Emotional Micro Wedding at Cairngorms National Park in Scotland

Chloe and Thomas planned a romantic micro wedding in Loch Garten, Scotland to include their closest family and friends but still honor a more intimate experience for the both of them too. Check out all the details from this wedding at Cairngorms National Park.

Planning a wedding outside of the state? We have vendors who specialize in intimate weddings around the world! Search our elopement vendors.

Planning a Wedding at Cairngorms National Park in Scotland

Whenever you plan a wedding outside, especially at a national park, you’ll want to make sure you’re following the rules. At the moment, and this can change, you don’t need a permit or specific permission to elope or plan a small wedding at Cairngorms Park. However, we always want to remind couples and vendors to practice leave no trace (LNT) practices during wedding days. If you ever have questions, then just ask the park!

Bernadeta, the photographer, actually recommends focusing your planning in Scotland around the weather.

“The weather in Scotland is unpredictable, and can change very quickly so take some layers with you. Don’t use umbrellas here when the wind is very strong – there is no point…

The parking lot here isn’t large so if you are planning an elopement with a bigger amount of guests. Some of them might need to use the car park, which is further. Take comfortable boots – on a rainy day the roots might be slippery. Take a midge spray if you are planning an elopement between May-end of September.” [Bernadeta, the photographer]

Deciding to Plan a Small Wedding

“It was very important to us that our story, relationship, and love be the center of our wedding day without worrying about the extra bits that wedding days often bring. We wanted to make the day completely personal to us without any pressure of the way things are ‘usually done’ with a bigger formal wedding.” [The Couple]

Thinking about planning a more intimate wedding? Check out these top 10 reasons to elope.

Picking a Destination in Scotland

“Since we weren’t going to do a big formal day, we wanted to make it as personalized to us as possible. I had seen that in Scotland you can be legally married anywhere, even outdoors! That sealed the deal for us and the hunt for the specific location began. Up a hill? By the sea? For lots of reasons (including weather considerations), we chose a loch in the Highlands. Our favorite season is autumn, so we just knew that we wanted some beautiful autumnal colors and we love a bit of moody weather. It was our celebrant that actually recommended Loch Garten to us!” [The Couple]

Check out these other places in Scotland to elope. 

Memorable Moments From This Wedding

From the photographer:

“After the ceremony, Chloe stood on the shore of the Loch Garten. Thomas came to her and hugged her, kissed her forehead – it was so sweet. They hugged each other very often but this specific moment I remember the most…”

From the couple:

“Surprising our family with the exciting news that a new addition would be arriving in the spring! Bernadeta managed to capture their reactions perfectly and we love experiencing that moment again and again and again.”

Things the couple loved about our wedding day:

• Tom created and recorded a piece of music for Chloe to walk down “the aisle” to him.
• Chloe’s grandmother knitted the jumper that she was wearing.
• Chloe wore her comfortable 10-year-old hiking boots under her long skirt.
• It rained (what they were hoping for) and they also got some sun!
• They cut a doughnut instead of cake – They are definitely more of a doughnut family.
• Their ceremony was 100% personalized to them including stories, ring warming, and handfasting.
• They said their vows to each other quietly, almost so no one else could hear. The original plan was to whisper them, but they felt braver on that day!
• Announcing their pregnancy!

Tips When Planning a Micro Wedding

Planning a micro wedding comes with no rules. If you want to have doughnuts instead of a traditional wedding cake like this couple, then go for it.

“Make it as relaxed as possible – there isn’t the same timeline as with a traditional wedding, you don’t need to rush. Don’t worry if you skip something or change your mind about any part of the ceremony. Invite only the closest and the nearest you want to share this special day with you.” [Bernadeta, the photographer]

Ready to start planning? Check out our guide on how to elope to get started.

Vendors

Photographer | Bernadeta Kupiec Photography
Floral crown | Hidden Botanics
Dress | Wardrobe by Dulcinea
Celebrant: Neil Lynch, Humanist Celebrant

Photos From This Micro Wedding at Cairngorms National Park