Idyllic & Secluded Glencoe Lochan Elopement in Scotland

Matthew and Emma’s romantic December elopement on the banks of Glencoe Lochan was an absolute dream!

They chose to have a Glencoe Lochan wedding in Scotland with a handfasting ceremony, with just a very small number of guests. The views were striking, the emotion palpable and the portraits around the surrounding area were spectacular.

I adore Matthew and Emma’s outfits, Emma’s lovely dried flower crown and bouquet, as well as the cosy matching shawls they wore. Remarkably their day came in at just over £6000, which is proof you can have your dream day, without spending a fortune.

I am here for all the romance, the intimacy and the loved-up vibes. Swoon. Thanks ever so much to Lauren Elliott Photography for sharing with us these sensational images.

Glencoe Lochan Wedding

The Proposal

Well we had actually agreed to go ring shopping in advance of a proposal, so that we could agree a budget and get a ring that Emma actually loved. We went to several jewellers previously to browse at the Argyll Arcade, Glasgow. But on the day that we decided to commit to buying a ring, we went to “Mr Harold & Son” at the Argyll Arcade and purchased a ring that Emma loved.

This was in April ’22. We went home and I safely stored the ring until I was ready to propose.

It would be on June 11th ’22 in Gran Canaria at the Colina Mar Hotel where I proposed. So a little wait! I had smuggled the ring in our luggage and safely hid it in the hotel safe until I could decide where and when to propose. It must’ve been about 4 days into our holiday and I still hadn’t made a move, so I decided to try do it on our hotel balcony.

I had the ring in my pocket and sat out there watching some stuff on my tablet until Emma came out. She commented on my sunburned skin and said she was going to nip back in to get some moisturiser. When she left, I thought “I’ll take her by surprise!” and promptly got on one knee, tucked the ring behind the other knee and pretended to tie my shoelace…for about 5 minutes. Emma had went into the bathroom, got distracted and decided to continue getting ready for our night out and promptly forgot about getting the moisturiser.

Defeated, and with a sore knee, I went back inside to ask about the moisturiser, found out she had gotten distracted on one of her many side quests and realised I had to come up with another way for me to be kneeling. So I kneeled by the safe, stuck the ring there and rummaged about pretending to prepare our stuff for the night. Getting out money, putting away gadgets etc

So I shouted Emma through and asked if she wanted her bracelets out, that was a yes, so I said to come get them. She came, I handed them over. I asked how much money she wanted out, handed that over. She had another ring in the safe, so I asked if she would like her ring out of the safe – she said yes. Instead, I produced the engagement ring in its little green box and the rest is history.

The Vision

There wasn’t much of a vision to start with, Emma and I are private people though and don’t really like being the centre of attention or being told what to do. So we envisioned a small ceremony somewhere nice. All Emma really wanted was a nice dress, with some nice pictures we could look back on. I just didn’t want to break the bank! So we decided that an elopement would be the best choice.

Emma started off by looking into wedding photographers on Instagram and looking at locations. That’s when she came across Lauren Elliott (@laurenelliottweddings) and seen some absolutely stunning pictures of Glencoe. We loved how isolated and wild it felt, as well as how picturesque it was. It was about a 3-hour drive from us, so not too far, but far enough that if we wanted to do it quietly, nobody would find out accidentally.

We agreed upon an elopement and to be married by a Humanist as we are not religious in the slightest. After a quick look on the Humanist Society Scotlands website, we found a celebrant for the area of Glencoe called Alyson Stewart (@alyson.the.humanist) who was a fantastic help. We had a quick video call, discussed the basics, places and dates, the process and booked in with her to be married on the 6th of December 2022.

In October 2022 we booked a hotel in nearby Kentallen to kind of get a feel for the area. The hotel also had lodges which we would later book for our wedding stay on the shores of Loch Linnhe. We went up to Glencoe Lochan for a walk as that was a place Alyson had suggested was stunning to get married by, and she was 100% correct. We had seen pictures, but seeing it in real life was something else! So we chose to be married there.

Budget

We never had a budget in mind, but we did have money saved up. We just knew that we didn’t want to spend tens of thousands on one day. In total, we were roughly £6300. We could’ve done it cheaper, we could’ve done it more expensive.

