Elopement wedding! Even the words ooze romance, conjuring up visions of swooning brides & passionate couples escaping in secret and running away together…probably in a carriage with horses and a stormy night sky overhead...

 

Modern elopement weddings probably aren’t quite as dramatic but they can still be just as romantic that’s for sure.

elopement wedding breakfast at wedding pavilion in the woods

Whatever your reason for eloping (Privacy? Romance? Budget? Covid?) it’s no one’s business but your own and it’s entirely your decision whether to go the small is beautiful route, or decide on a bigger bash after all.

Engagement Picnic beside the Lake at Cornish Tipi Weddings

One of the advantages of an elopement is flexibility on dates, both with the Registrars who come to  marry you (essential if you want a legal elopement! ) and for a busy seasonal wedding venue like us.  We can usually fit your ceremony in when we wouldn’t book a larger event – sometimes earlier in the same day when another ceremony is taking place, or on a day just before or after another larger wedding.

You’ll also find there’s less planning involved – although some elopements have all the elements of much bigger weddings, complete with incredible flowers, beautiful wedding outfits, full wedding transport, photographer, amazing honeymoon, and of course lovely drinks and food.

engagement photos at lake with pink flowers

Wedding catering for elopements at our venue vary from a slap up meal at the Gastropod Café to a personalized menu brought to your tipi or campfire, but the stand out favourite is definitely that British classic – a picnic.

Elopement Tipi with picnic
fireside picnic for two

You’ll get a wicker hamper with a celebration meal for 2 (or 4 or more depending on witnesses and guests if you’re including a few more guests) which you can take down to the lake, lay out on a rug in the woods, or go wherever you want in our lush 20 acres.

Elopement Wedding picnic with Mojitos
Elopement Picnic at Cornish Tipi Weddings

You can make the menu as simple or intricate as you like – but a top favourite is afternoon tea – maybe with champagne or cocktails, local Cornish cider or cloudy apple juice, sparkling elderflower or a flask of tea.

champagne for a lakeside elopement

Linzi’s baking is in it’s element here – clotted cream and jam with fresh scones, lovely home-made cakes of your choice, savoury sandwiches, delicious tartlets – and of course a wedding cake – they don’t have to be huge to be special!

Elopement wedding picnic with chocolate brownies and strawberries
Picnic with sandwiches and cheese

The team at the Gastropod love catering for elopement weddings, and will give you lots of love and attention to detail (there’s usually a personal note of Congratulation in every hamper!).

 Elopement wedding picnics at Cornish Tipi Weddings

After all that delicious home cooking you can tiptoe off to your tipi or wander through the woods…just the two of you, and the birds and the bees…

 elopement-with-flowers-at-lake

 Flowers: The Woodland Atelier (all  beautiful pink arrangements at Pavilion and on boat) & Flowers from Bruallen (gorgeous arrangements at lake in rustic milk churns)

 Photo Credits: appleBimagesToby Lowe Photography (Bride & Groom outside Overlake Tipi); Zoe White (fireside picnic); The Gastropod Cafe 

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