There are places in this world that just feel timeless. Dunluce Castle on the Northern Irish coast is absolutely one of them, and this October elopement is proof of that!

This couple travelled all the way from the US to celebrate ten years together by making it official, just the two of them and their five closest family members, on the wild and rugged Causeway Coast. What made their day so incredibly special wasn't just the locations, though those were pretty stunning, it was the intention behind every single detail. This was a day that had been thought about, felt deeply, and lived fully. Over two days we explored ancient castles, wandered the Dark Hedges, and watched the sun set over the Giants Causeway with lanterns glowing in the blue hour light. It was the kind of Ireland elopement I'll be thinking about for a very long time!

Getting Ready in a Cosy Irish Cottage

Their morning started in the most perfect thatched roof cottage, all open fires and low ceilings and that feeling of being completely wrapped up from the world outside. Before the suits and the gown, before any of the formality of the day, they exchanged private vows together in front of the fire in their pyjamas and hoodies. Just the two of them, ten years of loving each other, and the sound of the fire crackling. It was such a quiet and intimate moment and honestly one of my favourite parts of the whole two days.

The details they had put together were so thoughtful too. The bouquet had ten roses, one for every year they had been together. Their vow books were custom embroidered with their names. There were embroidered tissues for the parents, and even a custom made hand-fasting cord. Every little thing had meaning and you could feel that throughout the entire day.

Before we headed out, we took a moment for a first look with her father outside which was such a tender, lovely moment that really set the tone for everything that followed!

The Ceremony at Dunluce Castle

The main ceremony took place out on the cliff field overlooking the iconic ruins of Dunluce Castle, one of the most breathtaking elopement locations in all of Ireland and genuinely my favourite place to photograph on the entire Causeway Coast. They chose a hand-fasting ceremony, an ancient celtic ceremony where your hands are bound together by rope or cord, symbolising the binding of two souls and where the phrase "tying the knot" comes from! Hand-fastings are by far one of my favourite rituals to include in an elopement ceremony, and I get so excited to see what each cord/ribbon or rope is used for the ritual. They can be as elaborate or simple as you please which makes every ceremony so unique to the couple. The loveliest part is being able to have the cord as a keepsake afterwards!

After the vows we did something a little different and headed inside the castle ruins themselves for portraits. This is actually quite a rare thing because most couples photograph Dunluce from the cliffside field with the castle as their backdrop, but getting inside the ruins is such a special and unique experience! The light was soft and moody, the old stone walls were incredible, and the whole atmosphere just perfectly matched their fantasy inspired vision for the day. I was absolutely obsessed with how these images turned out!

The Dark Hedges and Giants Causeway

After the ceremony we hit the road and explored some of the most iconic landscapes in Northern Ireland, which honestly is one of my favourite things about doing multi location elopements on the Causeway Coast!

The Dark Hedges were quiet and mysterious in the October light, which is honestly the perfect time of year to visit. From there we made our way to the Giants Causeway just as blue hour was settling in. We had lanterns with us and the combination of that warm glow against the dramatic basalt coastline and the fading sky was just stunning. Every single frame felt cinematic and looked straight out of a fantasy movie which was exactly what this couple was after!

Evening Celebrations with Family

The evening wrapped up at a local restaurant where the whole family came together for dinner, drinks, and cake! Cutting the cake surrounded by the people who matter most, in a cosy Northern Irish restaurant after the most incredible day, was such a lovely way to end it. The small and intimate nature of the celebration made everything feel so relaxed and meaningful, with no rush and no performance, just a family savouring every moment together!

Day Two at Kinbane Castle

One of the things I love most about offering two day elopement packages is the pace it creates. There's no rushing, no clock watching, just space to really enjoy the experience and explore! On the second evening we headed to Kinbane Castle for a sunset and blue hour shoot, which is honestly one of the most underrated elopement locations on the entire Antrim Coast.

They wore their wedding outfits again and we wandered the cliff edges & coast line. Two days meant we could slow right down, explore more of this stunning corner of Ireland, and create images that really told the full story of who they are together. I can't recommend the two day experience enough for couples travelling from abroad who want to make the absolute most of their time here!

Why Should You Book A Two Day Package?

Their two day package gave us twelve hours together across two days, ten hours on the elopement day itself and two hours the following evening at Kinbane Castle. And honestly, the difference that extra breathing room makes to the whole experience is incredible for elopements.

My most popular elopement package is 8 hours, and don't get me wrong, 8 hours covers a lot of ground and works really beautifully for a lot of couples! But if you're dreaming of 4 or 5 locations on the Causeway Coast, 8 hours can start to feel a little rushed. You find yourself watching the clock, rushing from one stunning location to the next, and before you know it the whole day starts to feel like one big photoshoot. Drive, get out, shoot, leave, drive, get out, shoot, leave. That's not the experience I want for my couples, and honestly it's not the experience that creates the most beautiful images either!

Spreading the day across 2 days changes everything. It means we can visit 5 locations without any of them feeling like a quick stop. It means your morning isn't dictated by how many places we need to get to before sunset. It means you can actually slow down, look around, and let the reality of what you're doing sink in fully. It creates space for the kind of moments that can't be planned or prompted, and those are always the ones that end up being your favourites in the gallery!