Elopements & intimate weddings
Just the two of you, in the middle of Edinburgh
Cobbled streets, a skyline that does half the work for you, and a day that belongs entirely to the pair of you.
Why Edinburgh
There is something particular about eloping here
Maybe it is the winding cobbled streets, the dramatic skyline, or the way the city manages to feel grand and intimate at the same time. A quiet ceremony at the City Chambers, vows on Arthur’s Seat at sunrise, or a run for the Highlands the moment you have said them — Edinburgh is one of the most romantic places in the world to get married, and it barely has to try.
I am Claire, and I photograph elopements and intimate weddings for couples who want a day that feels like theirs rather than a production. Rather than hours of posing, I document what actually happens: the nerves before the ceremony, the laughing, the windswept hair, the quiet minute afterwards when it lands.
Most couples tell me they are nervous about being photographed. Almost all of them forget I am there within twenty minutes.
The approach
Unobtrusive, easy-going, and mostly out of your way
Elopements are personal by definition. Two of you, or a handful of the people you love most, marking the thing that matters without the machinery of a big wedding around it.
My style blends documentary storytelling with relaxed portraits and natural light. I will guide you when guidance helps — where to stand, which way the light is coming from — and otherwise leave you to it.
What comes back are photographs that still feel like you in ten years, rather than photographs of two people being photographed.
Locations
Places I come back to again and again
Edinburgh packs an extraordinary amount into a very small area, which is exactly what makes it work for a short day.
The city on your doorstep
- Edinburgh City Chambers
- The Vennel steps
- Princes Street Gardens
- Dean Village
- Circus Lane
- The Royal Mile closes
A little more open sky
- St Anthony’s Chapel, Arthur’s Seat
- Calton Hill at sunrise
- Lauriston Castle
- Portobello beach
Further into Scotland
- Glencoe and the Highlands
- Loch Lomond
- The Isle of Arran
- Anywhere you can reach in a day
Planning
Doing this from another country is easier than it looks
Planning an elopement from abroad can feel like a lot. It really does not have to be. Over the years I have photographed weddings and elopements all over Edinburgh and Scotland, and I am always happy to help with the parts that are hard to research from three thousand miles away.
Which locations are quiet at which hour. How long it actually takes to get from the City Chambers to Calton Hill. Who to ask about a celebrant, flowers, hair and make-up, or a car. What the weather does in February and why it does not matter as much as you think.
Whether it is just the two of you or a small gathering, I would like to help you tell it honestly.
How it works
Four steps, start to finish
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01
Tell me the plan
Even a rough one. Date, city, roughly how many of you, and what you are hoping the day feels like.
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02
We shape the coverage
Two hours in the city centre or a full day across Scotland. I will tell you honestly what I think you need.
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03
The day itself
I meet you where you are getting ready or at the ceremony, and from there I mostly disappear.
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04
Sneak peeks, then the gallery
A handful of images within 72 hours, and the full private gallery within three weeks.
Recent elopements
A few from the last couple of years
The photos perfectly capture our day and will be brilliant memories to look back on. We would highly recommend Claire and wouldn’t hesitate to book her again in the future.
Questions
The things couples ask me first
What is the best time of day for elopement photographs?
As with any outdoor photography the best light is first thing in the morning or the hour before sunset. It is not only prettier, it is quieter — Calton Hill at seven in the morning is a different place entirely.
That said, ceremonies rarely arrange themselves around golden hour. I shoot at any time of day and you still get beautiful photographs.
Where should we actually get married?
I photograph a great many weddings at Edinburgh City Chambers and it is hard to beat: it is beautiful inside, and Calton Hill, The Vennel, Princes Street Gardens, Dean Village and Circus Lane are all within a short walk.
If you want to be outdoors, St Anthony’s Chapel on Arthur’s Seat is extraordinary, and worth the climb.
How much coverage do we need?
Two hours is the usual minimum and covers a ceremony plus portraits nearby. If you would like getting-ready photographs as well, allow another hour or two.
Couples heading out of the city afterwards tend to book a full day.
What happens if it rains?
We carry on. I bring an umbrella, and if the forecast is grim at a particular hour and your schedule has any give in it, I will suggest moving things by an hour rather than cancelling anything.
Some of my favourite photographs have been taken in weather nobody would have chosen.
Can you help us plan it?
Yes, and I enjoy that part. Hints, tips, timings, suppliers I rate, and an honest answer about how long things take. Ask me anything.
How far ahead do couples book?
Most book between four and eighteen months ahead, and summer and autumn dates go first. Shorter notice is often fine — it is always worth asking.
From the journal
Recent elopements, written up properly
Next step
Let’s plan your Edinburgh elopement
If you want someone who captures the day without turning it into a photoshoot, tell me what you are thinking. I answer every enquiry myself, within 24 hours.