A SPRING WOODLAND ELOPEMENT IN NORTH WALES: LET THE TREES DO THE DECORATING
Some couples picture a mountain top or a windswept beach when they think about eloping. Others picture a place where the world gets quiet, the ground is soft and the trees do all the decorating. If that's you, a woodland elopement might be exactly right.
I've celebrated a couple of these now, and the trees did a lot of the work for both couples.
Why Woodland Works
When Kayla and Nathan and Jenny and Joe chose the woods, the trees gave their imagery and the experience itself a green, natural feel. That's the best way I can describe it. The setting does half the work for you, and it works in photographs and in memory. Everywhere you look there's something living, and the colour palette is already beautiful.
You don't need a heavy styling plan either. A bouquet, a jacket, maybe a few rings in a pocket, and you have everything you need for a ceremony in the trees. There's something freeing about that. The less you carry, the more present you can be, and the more of the day you remember.
It also means you can be flexible. Woodland offers places to stand under a canopy, to sit among roots, to walk slowly along a path and to find a quiet clearing, so the ceremony can move around the landscape if you want it to.
Kayla and Nathan, and an Overcast Spring
Kayla and Nathan chose spring 2024 and travelled all the way from Australia to North Wales for a wedding like no other. Their ceremony took place in a woodland, and their live portfolio page calls it an overcast elopement, which I love, because grey skies and trees make a wonderful pairing. The light is soft and even, and the greens look rich. There's no harsh glare, no squinting and no hard shadows across anyone's face, which makes a long day of pictures easier on everyone. I've written about why grey skies can be a gift before, and a wood is one of the best places to see it.
You can see more of their day on their portfolio page, where they said: "Thank you so much, the pictures are incredible."
The Ceremony Itself
A woodland ceremony can be as simple or as detailed as you like. You write your own vows, or I write the whole script from your story, and then we say it all in a spot you've chosen with the trees around you. If you'd like to know how the writing works, my post on why the ceremony script is written from scratch explains it.
What the Pictures Feel Like
When I think about the woodland photographs, what stands out is the calm. The trees close in around you, the colours stay muted and green, and the focus is on the two of you. It's a different mood from a wide mountain panorama, more intimate and more private, and it suits couples who'd like their album to feel like a hush. If you'd also like the big views, a woodland ceremony can be paired with a walk somewhere more open afterwards, so you get both.
Woods are lovely, but they ask for a little thought:
Footing: paths can be damp and uneven, so choose shoes you can walk in comfortably, even if they're not the ones in the photographs.
The forecast: trees offer some shelter, but you'll still want a warm layer and a plan for rain. Check the forecast the day before.
The place: woodland is usually cared for by someone, so tell me about any wood you have in mind and we'll check it works. Natural Resources Wales has information on visiting woodlands and other places across Wales.
It Doesn't Have to Be a Particular Wood
I'm happy to help you find somewhere in North Wales, but your woodland could just as easily be one near where you grew up, one in another part of Wales or somewhere else in the UK. If there's a patch of trees that means something to the two of you, that's the one to choose. When you're ready, the Elope with Leon booking page is the place to begin.
Bring your vows and your favourite person, and the trees will look after the rest.