“Our photos are even better than we could have imagined and we can’t stop looking at them. we couldn’t have picked a better photographer and hope to work with him again.”

Before Alex and Ben contacted me they called Ella Mai elopement planner to help them to plan their Scotland elopement experience. Then chosen me from the vendor list for their elopement photographer. On their elopement day we had a beautiful Scottish summer day for the ceremony and after a short wandering on the island to celebrate their love.

Tell us a bit about you.

"The beginning of our relationship was long distance, as Alex is from America and Ben is from England. We knew early on that we were going to be in each other's lives forever, we just hadn't figured out the logistics of everything yet. After countless hours on facetime, and months flying back and forth to each other, Alex made the decision to move across the pond in June of 2020. We are loving our little home and making the most of the extra time we have together due to COVID."

How did you find your elopement photographer?

"We found our photographer, Weirdie Grizzly, through our elopement planner Ella. He was one of the few options she had us to choose from, and his photos instantly caught our eye. He did not disappoint, either! :)"

How did you choose your elopement and shooting location?

"For our ceremony, we knew we wanted to have it at The Quiaring on the Isle of Skye. We had seen photos of previous elopements and thought they were just breathtaking. As far as the rest of the shoot goes, we followed Weirdie's lead. He is very familiar with Skye and we trusted him to find some good spots. After a few hours, we had enough of the midges so we went inside and finished our shoot in the bar at the Flodigarry hotel. Those photos turned out incredible!"

What was the inspiration behind your elopement in Scotland?

"We didn't know what we wanted initially, but once we came across Weirdie's page, we had a better idea. We wanted our photos to be a little moody/dramatic and the scenery to be the focal point. We didn't feel that any extra decorations were necessary since the views were so beautiful."

What was your favourite moment from the day?

"We have agreed that our favorite moment from the day was reading our letters to each other, in private, before we started getting ready for the day. It seemed as if the sun came out just for us and the views were incredible."

Do you have any advice for other eloping couples?

"We had originally planned to elope, but because of COVID happening, we are so happy we did. I would say that if you are considering it, you should go for it. It is such a special day where you can relax and take your time to enjoy each other. There is no pressure, no time restraints, and you can build your day into however you want it. Your family may not be there at the ceremony, but you can always do a separate ceremony and /or reception later. Bring a backpack, some boots, a jacket or an umbrella, and get up that mountain and go get married!"

Vendors and details: