Marleen & Steffen’s Winter Elopement in the Scottish Highlands’ Glen Etive

Marleen and Steffen’s intimate elopement in the heart of the Scottish Highlands was magical! Traveling from Germany to one of their favorite destinations, they embraced the beauty of Glen Etive, surrounded by stormy skies, autumn colors, and the charm of Highland coos. With Celtic traditions, heartfelt personal vows, and cozy moments by the fire, their day was a perfect blend of romance and adventure. Every detail, from their emotional loch-side ceremony to their celebratory Irn Bru toast, captured the essence of their love story and the wild spirit of Scotland. Get all the details below.

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About This Scottish Highland Elopement

Photography by Raini Rowell Photography

“Marleen and Steffen had traveled from Germany to get married in one of their favorite travel destinations – Scotland. They had been to Glencoe before, had their hearts stolen, and knew they wanted to be somewhere close by for their elopement. They’d chosen November when the glens would be quieter and the last of the autumn colors would be clinging on.

It started with a lovely slow intentional morning in their cozy cottage whilst mist settled on the mountains around. They got ready separately before an emotional first look just outside.

The stormy sky meant we were anticipating rain but lucky for these two there was no heavy showers and the sky added the drama and moodiness they’d hoped for. The sun even poked through at their loch-side ceremony but then hid away for their special private vows sitting by the water. The ceremony was very emotional and filled with Celtic traditions (like handfasting and drinking from the quaich) which Marleen and Steffen had felt drawn to – honoring local customs.

Afterward, we enjoyed some of Marleen and Steffen’s favorite treats – cake and Irn Bru in the warmth of their cottage. But it wasn’t long before the beautiful autumnal light of the afternoon had us back outside chasing light shafts, clambouring rocks, and bog tramping. Not to mention shoo-ing the coos by their cottage (my favorite job!)

We arrived back at the cottage, popped on the fire, and captured the couple as they opened letters and gifts from family and friends.” [Raini, the photographer]

Permits and LNT

“The Glencoe/Glen Etive area of Scotland doesn’t require a permit at present but we’re really mindful to leave no trace to keep this space open and free in the future. In Scotland, we also have the Outdoor Access Code (similar to LNT principles) which goes hand in hand with our Right to Roam legislation to keep land (private and public) free + accessible to walk on.” [Raini, the photographer]

Top Tips When Eloping in Scottish Highland

“This area is one of the top elopement destinations in Scotland – it’s also a hugely popular stopping place for tourists (for good reason, it’s gorgeous!). So you need to be very careful about what time of year and what time of day you’re in the area if you want to enjoy a sense of privacy.

Parking can be tricky in peak tourist season so having a Plan B is a must. This area also has its own microclimate which can be quite changeable – bringing the right clothes and equipment is really important for your comfort. This is why we encourage couples to hire a local photographer who knows how to handle the Scottish climate to keep you safe and comfortable – whilst also knowing more hidden spots when the glen gets busy!” [Raini, the photographer]

Deciding to Elope

“We loved the idea of tying the knot outside in nature which is not possible in Germany where you are obliged to have your civil wedding inside a registry office.

However, we always thought of eloping as something that ‘cool people in online blogs’ did…

So after our engagement, we started planning a traditional wedding ceremony and party in Germany, looking for big venues, discussing guest lists, searching for caterers and DJs, etc.

But the further we got in the planning process, the more we realized that every decision we made was based on what we thought our friends and families would like or expect us to do, and not our own needs.

Trying to meet everyone’s expectations was frustrating. Instead of getting excited about our wedding, the thought of tight schedules, spending large amounts of money on things we did not really want, and being the center of attention all day made us feel stressed out and anxious.

What we really wanted was an intimate, slow-paced wedding where we could focus only on each other. And if we could spend that day surrounded by stunning mountains and lochs… even better.” [The couple]

Check out these reasons to elope!

