Journal · Elopements · 7 min read
Eloping in the Lake District, the practical version
Where you can legally marry, which fells are walkable in a dress, and why you need a backup valley.
· by Maren Brantholm
An elopement in the Lakes is mostly a question of three things: the legal part, the walk and the weather.
The legal part
In England the legal ceremony has to happen in a licensed venue or register office. Most couples do the legal part quietly in a register office on a weekday, then hold the ceremony that matters to them on a fell top with a celebrant. Nobody can tell the difference in the photographs, and you can say whatever vows you like.
The walk
Pick a place you can walk to in under an hour in the shoes you will wear. Some of my favourites are a short climb from a car park and look like the middle of nowhere. I send a shortlist after the first call.
The weather
It will probably rain. That is fine: cloud makes the best pictures here. What matters is a backup that is less than twenty minutes away, usually a valley chapel or a barn, so a closed road does not end the day.
Midweek is better
Weekday elopements cost the same as weekends and the paths are empty. See elopement pricing or look at recent elopements.
Planning your own day?
See which dates are free and what each package costs, in one place.
Check your date
