Victoria and Steven's Edinburgh Castle Elopement

Victoria and Steven eloped to Edinburgh Castle and got married in St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building in the city, right at the top of the castle rock. No guests. I was one of the witnesses. They don’t live in Scotland, but Edinburgh is the place they kept coming back to, and when they found out you can actually get married inside the castle, that was it. There was no other option.

A vintage car up to the castle and vows in St Margaret’s Chapel

The morning was relaxed and easy. No stress, no rush. Then, in true Edinburgh style, a classic car from Edinburgh Classic Wedding Cars arrived to take them into the heart of the city, winding up through the Old Town and into the castle grounds.

St Margaret’s Chapel is tiny. A working chapel, a few feet across, and it is where Victoria and Steven said their vows with nobody else in the room apart from me and one of the Edinburgh Castle wedding planners, who signed as the other witness. Two people who don’t like having their photo taken, and I was standing a couple of metres away. You’d never know it from the photos.

The whole of Edinburgh Castle to themselves

After the ceremony we had the castle to explore. From the top you can see the entire city stretching out beneath you, from the rooftops of the Old Town to the hills beyond. Those first few minutes as newlyweds, wandering through the stone walls with nobody waiting for them, are the bit of an elopement I’d never want to rush.

No shot list, just a wander through the Old Town closes

Victoria and Steven didn’t want a rigid timeline or a long list of must-have shots. Their only request was to relax and wander. So that’s exactly what we did.

We walked through the hidden back passages, twitchles and closes tucked away behind the Royal Mile. They drank whisky from a quaich. They tied the knot, literally, with a handfasting. They danced beneath the stone archways and laughed as they popped a bottle of champagne.

Fish and chips and a pint in The Bow Bar

No trip to Edinburgh is complete without fish and chips, so we stopped by their favourite chippy. Then, as the evening set in, we made our way to The Bow Bar on Victoria Street, one of my favourite pubs in the Old Town.

Curled up together in a quiet corner, sharing a pint. That was the end of their wedding day, and it was exactly how they wanted it.

Some weddings are big and bold. Others, like Victoria and Steven’s, are about the little things. If that sounds more like you than a 150-person marquee, I know exactly where to take you.