That covered;

Wedding bands
Kilt hire
Emma’s dress
Alterations
A tartan shawl to match my kilt
Flowers
Lodge
Humanist and HSS Membership
Registrar fee
Hair/Make-up
Shoes
Mini-moon
Gifts for our (few) guests
Photographer
Wedding dinner & drinks
Taxis
And a gift for Emma on the day of the wedding

The Ceremony & Music

The day was dry and crisp. The weather was really good for December! My sister drove her husband and I up to the car park at Glencoe Lochan and met Alyson the Celebrant and we walked to the spot we had agreed to meet up to be married.

Emma, her friend and her sister drove up a short time after (with an accidental detour). We all met and Alyson carried out the ceremony. She talked about the history of the area we were in and read out some stories about how we met and some other anecdotes we had emailed to her about one another. We were married with wedding rings and a hand-fasting ceremony.

After the ceremony was complete, we had pictures taken of us and our guests and then our photographer took us away for more pictures of Glencoe Lochan and around the Glencoe area, including Glen Etive and the Kings House Hotel. Whilst we were having our wedding pictures taken, our 4 guests went back to the lodge to chill and (unbeknownst to us) decorate the place for our return later in the evening. They were then picked up by taxi to take them to meet back up with us.

We all met back up for dinner at the Kings House Hotel where our photographer finished the session. After a fantastic meal and several drinks, we got a taxi back to the lodge where we all chilled out. We didn’t have a wedding cake, but wedding cupcakes brought up by my sister.

The Venue

So we prepared for the day at the Lodges ran by the Hollytree Hotel at Kentallen Pier. Myself, Emma, Otto (Emma and I’s dog), my sister and her husband and Emma’s sister and friend were there (6 of us). We had all made our way up the day before. The Lodge had 4 bedrooms, ensuites, a massive living room/dining room/kitchen and a massive decking area with a hot tub. The view of Loch Linnhe was amazing and surprisingly clear for December.

In Scotland, you can be married anywhere. You don’t need to go to a church, chapel, registry office, etc, if you do not want to. We chose to be married on the banks of Glencoe Lochan.

Your Outfits

Matthew: Hebridean Heather kilt, grey jacket, Lomond style waistcoat, Rabbit style sporran, grey sock, black shoes, white shirt, Hebridean Heather plaid, burgundy tie/cravat, sgian dubh. Hired from Kilts4U, Kilmarnock.

At previous occasions where I’ve worn a kilt, I’ve usually been given a certain tartan to wear (as part of the groomsman’s party) or worn the same tartan as my dad (silver thistle). So it being my wedding, I got to choose any I wanted. The Devlin Tartan, I would’ve had to have had it made from scratch and I had never seen it in real life before, so that was a no-go.

I ended up going with Hebridean Heather as it’s grey like Silver Thistle (a nod to my dad) but with a red pattern through it, which I thought was nice.

Emma: Organza style wedding dress by Justin Alexander, purchased at One of a Kind Bridal, Hamilton (sister store of Bijoux Bridal). Thermal leggings. white Converse All-Star hi. Hebridean Heather shawl, made by MacGregor and MacDuff. Flower crown with dried flowers, bouquet, buttonhole for groom made by Folky Dokey (@f.o.l.k.y.d.o.k.e.y).

Emma liked the dress, Emma bought the dress. Knowing we would be kicking about Glencoe in December, Emma wisely chose white Converse made of faux leather that had high ankle coverage for extra support and waterproofing. She was also advised to wear thermal leggings to try to retain heat by our photographer. The shawl was bought to match the groom and again to stay warm.

Your Photographer

Lauren Elliot (@laurenelliottweddings)

The Styling & Decor

Folky Dokey (@f.o.l.k.y.d.o.k.e.y)

The Honeymoon

We had a mini-moon stay at Loch Lomond Hide-Aways for 2 nights after our elopement.

Memorable Moments

Trying to get a picture with a stag at the Kings House Hotel. Our photographer’s “assistant” done his absolute best to lure him in, but we were unable to get a close picture. However, he appears in a couple of pictures at a comfortable distance.

The meal and service at the Kings House Hotel was out of this world, definitely a must if you are in the area!

Advice For Other Couples

Emma: Do exactly what you want to do for your wedding/elopement. Don’t worry about the opinions of others and don’t let anyone tell you what you should and should not do. The plan is to only do it once, so do something you’ll enjoy.

Matthew: We never used a planner for our elopement, but never would’ve managed if it weren’t for our celebrant and our photographer who knew the area well. You’ll only (hopefully) have one wedding, but your photographers and celebrants have done hundreds. If you need any advice or have any questions about processes and locations, they will happily share their experience and knowledge.

However, make sure you have all paperwork filled out as soon as you get it and sent away ASAP.