Top Five Things To Remember For a Winter Elopement In Ireland
Ireland is incredibly beautiful all year round, but one of my favourite times of year for elopements is winter! I find that I’m shooting in winter more and more because it’s so beautiful here with the rich brown colours, eery weather when it’s foggy and the occasional snow-topped mountains. I love the light in winter and I love the rich browns that you get in the landscape!
There are a few things that I’ve found that really help with preparing to make your winter elopement in Ireland as enjoyable as it can be. It will be cold here but these tips will help take the edge off.
My Top Five Things To Remember For A Winter Elopement In Ireland:
Hand warmers
Leggings
Shawl/blanket
Shoes
Whiskey/Warm Drink
1. Hand Warmers
I recommend to couples that they get some sort of hand warmer for winter elopements. There are a bunch of different options, you can get electrical hand warmers that you can charge up beforehand and there are chemical based disposable hand warmers that you use and then throw away. Both work well and it depends on your preference.
I find that the couples I work with don’t want to wear gloves during their elopement, so these are a great way of taking the edge off while you’re eloping between locations, etc..
2. Leggings & Thermals
Depending on the dress that you’re wearing ladies, if you can, wear sportswear or thermals underneath your dress! Sometimes, depending on your dress, this doesn’t work because it’ll be too visible and looks strange, but often you can do it.
There are so many options to choose from to be able to have a base layer underneath your dress. This could even be 3/4 length activewear leggings or something similar, which would make a difference.
For you men, it’s much easier to wear thermals under your suit to keep you warmer.
3. Shawl/Blanket
A shawl or blanket is a great addition to take the edge of those chilly winter days when you’re eloping in Ireland in winter! I always recommend to brides that they pick one up just to have. They’re usually inexpensive and can often be really helpful to take the edge off, especially when you’re travelling between locations, etc..
I recommend thinking about the colour. I personally prefer more pastel, dull colours that don’t stand out too much as this can be distracting in the imagery. I also recommend going for greys/browns/dark blues/dark greens. Avoid black if your groom’s suit is black so you don’t just blend into each other.
They’re also really handy to be able to throw on and off easily during your elopement, so if you want to shoot without it, you can easily throw it off and shoot without it and then throw it back on.
It’s also handy to put down if you want to sit down somewhere where you dress might get wet.
4. Shoes
Depending on how adventurous your elopement is, remember to wear shoes that are suitable for what you’ll be doing. Often you’ll be hiking and climbing so you need footwear that’s suitable for an elopement. Most of the couples that I work with wear either sneakers/trainers or hiking boots. For the ladies, it’s usually easier to hide the boots under your dress. Obviously, they may be visible in some of your shots and when you’re walking/lifting up your dress, etc..
I think it always looks amazing when you see a couple dressed up for their elopement with hiking boots on. It looks like they’re having an epic adventure.
5. Whiskey/Warm Drink
I always recommend to my couples to have a drink that will help them warm up and take the edge off the cold. If you drink alcohol, taking a few sips of whiskey through the course of your elopement is a great choice for warming up. Ireland has some great local whiskeys, so it’s a great way of enjoying a local whiskey and taking it all in during your elopement.
Having a flask of tea or coffee is also a GREAT thing to take the edge off those cold winter elopements!
If you’re thinking of eloping in Ireland and would like some help planning something epic, please get in touch! I’d love to help you plan your dream elopement in Ireland!
If you found this blog post useful in planning your elopement, you should check this one out next:
Tips To Make Your Elopement Film Awesome