Our Lake District elopement was a once in a lifetime experience – we are so happy with our photographs and cannot thank you both enough for helping us have such a special day!”
Travelling from Los Angeles, Liz and Jason knew from the offset that the idea of a big wedding was not their cup of tea at all – wishing for something more intimate for their nuptials. A Lake District elopement was just the ticket, with romantic at heart Jason suggested they elope to Gretna Green on the night of their engagement;
“I had read about the history of Gretna Green on a site called Atlas Obscura, a site that tells people about interesting locations around the world and offers interesting experiences in local areas to its readers. Liz and I went on our first un-official date to watch a Falconry exhibition through one of these Atlas Obscura experiences, so on the night we got engaged I suggested Gretna Green as a wedding destination because of its connection to our beginnings, its’ history with elopements, Liz’s Scottish ancestry, and the fact that neither of us had ever been to Scotland.”
Liz and Jason also hoped to have some photographs in the beautiful Scottish landscape (thinking the Highlands, Loch Lomond and the like), but of course, that would have meant a drive and a half from Gretna (3.5 hours from Gretna to Glencoe to be exact!), so after a fair bit of research and some good old fashioned teamwork on both sides of the Atlantic we decided on heading through to Haweswater to finish their Lake District elopement. Liz and Jason stayed at the beautiful Haweswater Hotel, what a gem of a place with the beautiful feeling of being utterly remote – just perfect :)
Kudos to this wonderfully sweet couple for not even minding being caught halfway up a hill when the rain started during their couples shoot. Well, we say rain. It was GODDAM RAIN FOLKS. Sideways, beat you up kinda rain. That being said, getting utterly drenched with the two of you was so worth it. S o a k e d to the BONE man, haha! Keep scrollin’ for more Lake District elopement tips from the man himself, Jason :D
“The biggest challenge was getting married abroad. There was far more paperwork and stress than I could have ever imagined. So, the stresses of having to placate our families was instead spent dealing with various agencies in order to legally get married in a different country. We overcame it by creating a rigid schedule for when everything had to be done.
We found that it can be incredibly helpful to tell people that whatever service you are asking of them is for a wedding. Hotel room, shopping, alterations, makeup, VISA stuff…if you tell them it’s for your wedding they will be much nicer and more helpful. Particularly if you end up running into any problems.”
“My (Jason) most vivid memory from the day is of how insubstantial it felt being married by the registrar followed immediately by the mind shattering weight and lifelong responsibility of being married by Frank, who we both agree is the God of Gretna Green. Liz’s most vivid memory from the day was of getting ready in the morning. The unreal quality of the light at dawn. Having it hit her what was about to happen.”
Liz opted for a custom dress from Showbelles, while Jason found his suit via ASOS :)
We asked Liz and Jason what they would tell ‘newly engaged L+J’ if they could go back in time, they had this to say…
“We would tell ourselves that eloping in this particular way would not necessarily be easier than having a traditional wedding and to focus on the more personal reasons why we would be doing it. Liz would tell herself to not spend months trying to execute elaborate hair prep on her own and just hire someone for the day. Don’t try to DIY everything if it’s causing you stress. It will just take away from enjoying the important things!”
Considering your own Lake District elopement and not scared of a little weather? We’d love to hear from you!
Jo + Liam :) xx