Organise a wedding in less than 2 months
How to organise a wedding in less than two months?
Read Hannah and Jon’s story!
Travelling from Cambridge, Hannah and Jon decided to elope to Scotland! Having visited Loch Lomond last year, they found Scotland to be the perfect scenario to host a ceremony immerse in nature. When they first got in touch, they told me three things:
They wanted to get married in a forest under some big trees
They were looking for a place that had nature, history, away from busy places, but close enough to all services for their little baby
I had a little over 6 weeks to make it all happen! And with Hannah being Australian, times were tight for the wedding papers.
Fortunately for me, I knew just the place!
With a little less than two months to make it all happen, the first priority was to find where to elope in Scotland exactly, and match them with a celebrant. I wanted to avoid overly popular places such as Glencoe: there are equally stunning, more peaceful places around the country that can make an elopement much less cliché.
I knew about Lake of Menteith: the only lake of Scotland due to having been an attractive destination for English holiday makers in the past, who kept calling it “lake”, not “loch”. What’s more, in the centre of the lake sits a lovely little island, that of Inchmahome, where the priory for Augustinian canons was built around 1238.
Bingo! History, a quiet lake, nearby the lush Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, and with lovely views on Ben Lomond. And Humanist celebrant Steven Sim was the perfect professional: I had had a few chats with him over the phone earlier on, and I felt confident that, among my suppliers, he was the perfect match.
But where should the ceremony be held?
Hannah and Jon trusted me in scouting the Forest Park nearby: their boots on the ground, I explored different areas until I found a lovely clearing among tall pine trees. When they got my photos and videos, they were awe-struck!
We saved the coordinates, and liaised with celebrant Steven so they could get their papers sorted on time. In the meantime, I connected them with my trusted vendors: Sunflower and the Bear for her dried flowers bouquet, Ezra’s confetti, Wildflower Nanny for their childminder, and Hairstylist Lou at Simply Styles Hair studio. I love supporting local businesses and connecting them with couples who share their working style and ethic! It was an happy ... marriage.
Then, I got a new message.
4 weeks before the wedding, plans changed.
Their plan had evolved, and their elopement had become a small wedding with 8 guests and their baby to take care for! They needed a place easy to walk to, in vicinity to services, but still quiet and beautiful.
Hannah and Jon felt dinner had to be a lovely, curated meal in a private room. We still had to choose an accommodation that could now host all 10 of them, plan activities, and choose wedding favours.
With 4 weeks left for planning, and a now tighter budget, I got in touch with the lovely teams at Lochend Chalets, who have wonderful and classy accommodation on the waterfront, and Nick’s at Port of Menteith, a fantastic, high-quality restaurant by chef Nick Nairn. They had been incredibly accommodating, allowing Hannah and Jon to plan their dinner in a private room and stay in a way that worked for them and their guests.
Finally, we got the green light from Historic Environmental Scotland to organise their “Just married” photoshoot at the priory on the island, and get a boat and historical tour of the priory!
On their wedding day, I got there first thing in the morning, making sure each supplier knew where to go and when. As much as possible, I like the bride not having to worry for anything. I handle all communications and coordinate the daily schedule, so that she can get ready peacefully and not worry about a thing.
Having a plan B in place for bad weather was a must- I got in touch with Blackbull Inn in Gartmore, close enough to the forest and noticeable for a lovely historical room that could have been used as a backup ceremony area, if needed. Hannah and Jon loved the idea of seeing this room so much they ended up spending a few night in the Inn too, as well as having an informal wedding lunch after their ceremony!
In the meantime, I started snapping some photos…
Luckily, the weather held up well, and after a lovely wedding in the forest, the party took a boat to Inchmahome Island, where Hannah and Jon escaped their friends and family for a while and savoured their first moments as a wedded couple. Maybe it’s just my photographer’s eyes, but it was truly a romantic setting!
We ended up with some incredible photos at sunset, and while everyone had some chill-out time (much needed after a busy day!) I headed to Nick’s restaurant to set up their dinner table. Hannah and I agreed on repurposing her bouquet as a center piece, and with a little expense at a local art shop, Amazon and Canva, we decorated the table with ribbons, placeholders, and meaningful wedding favour by local artists.
There are many locations to elope in Scotland.
Lochs, forests, glens and castles, all unique and full of solutions for a succesful wedding day.
For your elopement, you might want to consider whether you want a famous, cliché location, or whether to opt for something less know, and equally beautiful, out of the busy routes, where there’s a vibrant local community, and certainly more authentic and meaningful for your elopement.
Hannah and Jon didn’t know of Lake of Menteith, but they came to love it for the value all the nearby solutions and activities gave them.
How to plan a wedding in less than two months?
If you are looking for a wedding just like Hannah and Jon’s, but you are unsure where to start, get in touch! I am a local planner and photographer, and I’d love to give you my honest and expert advice to craft an elopement that is truly bespoke.
Head to my elopement page to discover my process!
“Isabella is incredible! She made our special day perfect from start to finish. With only 6 weeks notice Isabella was able to organise our beautiful 8 guest elopement to our budget, sourcing vendors, celebrant, accommodation and dining options!
She even hiked around to find us the perfect place in the forest. She was so organised and brought us with her on the journey, bringing to life all our crazy ideas.
On the day she took stunning photos, better than we could have possibly imagined. For two people who don’t really know what to do in front of a camera she made us look great! She captured all the big and the little things, she calmed nerves, she participated like a close friend!
At every turn she went above and beyond and I’ll be forever thankful to her. She took any stress out of the day and left us with something that was magical and acutely “us”.
She is creative, proactive, fun and super super talented. You won’t regret working with her!!! Thank you Isabella!”
Ciao! I’m Isabella, a planner and photographer specialising in elopements and micro-weddings. I offer packages inclusive of planning, photography, and on-the-day coordination.
I accept last minute bookings (like that time I planned a small wedding in little over 6 weeks!) and work primarily in Scotland and Italy.
I love getting to know each couple and learn about you and what brought you together. My photos are romantic, honest, and capture intimate moments, genuine laughs and candid expressions.
On the day, I am a calming presence who handles the hard stuff while you relax and have fun. I will understand your vision and bring it to life, prioritising your preferences and ideas to come up with a bespoke event you will love from A to Z.
You deserve a have a fun and relaxed experience and for that, you've got a friendly Italian ready to assist!
If you are ready to get started, and are interested in working with a relaxed, fun and relatable person, I would love to hear from you! Let's have a chat, or even grab a coffee together!
