Jon and Kasia
July 2018
Lake District Elopement, UK.
Ever dreamed of eloping?
Keeping it simple. Just between the two of you. Intimate and meaningful.
Jon and Kasia travelled from London to the Lake District, UK to elope this summer. It was their first trip to the LakeDistrict and they wanted to have a guided walk as part of their elopement. Their ceremony took place quietly at Kendal Registry office, and they suggested that I should meet them after that. So directions were given up the winding passes to Blea Tarn, a small and perfectly formed lake, nestled high up in the Langdales. Kasia wanted some drama and a cinematic quality to their wedding photos so I knew this was an easy way to get up into the mountains and be afforded some spectacular views of the landscape.
Take the drive slow!
First stop the tarn. An easy walk from the National Trust parking bay at the top of The Blea Tarn Pass. The drive up there is not for nervous drivers! Its narrow and steep. And there is always the chance you will meet someone coming the other way. The drive links the two Langdale valleys, and the two villages of Little Langdale and Great Langdale. But if you can hack it, once up at the tarn the gritted path makes for an easy walk around the lake.
The destination I had in mind was the view of the valley from the end of the footpath, down Redacre Gill to Langdale Pike and the Black Crags. The weather was constantly changing, with mist coming in, followed by spots of rain. All fairly typical for the Lakes.
Kasia took my advice about her choice of dress… make it floaty to catch the wind…. and it might be muddy, so don’t be precious! She chose a dress from Asos, and wore some boots already in her wardrobe for the walk.
After their stay in Grasmere, Jon and Kasia travelled to Poland to celebrate their marriage with Kasia’s family, armed with the images from the day to surprise everyone with their wedding adventure in the Lake District.
If you are planning to Elope in England, Scotland or Ireland and want to chat about the photography I can offer you to capture you day do get in touch here.
For more elopement photography do visit my Elopement gallery here.
Eloping in the United Kingdom
You can choose to have either a religious or civil ceremony. To get married or form a civil partnership in England or Wales, you must:
- Be 16 years or over (you’ll need permission from your parents or guardians if you’re under 18)
- Not already be married or in a civil partnership
- Not be closely related
- Be a British Citizen, have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or have a valid permit or visa to marry if you’re a foreign national
Different rules apply in Scotland (e.g. where parental permission isn’t needed under 18) and Northern Ireland, so make sure you read the laws carefully.
We hate to break it to you but you can’t elope quite as spontaneously as you might think. Regardless of which part of the UK you are marrying, you must ‘give notice’ to marry at the local registry office at least 29 days before, which includes details of your final venue. In the Church of England, the equivalent is having the ‘banns of marriage’ read on three Sundays at any point during the three months before your marriage. Once you’ve given notice you most hold your ceremony within 12 months, but you cannot marry with less than 29 days’ notice.
To give notice, you’ll typically need to:
- Pay a fee, usually £35 per person
- Make an appointment at a local register office (and have lived in that registration district for the past seven days)
- Have the details of the final venue of your ceremony
- Bring a valid passport, UK birth certificate or national identity card from the EU, EEA or Switzerland
- Provide proof of your address and of any name changes
- If you’ve been married or in a civil partnership before, bring your decree absolute or former partner’s death certificate