Meet the Elopers : Kat & Simon,Summerhall
Firstly, a huge thank you to my bride (well not my bride but you know what I mean) Kat for posting this super useful vlog of tips for marrying in Scotland with lots of intel from her small but beautifully formed wedding day.
Not strictly elopers but you’ll see why I’ve added them to our eloping legends list in a second…
Kat and Simon came to me with the brief that they wanted to involve lots of independent local businesses but at this stage they were maybe a bit overwhelmed by where to start. So we chatted about The Elopement Society community, what we could do to help and which neighbourhoods to involve in their celebrations. We didn’t really offer any small wedding ideas as yet, just elopements so in the end they just booked me for their photos and our Mo as their celebrant along with Nice Times Bakery for their wedding cake.
Kat then arranged all the catering and party details to ensure they threw a very personal celebration that included as many of their own favourite food makers as possible, along with some nods to Kat’s homeland and it was a really beautiful and relaxed day. Simon had a broken leg so I’ve no idea how he managed to hobble through it all but he did so with a smile on his face and it was all an honour to be involved with.
It’s also informed some of The Elopement Society offerings that followed for small-scale weddings so thank you to them for bringing me onboard as it’s also played a little part in other future clients’ weddings and celebrations, which is a lovely thing.
They’d got engaged at the Physics Garden on the grounds of Holyrood Palace, which is a beautiful garden but you basically need permission from the reigning monarch and turns out they (well she at the time) are quite tight so we didn’t manage to get the ok.
But we went with the nearby Dunbar’s Close, a beautiful little walled garden off The Royal Mile. Kat and Simon’s friends handed out some fizz and Czechoslovakian snacks from a local baker for after the ceremony while we shot a few informal groups then everyone taxi’d over to Summerhall cafe for their party. A group of guests with catering backgrounds helped to put together some snack boxes and Kat had arranged a heap of buffet food from lots of their favourite shops, bakeries, chocolatiers and a curry was delivered in the evening. Summerhall had a few cocktails for guests. All the contacts are listed under Kat’s vlog for all those who provided catering and I can say it was well tasty stuff.
Kat also illustrated and designed the most beautiful invitations and badges for guests. She didn’t have flowers but she did have a toadstood bag which is a first and the cutest wee thing, handy for tissues for a wee cry during the vows.
Some of the video tips are great cost saving ideas for a neighbourhood wedding anywhere in Scotland really and some are really useful for those planning from abroad. And for those who have to deal with the paperwork that comes with having a non-uk passport so give it all a watch if you are considering building a bespoke day like the one Kat and Simon had. And hit the button below for links to useful intel on where and when the paperwork is due etc etc…
We’ve worked with couples who have a handful of guests on the ceremony day itself who then go for a meal together, maybe share some words and they then throw a larger party for friends at another date where they can bring in some catering and music but less of the formalities (and vulnerabilities) of a ceremony in front of bigger numbers of guests. If you have lots of family coming from abroad, as Kat and Simon did, then obviously that’s not necessarily an option unless you make it a full weekender. Oooft.
There are so many beautiful outdoor ceremony spots around Edinburgh and East Lothian that aren’t far from amazing family and independent neighbourhood restaurants, many will provide a set menu and cocktails and possibly a private dining space if you want but as Kat says, Edinburgh is a great city for more fringe style event and party spaces so there are lots of options for evening parties. Summerhall itself offers various spaces of different capacities.
One thing I love about days like Kat and Simon’s is that it feels like they’re taking their nearest and dearest on a date around some of their favourite locations near their home and this is extra special when your family don’t live in the same country as you. It allows your family and friends from home get a real sense of the places you go as a couple, where you socialise and hang out, where you walk and set the world to rights, so it can be very special for them when you include your favourite independent spaces and small businesses as you give them a sense of your life in the city that they wouldn’t normally get to share.
Supplier love:
Celebrant: Mo from Fuze Ceremonies
Party location: Summerhall
Cake: Nice Times Bakery
Catering: Think Pastry, Sugar Daddy’s Bakery, Banh Mi Bar, Mashmallow Lady, Chocolate Tree, Edward & Irwyn, Kebab Mahal
Wedding stationery made by the bride
Edinburgh city centre elopement, a Humanist ceremony in a gothic courtyard followed by a pub crawl. Fancy it? I know all the best spots…The Elopement Society is a collaborative offering of bespoke elopements in Edinburgh and along the East Lothian coast.
We aren’t a traditional wedding planner business so we don’t charge the rates they do, we just offer our contacts and local knowledge with your ideal day in mind. Not all of our suppliers are based in the wedding industry, they’re all local independent creatives with a focus on working in sustainable ways.