How to Plan a Birmingham Elopement for Nature-Lovers
Weddings vs Elopements
Traditional weddings are becoming increasingly less appealing to people. Perhaps it’s the heavy cost, the unnecessary large amount of guests, the social pressure and expectations, the overarching stress and self-sacrificing on a day that’s meant to be about you and your love. Alternative weddings are on the rise as we yearn for intimate and authentic moments of devotion. Elopements are an enchanting remedy to an otherwise over-stimulating day. However, elopements are less known here in the UK.
An elopement is an intimate wedding designed around your relationship. The intention - to create intentional activities and/or adventures that nurtures devotion, deepens connection and creates life-long lasting memories. It’s a day dedicated to your love, for your love. Some people decide to curate a day just for themselves, others will have special guests join them at specific parts of their journey. The idea is to design a timeline that really speaks to you both, rather than catering for everyone else.
You create your day or days in however way you want it. It’s surprising how few people even see this as an option. They question “what about so and so”, “we cant not invite people!”, “what will people think?”. Well, I am here to say, this is not about anyone else other than you and your love. This is about your relationship. This is about celebrating your connection and you can do that however you want! You can have whoever you want there, in whatever place, in whatever way. My job, as an elopement photographer is to help envision, capture and offer support creating your special and highly unique day.
Where to start?
So you know you want something different, you want to celebrate your union in your own way but how?
There are 2 options here, you either book in with me for a free no-pressure envisioning consultation call by clicking here. We will get to know each other which will effortlessly paint a picture of possibility. OR explore these relational questions:
What was our favourite trip together?
What are your fondest memories?
What hobbies or activities does you and your partner engage in? Either alone or together.
Where have you both felt most at home?
Working with Natalie-Grave & Steve in Snowdonia
Again, we are building your dream day together - it can look however you want so don’t constrict your answers.
What was your favourite meal? What food or drink did you bond over?
What have you always wanted to do or try?
Throw things on the table, see what resonants. Feel into each thing. You’ll know in your heart what ignites and excites you. Follow the feelings.
Do you want to write vows to speak to each other? Poems, handwritten letters?
Do you want something different? A hand-fasting ceremony, a celebrant on a mountain top, your fondest people circling you on the beach.
What I love so much about this, is that its a personally designed and unique day of devotion. It can literally be whatever you want! One of my jobs as an elopement photographer and what my friends and I call a “vibe engineer”, is to beautifully document and help construct/plan these days with you. I act as your right hand to capture you both in your brightest light, to reveal the divinity between you both - but in order to do that, I help curate the space in which you can soften and relax into love. Stress-free, just showing up in presence.
What now?
Let’s take these pieces and paint a timeline. Down below i’ll put together some examples so you can feel into your kind of day.
The Creative Soul Elopement
Good artists, musicians, writers & free spirits
8:00am
Morning coffee from your favourite independent roastery.
9:00am
Getting ready in a character-filled boutique hotel.
11:00am
Closest guests arrive for the ceremony, enjoy the hotels grounds.
12:00pm
Exchange handwritten vows hidden inside a greenhouse
1:00pm
Private ceremony in a botanical garden.
2:00pm
Champagne picnic with best friends amongst wildflowers. Create your own flower bouquet for golden hour portraits
4:30pm
Hire a vintage convertible and drive into the countryside.
6:00pm
Paint, sketch or write letters to your future selves overlooking beautiful scenery.
7:30pm
Golden hour portraits in rolling fields.
9:00pm
Private dining experience with live acoustic music - possible even hire favourite indie artist (or tap into my roster of artists)
10:30pm
Slow dance beneath fairy lights.
The Wild Wales Adventure Elopement
nature lovers, hikers & outdoor adventurers
6:30am
Sunrise coffee overlooking the mountains from a cosy cabin.
7:30am
Private handwritten letters exchanged before getting ready.
8:00am
Slow morning getting ready together with favourite playlists and breakfast.
10:00am
Depart in a hired vintage Land Rover towards the mountains.
11:30am
Scenic hike through the valleys with documentary-style photographs along the way.
1:00pm
Picnic lunch overlooking a remote lake.
2:30pm
Canoe across the water to a secluded island.
3:00pm
Private vow ceremony beneath ancient trees. (Your best and bravest friends can meet you here)
4:00pm
Champagne toast and time to simply be together.
5:30pm
Explore hidden waterfalls and forest trails.
7:00pm
Golden hour portraits high above the valleys.
8:30pm
Private chef dinner back at the cabin.
10:00pm
Campfire, whiskey, stargazing and stories under the night sky.
Now of course, days don’t have to follow a strict timeline. They are arranged like this so you have a series of events to follow. Financially, you can construct your day to your budget. If you think the average wedding cost is nearly £22,000, then the beautiful thing about an elopement is the fact you can direct as much of your allocated budget to your own life-changing, soul bonding day.
It’ll take some organising and researching of vendors to construct your perfect plan, but its not nearly as much pressure and as overwhelming as catering for 100+ guests. If you wish, I have a team which can take this stress of your hands also. Together we can construct and organise this intimate day for you based off your unique selves. Therefore, you can show up and be in the moment, in love.
As your trusted editorial, fine-art elopement photographer and planner, I document the whole day in both video and photo so you can re-live these memories for what they are - truly one of the best-days of your life. And again, if you want to envision what it could be, we can arrange a free no-pressure call by clicking here.
To conclude:
The biggest concern many of us face is the fear what others might think. There is this societal pressure to adhere to tradition, but may I remind you that this really is about you and your love. It’s not about pleasing others, it’s about devoting yourself to each other and to life. It’s about being together and experiencing this existence beside one another.
I approach this as a photographer who is devoted to an authentic and more eccentric life. Someone who has struggled with conformity and self-sacrificing in order to keep the peace and please others. Now, I seek to capture people in their greatest light, in a space of presence and empowerment. It fuels me seeing more and more people live life in accordance to their own heart and soul - which I believe is the remedy to a rather disheartened and contracted world. May this be your permission to craft your own narrative in love, not in tradition.
Callum Shaw
A Birmingham based editorial elopement and fine-art photographer specialising in nature-led elemental style shoots, working across the UK and overseas.
With 8 years photographing on-location editorials, documenting life events and artistic campaigns, I seek to reveal the magic and divinity in life through my vision. I curate moments to bring people into their highest selves and utilise my extensive network to help organise unforgettable experiences.
