Your Elopement Experience in Wales
A whole lot of Wales. A little bit of wedding magic. And a day that's entirely yours. schedule a relaxed consultation callI absolutely love Wales.
The mountains, the coastline, the little valleys tucked away from the busier places. The ever-changing weather, the incredible light, the feeling of being somewhere miles away from everything. Give me a day exploring Eryri with the dogs, wandering along the Llŷn Peninsula or finding somewhere new on Anglesey and I’m happy. And getting to share all of that with couples who want to get married here?
That’s something I’ll never tire of.
Because I genuinely believe Wales is one of the most wonderful places to elope.
Not just because it’s beautiful (although it really, really is), but because of everything you can experience here.
You can get married with your favourite people, head off into the mountains afterwards, exchange private vows beside a lake, explore the coastline, stop for something delicious to eat or spend the entire day somewhere wonderfully remote.
And you can do it all without feeling like you’re supposed to be having a particular kind of wedding.
That’s what I love helping couples create.
It’s your wedding day. Make it a good one.
I think sometimes people get so caught up in what a wedding is supposed to look like that they forget to ask themselves what they’d actually enjoy.
And that’s where eloping gets really interesting.
You can keep the bits you love, forget about the things that don’t matter to you and make room for the experiences you might otherwise never have considered.
Maybe that’s a sunrise walk into the mountains. Maybe it’s getting married in a beautiful little historic building with your parents there, followed by an afternoon exploring the coast. Maybe you want to bring your dogs, have a picnic somewhere with an incredible view, go for a swim or finish the day with a really good meal.
Or perhaps you haven’t the faintest idea yet.
That’s absolutely fine too.
I love hearing what couples are drawn to, getting to know what makes them tick and helping turn a few loose ideas into a wedding day that actually feels like theirs.
I know a few lovely places…
And I absolutely love sharing them.
Wales is home to me, and I spend an enormous amount of my own time out exploring it.
There are places I’ve visited more times than I can count and others I’m still discovering. Beautiful little corners of the mountains, quieter stretches of coastline, woodland paths, lakes and valleys.
It’s not just about knowing where somewhere looks beautiful in a photograph.
It’s knowing what the walk is like, how busy it might be, where the light falls at different times of day, how long it takes to get there and whether it’s actually a sensible place to go in the weather we’re likely to have.
All those little things make a difference.
So whether you’ve got your heart set on a particular location or you’re looking at a map of North Wales wondering where on earth to begin, I’m here to help.
I’ll share ideas, help you work out what’s realistic and suggest places that suit you rather than simply sending you to the most photographed viewpoint in Eryri [Snowdonia].
And if that means getting up ridiculously early for somewhere special or changing our plans because the weather has other ideas, that’s all part of it.
I want you to remember the day, not just the photographs.
Now, obviously, I love taking photographs. Quite a lot, actually.
I love the landscapes, the beautiful light, the unexpected moments and all the little details that make every elopement different.
But I don’t want you to spend your wedding day feeling like you’re constantly having your photograph taken.
I want you to actually experience it.
To enjoy being out there together. To take your time, have a laugh, stop when you feel like it and spend the day doing things you love.
My approach is relaxed and mostly documentary. I’ll photograph what’s happening, offer a little guidance when you need it and give you space when you don’t.
You won’t need to know how to pose or worry about what to do with your hands.
And you certainly won’t need to spend hours performing for the camera.
We’ll make beautiful photographs along the way, of course.
But the best part? You’ll have the memories to go with them.
A little planning makes room for a lot more freedom.
One of the lovely things about eloping is that you can make the day as simple or as full of experiences as you like.
But there are still a few practical things to think about.
Where can you legally get married? How long will it take to reach that beautiful mountain lake? Will there be enough daylight? What if the weather turns? Can your dog manage the walk?
This is where having someone who knows the area really helps.
I’ll help you find locations, work out travel times, put together a timeline that makes sense and recommend some wonderful local people if you need them.
We’ll think about the little details beforehand so that, when the day arrives, you can enjoy yourselves rather than worry about what’s happening next.
Nothing needs to be planned down to the minute.
And if we need to change things on the day, we will.
I’d much rather you have a brilliant experience somewhere different than spend your wedding day battling the weather just because we’d planned to visit one particular spot.
So, what happens when you get in touch?
First, tell me a little about yourselves.
I’d love to know what brings you to Wales, what kind of places you love and what you’re imagining for your wedding day.
You don’t need to have everything worked out. A rough idea is more than enough to get us started.
Then we start making plans.
Once you’ve booked your date, we’ll explore locations, talk through your ideas and work out how you’d like to spend your time.
I’ll be here for questions, recommendations and all those little details that come up along the way.
And when the day arrives?
You get married. You explore. You spend time together. You do whatever you’ve been looking forward to doing.
I’ll be there documenting it all, helping out where needed and making sure we’ve left enough time to actually enjoy the places we’ve chosen.
Come and see why I love this place so much.
If you’re dreaming of getting married somewhere in Wales, I’d absolutely love to hear what you’ve got in mind.
Whether it’s a quiet ceremony with just the two of you, a few favourite people joining you or a whole day exploring somewhere beautiful, there’s so much we can do.
And if you’re not quite sure where to start?
Well, talking about places to explore in Wales happens to be one of my favourite things.
INSTAGRAM @babsboardwellphotography
