A SECRET CITY ELOPEMENT AT MELVILLE CASTLE IN EDINBURGH
FEATURING
Amy + Philip travelled from Ireland for their chic city elopement in Edinburgh
“Emotionally it was difficult not having our close family there to enjoy the day with us but we overcame it by supporting each other.”
~ Amy + Philip
We Fell In Love With…
Stylish vibes, a double dress situation and the stunning setting of Melville Castle.
Want to elope and get married in a castle? But also a city? Amy and Philip proved you can do both with their secret Melville Castle elopement in Edinburgh all while keeping it super chic.
Read on to see all the gorgeous inspiration, including some invaluable tips for planning your own big day from near or far.
TELL US ABOUT YOU TWO + YOUR WEDDING JOURNEY
We met on a night out, but it wasn’t until two years later that we randomly happened to meet again around Christmas, and the following Spring we started dating.
We share a passion for travel and adventure which has seen us spend a while living in Canada – an incredible and memorable way to start living together! When we came home to Ireland, we sensibly decided that you needed to add to the joy in our home with the addition of our dog Penny.
We decided to get married in Scotland as it is Amy’s birthplace. We both love the backdrop of Edinburgh city and the castle theme of Melville. We planned everything ourselves (as it was a surprise elopement for everyone back home in Donegal, Ireland) with the help of our celebrant and photographer who really helped us map out the layout of the day and offered some brilliant ideas and suggestions. Because it was just the 2 of us we were both very easy going with it all.
One of the biggest challenges was incorporating Penny into our day. We didn’t know exactly how it would work but with the help of Laura at Solo Paws, it made the day so seamless.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR OUTFITS
I randomly went into a local boutique searching for a casual dress, when my mum spotted a feathered, sequined, short dress. I tried it on for fun and immediately loved it. It was from Hope & Ivy, London. Because I’m in the fashion industry (and “so extra”) we decided to get a 2nd dress for the ceremony part of the day. This dress had a large bow on the back. I then made a bow to attach to Penny’s collar that matched the dress which was from Annie Louise Boutique, London.
Philip got his tuxedo from the Black Tie Showroom in Derry. It was a classic black and white tux as that suited the look we wanted to go for.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CEREMONY
The setting was the Arniston room in Melville Castle, in front of a large bay window looking out at the gorgeous garden and water fountain.
Our ceremony was very intimate as it was only the both of us and our witnesses. It allowed us to be so free with our vows. Our celebrant also asked us questions (we kept these a secret from each other) which she incorporated into the ceremony which made it all the more personal and made us laugh and cry. It was very much centred around our love story and relationship.
In the room we also included photo frames of our grandparents who are no longer with us. Our celebrant had some great options for the ceremony, two of the choices we made were to include the ancient Celtic custom of Hand Fasting and an Anniversary Box, which Philip made himself. In a years time we can open the box and read our letters to each other that were sealed inside.
TELL US ABOUT THE RECEPTION
As it was an elopement, our reception was quite brief. We enjoyed some gorgeous canapés and a glass of Champagne (or two). The inspiration for our day was Sophie & Jamie Laing’s wedding day.
Our cake was a heart shaped, vanilla and raspberry filled cake with cream cheese frosting that had ‘Just Married’ on top. We were also presented with a sword to cut the cake together which we loved.
The vibe was so chill and full of joy as we couldn’t believe we had finally tied the knot.
We created a wedding playlist that had all the greatest love songs included and was playing it during our meal together before FaceTiming our families with the big surprise.
ANY LESSONS LEARNED OR ADVICE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
The biggest challenge was keeping all the planning a secret. Especially considering I work in the wedding industry and couldn’t stop myself from telling other suppliers!
Emotionally it was difficult not having our close family there to enjoy the day with us but we overcame it by supporting each other, along with the help of our content creator and photographer who stood in as bridesmaids and we couldn’t have asked for better.
