If you love the idea of a fuss free wedding, Fiona & Keegan’s Edinburgh elopement is sure to inspire. They tied the knot in Scotland during a month long trip to Europe and got matching Harry Potter tattoos to seal the deal.
While planning a month long European holiday with family, Fiona and Keegan realised the trip offered the perfect opportunity to get married without a fuss. They were drawn to the history and architecture of Edinburgh’s Old Town, where their hunt for an intimate ceremony venue, for five, led them to City Chambers.
“We wanted a day that we would enjoy, without stress, that reflected us. We were so excited to visit Edinburgh and it seemed like the perfect plan (which it was),” says Fiona. “Eloping was the best choice we’ve ever made. We will remember the day, with smiles on our faces, for the rest of our lives.”
To keep things stress-free, they hired a wedding planner (Weddings by Sara Jane) to help them make the arrangements for their December wedding from their home in Australia. And while Keegan did have to fly to Brisbane to apply for his marriage visa before they arrived, they say the process of getting married in Scotland was pretty easy and well worth it.
When it came to their outfits, the couple decided to simply choose something they loved. Keegan bought his suit from a local shop in Australia. Meanwhile, Fiona had always known that a traditional wedding dress wasn’t for her and fell in love with a blush coloured, sparkly dress that she spotted on ASOS. She teamed it with her Hush Puppies travelling boots but decided to treat herself when it came to her jewellery.
“I wore earrings and a crown from an Australian designer named Christie Nicolaides, who does beautiful boho jewellery,” she says. “I’d always wanted an excuse to buy some and what better excuse than for my wedding.”
After falling in love with Crofts and Kowalczyk’s photography, they booked Sylwia and Simon to capture the day for them – smoke grenades, new ink and all! While they were unable to meet until the day of the wedding, they felt confident that they’d picked two “obviously experienced, talented and brilliant, lovely people”.
Although Fiona and Keegan don’t feel like naturals in front of a camera, on the day Sylwia and Simon made them so comfortable that they absolutely love their photos.
“You can see what we were feeling in the photos. I love the colours and the feel of them, both in the Old Town and surrounds but also when we went to the forest.”
Another everlasting memento from the day is the couple’s matching Deathly Hallow tattoos. They loved getting inked at Studio XIII Gallery and say the team there really added to their Edinburgh wedding experience.
Fiona’s beautiful bouquet was created by Roseparks, who she loved working with. And she is also full of praise for the other Scottish creatives and suppliers who they chose to be part of their day.
Fiona and Keegan say they will never forget how it felt to walk around Edinburgh with their photographers, before heading to Devil’s Advocate Bar and Kitchen for dinner.
“The Old Town was full of tourists but everyone was congratulating us, telling me how beautiful I looked and trying to keep out of our photos. It was a great day for the kindness of strangers.”
See more from Fiona and Keegan’s Edinburgh elopement, including their advice if you’re thinking of doing the same, over in the Summer issue of our online magazine…
Photos by Crofts & Kowalczyk