Planning Process During Your Elopement

“We started planning our autumn wedding about one year in advance, which gave us plenty of time.

We booked our photographer first because it was important to us to have our day captured authentically, so we could share our memories with our loved ones back home.

Apart from a photography style that speaks to us, we were looking for a photographer who is kind, fun, and easygoing. We found all that in Raini Rowell and her husband (who also offered to be our witnesses and gave us lots of helpful advice for eloping). Knowing we were in good hands took so many worries from us in the months before our wedding.

We then reached out to celebrant, Gary Smith from the Humanist Society of Scotland, who crafted our ceremony, and booked local stylist Bonny for some hair and makeup magic.

We were incredibly happy about our choices because our suppliers were not only very professional but also the most wonderful people. When you are eloping without any family or friends by your side for emotional support it is great to have such amazing people around you throughout the day! ´

Our outfits and all the accessories, including the bouquet were bought in Germany and taken to Scotland in our suitcases.

We ordered a small cake from a local bakery and bought some other snacks and sweet treats from a supermarket, for our wedding dinner we did not book a place in advance but spontaneously decided to go to a local pub for haggis and burgers when we felt hungry.

The only thing that seemed overwhelming at first was the paperwork ahead of us, especially as English is not our native language, but it was not so complicated after all. We had all the documents ready, so we could apply for our visa as early as possible and did not have to worry about not getting them in time.” [The couple]

Estimated Cost of Elopement

• Travel expenses for one week: ~1285 £
• Visa & Paperwork: ~ 540 £
• Humanist ceremony & registry office fees: ~ 800 £
• Photographer: 2600 £
• Outfits incl. alterations, shoes, accessories: ~ 1750 £
• Rings: ~ 600 £
• Bouquet and hair pieces: ~ 80 £
• Accesories (handmade handfasting cord, ring box & vow books, confetti): ~ 140 £
• Hair & Makeup incl. Trial: ~ 335 £
• Cake: ~ 80 £
• Dinner at a local pub: ~ 50 £

Total ~ 8260 £ or $11,269

Learn how to elope here.

Details We’re Loving

“We love how much they embraced ancient Celtic rituals in their day – with a handfasting and quaich ritual during their ceremony.

They also had cute little elopement mugs which they filled with hot chocolate and cosied up with at the end of the day whilst reading letters from family and friends by the fire, which was a lovely wee detail!” [Raini, the photographer]

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the photographer:

“We loved that even though it was an elopement they still took themselves off from their ceremony spot to share their personal vows privately by the water – lots of lovely emotion and intimacy from them both. I also enjoyed that whenever we were traveling to/from their cottage I had to get out of the car to shoo Highland cows off the road (it’s a tough job but someone has to do it). They also celebrated with a toast of irn bru – Scotland’s national soft drink.”

From the couple:

“The whole day felt just perfect to us, from the quiet early morning hours when Marleen got her makeup done, to chatting with the locals in a cozy pub in the evening.

But if we had to choose some favorite moments: exchanging our personal vows by the lake was very emotional, as well as reading letters in front of the fireplace that were given to us by our friends and family (this is also a great option of including your loved ones even if they are not there with you in person).”

Final Words of Advice

From the photographer:

“What was a bit different to many of our elopement days was how their cottage was a base for their day – we retreated to it after the ceremony to get warm, eat cake before heading back out into the cooler late Autumn day. This was a lovely way to slow things down.”

From the couple:

“Eloping might not be for everyone, but for us personally, it was the best decision ever, and we have zero regrets about it. Your wedding is YOUR day so listen to your heart and do what feels right for the two of you.”

Vendors

Photography | Raini Rowell Photography

Celebrant | Gary Smith

HMUA | Bony’s Wonderland
Dress Designer | GBS Herve Paris
Bridal Store | Braut Karussel 
Dried Florals for Boquet | Projekt Wianki 
Handfasting Cord | Hedgecraft House 
Cake | The Wildflower Cakery

Photos From This Elopement