Why They Chose a Two-Day Elopement in Northern Ireland

Kristen and Ryan knew from the start that being the center of attention at a big wedding just wasn’t for them. They saw a vision of an intimate celebration surrounded by nature, history, and the wild beauty of a country they’d never been to before.

Slow moments enjoying the waves crash against the cliffs, a ceremony overlooking a castle straight out of a fairytale, and a wild adventure through the rain and over every green hill. Castle ruins hanging on ocean cliffs, rock pillars exploding from the ocean, and sheep wandering all across the rolling hills – this place has an ancient and sacred beauty.

Day One: Dunluce Castle, Dark Hedges, and the Pub

Morning at the Cottage in Bushmills

They started their day at a peaceful cottage in the seaside town of Bushmills in Northern Ireland. Their friends gathered around them, laughing, sharing drinks and stories with a general vibe of peace and no one in a rush. They spent their time getting ready with friends and family before sharing a stunning first look by the ocean.

Exploring Dunluce Castle

Their entire day was out of a fantasy novel, and they started that off strong by visiting the ruins of a massive castle – Dunluce Castle. They explored and danced through it, letting themselves just wander and enjoy the ancient beauty of the stone, all the while knowing this was the very castle they were about to get married overlooking!

Ceremony Overlooking the Castle

They rallied all their closest loved ones and then came the ceremony. Breathtaking barely even describes the view as Dunluce Castle jutted out from the massive peninsula ocean cliff with turquoise crashing waves and green rolling hills all around. They held hands and pledged their lives to each other.

After a hug for every single one of their guests, they spent some time alone overlooking the castle, feeling the wild Irish ocean wind flowing all over their skin, soaking in each other’s warmth, dancing all across the green, and breathing in every bit of the ancient beauty that was before them.

The Dark Hedges at Sunset

Their adventure continued by visiting an ancient grove of otherworldly looking trees – the Dark Hedges – arranged in a row to create an iconic vision known around the world. And yet they had it almost entirely to themselves as the sun set the trees in gold. The light got low and the otherworldly beauty shone even deeper.

Celebrating at the Pub

No Irish elopement would be complete without a visit to a pub! So to end their first day they joined their friends and family at a pub in Bushmills, and we were immediately invited behind the counter to pour their own glass of Guinness. This was the beginning of a wonderful night filled with drinks, food, and laughter to celebrate their new marriage with the people that mattered the most to them.

Day Two: Whiskey, Dunseverick Castle, and the Giant’s Causeway

Pivoting Plans for the Weather

Embracing whatever the day throws your way is a key element of a wonderful elopement, which means being ready to pivot plans in case the weather has a different idea. Kristen and Ryan’s second day was one of those days! We had planned a long coastal hike, but the torrential rain and strong wind had other ideas.

Bushmills Distillery Tour

Not knowing exactly what the day would hold, we took them on a distillery tour at Bushmills where they were met with the most loving and wonderful staff who toured them around the entire facility, giving them constant samples of their spirits.

Dunseverick Castle in the Rain

Emboldened, Kristen and Ryan struck out to explore the wild ocean cliffs at Dunseverick Castle that they’d come across the world to see. As the rain fell and the wind blew, Kristen and Ryan laughed, danced, and held each other close against the freezing cold.

We have a good amount of experience shooting in the rain and honestly we love it – it adds such an amazing mood to the images! But we also needed to shoot a lot faster since we didn’t want them to get too cold. The elements brought out the truest and deepest beauty of this land as the greens were lush and vibrant, and the fog rolled across the hills to accompany the thousands of wandering sheep.

Last Stop: Giant’s Causeway

A hot meal and a warm bath sounded very enticing to Kristen and Ryan, but there was one last location that they deeply wanted to explore on their wedding day. So hand-in-hand, they made the final journey to what seemed like the very end of the earth – the Giant’s Causeway – where rock pillars explode out from the ocean in the most bizarre and absolutely stunning display of chaos and order meeting within nature.

The perfect image of marriage: two humans coming together to create an order and a beauty out of life that wasn’t there before. Marriage is harnessing the wild and ancient beauty of the human soul and amplifying it against another’s.

How We Helped Plan Their Elopement

Planning

Kristen and Ryan came to us with a vision of Northern Ireland’s wild beauty, and we recommended all of the locations to them. We connected them with Dunluce Castle for their ceremony location and helped them book that, as well as get the permits needed for Dunseverick Castle. We created their two-day timeline full of adventure and exploring as much of Northern Ireland as possible.

April was a beautiful time for their elopement – lush green landscapes and fewer crowds, though the rain did require us to pivot! We had planned a hike on day two but changed plans because of the weather, and it was still absolutely amazing. That flexibility is what makes elopements so special – the ability to embrace whatever the day brings.

Our Photography Inspiration

We really wanted to make their elopement photos feel like something out of a fantasy movie. We let ourselves be artistically inspired by Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and the hundreds of other fantasy stories that have shaped us into who we are. That meant prompts that really inspired Kristen and Ryan to embrace the vibe of the landscape, looking like conquering heroes and laughing like they were on a journey together.

Thinking about eloping? Let’s make it 100% YOU.

Photos From Their Amazing Elopement: