Ethereal Isle of Skye Elopement With All Kinds of Weather (And a Rainbow)

Lauren & Hayley

Brides kiss in front of a castle during their Isle of Skye elopement

The Couple and Their Decision to Plan an Isle of Skye Elopement

When Lauren and Hayley first reached out to me, they didn’t have any idea of where they wanted to elope. As an intimate wedding and elopement photographer, I often meet with couples who have no idea where they want their special day to take place. All they know is that they want to celebrate their love in an intentional way.

After hearing a little bit about them (the couple met in high school, but it wasn’t until Lauren came out in college and the two went to their first Pride together that they started dating) and about what they envisioned for their wedding day, I shared with the couple a few locations and they ultimately decided to plan an Isle of Skye elopement.

Junebug Weddings 2023 Isle of Skye Scotland feature — ***This ethereal Isle of Skye elopement is now featured on*** ***Junebug Weddings***.

From Getting Ready with the Most Ethereal Details To Hiking in the Rain and Watching Rainbows, This Is How To Elope On the Isle of Skye Adventurously

This Isle of Skye elopement with Lauren and Hayley was my very last international elopement of the year! I woke up listening to the raindrops outside my hotel then drove on the opposite side of the road from what I'm used to while watching the sky change colors as the sun slowly rose behind the mountains. All roads had led us to this day - the day Lauren and Hayley would elope in Scotland.

If you know anything about Scotland, you know the weather can be quite unpredictable, especially during the fall and winter months. Knowing November is a wet season in Scotland, the couple still decided to go through with their elopement. They wouldn’t let the weather be the factor that would stop them from celebrating their love on this day and it truly was one of the wildest days I've ever experienced. Whenever we were inside, it would rain, when we were ready to leave for an adventure, it would stop. Someone was looking out for us 🙂 We got sun rays peeking through the clouds, we got rain, wind, and then sun again! Plus, we even witnessed a beautiful rainbow in the sky. We truly experienced it all! 🙂

Lauren and Hayley’s magical Scotland elopement started off with the brides getting ready at their Airbnb. Everything, from their cabin with an incredible view to all the details they had chosen and planned was stunning, so you know I had to photograph it all! At one point Hayley was putting her dress on, and the sun came out and illuminated her. I gasped out loud and we called it a "gay gasp". (Spoiler alert - this day was FULL of gay gasps!)

One of the requests from the brides was that they wanted to incorporate photos of a castle here in Scotland. So, after each of the brides finished getting ready, we found one of Scotland’s most iconic castles and there the brides exchanged a beautiful first look.

After the first look, we laced up our hiking boots and hiked to the ceremony location (in the mud and all). On the way, we noticed more rainbows than we could keep count (cue gay gasp!). Trust me, we tried. Every corner we took, a new rainbow appeared. It was truly magical for all of us gays.

We ended the evening with their ceremony and adventure photos all the way into blue hour. We kept waiting for the moon to come up, but she really teased us here. Her reflection was so bright but she hid behind some clouds the whole night. It was still so surreal to experience it though and was the perfect way to end Hayley and Lauren’s Isle of Skye elopement day.

From sunrise to blue hour, these brides brought the heat to Scotland. Hayley and Lauren celebrated their love and committed to this day without asterisks.

Thank you Lauren and Hayley for such a beautiful day and an amazing experience. Thanks for trusting in me and committing to Scotland no matter what Thanks for gay gasping with me the whole day and thanks for opening your hearts and for accepting mine.

- Henry

Kind words from the couple:

We knew from looking at Henry’s photographs that there was something special about him and on the day of our elopement we realized just how special he is.

Henry is one of the most amazing people that we have ever met and we cannot recommend him enough. He is extremely genuine, gentle, and caring and he makes you feel like more of a friend than a client. Beyond these characteristics, he is extremely talented - his eye for detail is nearly unmatched. Anyone would be lucky to have him photograph their elopement/wedding day.

It is clear that Henry is an expert in his field. This shows on the day of the elopement, but also in the months and days leading up to it as well
as those that follow. Before the elopement, Henry gave us a checklist that was extremely helpful for planning. He recommended vendors to us. He provided us with a comprehensive document and helped us to pick a list of locations. He was available anytime that we had a question and was always very patient. After our elopement day, he provided us with sneak peeks almost immediately. These pictures nearly blew us away.

Henry has a special ability to see beyond the picture and right into the essence of the people that he photographs. His care and talent is unmatched. If you are looking for a photographer, no need to look any further - Henry is the best!