List of the best places for Eloping in Ireland

Eloping in Ireland but your unsure where to start and you’re looking for a planning guide?

Chance are you are planning your elopement to Ireland and we are here to lend you some tips and advice and tell you the best 7 places to elope in Ireland.

Over the last 5 years, Ireland and Northern Ireland has seen an explosion of elopements with couples coming from America and Australia to elope in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Below we give our 7 best places to elope in Ireland and in between we give some tips and answer some common questions couples have when travelling here to get married.

But first, take 60 seconds to watch this amazing Elopement video from Northern Ireland

Dream elopement video from Northern Ireland

We hope you find this a comprehensive guide to eloping in Ireland.

  1. Kinbane Castle, Antrim coastline, Northern Ireland

  2. Cliffs of Moher, Clare

  3. The black fort, Inis Mor, Aran Islands, Galway

  4. Dunluce Castle, ruined medieval castle, Northern Ireland

  5. Muckross Abbey, Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland

  6. Dingle Peninsula, Kerry

  7. Dunseverick Castle, Causeway Coast, Antrim,  Northern Ireland

Eloping in Ireland guide

One

Kinbane Castle, Co.Antrim

Quite simply my favourite location along the Antrim coastline, Kinbane Castle is breathtakingly beautiful.

If you’re looking for epic locations to elope in Northern Ireland then this has to be top of your shortlist.

You do have to navigate quite a few steps but when you get down there and look up at the old ruins and headland you will be blown away.

You can watch one of our Northern Ireland elopements by clicking here

Two

The cliffs of Moher, Clare, Ireland

If you have heard of Ireland and specifically the west coast of Ireland then you have heard of the cliffs of Moher.

As a child, we spent many summers holidaying along the west coast of Ireland and one of the most stunning backdrops for your elopement will be the cliffs of Moher, especially att he Hags head area as you can pay for access which means you can drive your vehicles right up.

You can watch one of our wedding videos from the cliffs of Moher by clicking here.

Elope to Ireland - Your honeymoon options in Ireland

While planning your elopement you will be probably planning to stay in Ireland for a few days either side of the main event.

Most people fly into Dublin airport or travel through Dublin so here are a few things you can do and places you can visit in Dublin for sightseeing.
– You may also have arranged to meet your wedding videographer in Dublin

  1. THE GUINNESS STOREHOUSE
  2. THE BOOK OF KELLS AND TRINITY COLLEGE
  3. DUBLIN CASTLE
  4. THE JAMES JOYCE CENTRE
  5. CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
  6. IRISH MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
Eloping to Ireland
Three

The black fort, Inis Mor, Aran islands, Galway

The Aran Islands are a set of islands off the west coast of Ireland, accessible by ferry from Clare or Galway.

You cannot bring your car to the islands but everything is easy to access, most people rent bikes to get around but you can hire a minibus for the day of the elopement.

We have made some good friends on the island so if you need any help planning your elopement to the Aran Islands just ask.

You can view an Aran islands elopement by clicking here.

Four

Dunluce Castle, ruined medieval castle, Northern Ireland.

Quite simply my favourite location along the Antrim coastline, Kindbane Castle is breathtakingly beautiful.
– Pure eye candy for videographers

If you’re looking for epic locations to elope in Northern Ireland then this has to be top of your shortlist.

You do have to navigate quite a few steps but when you get down there and look up at the old ruins and headland you will be blown away.

You can watch an Instagram video by clicking here of one of our Northern Irish Elopements.

What do we need to know when planning our elopement in Ireland?

You should probably hire a wedding planner to guide you through the process. After over 10 years in the business as wedding videographers in Ireland have some great contacts with the best wedding planners in Ireland so if you need a list of resources just let us know.

Rain, it’s Ireland!
-Come prepared as it will probably rain when you are in Ireland. But it rarely rains all day so even if it’s wet on the morning of your elopement don’t despair, it often brightens up as the day goes by.

Car Rental – You will need a car to get around Ireland unless you in a small group and it may be worthwhile to hire a small coach with a guides tour for the few days you are in Ireland.
– This will maximise the number of sights you get to see while eloping in Ireland.

One

Muckross Abbey, Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland

A beautiful location for your wedding film – It is one of the major ecclesiastical sites found in the Killarney National Park. It doubles as an old Irish Monastery and modern Irish graveyard these days.

When you arrive you will see the ruins of an old Franciscan friary which was founded here in the 15th century.

It’s a very popular location in Kerry for small weddings and elopements.

What is the best time to elope in Ireland?

To be honest you can elope in Ireland all year round as we have mild winters compared to our America, Canada and Australia for example.

What you do need to watch for is the amount of daylight at the time of the year you plan to elope. It gets dark at 3 pm in the winter but can be bright until 11 pm int he summers so definitely check in with us and we can advise you on the best timings for your elopement.

The only other thing you need to know is if you plan a summer wedding or elopement in Ireland you still need to aware it may rain as we have a wet and mild climate.

Six

Dingle Peninsula, Kerry

On the southwest of Ireland lies the Dingle Peninsula (photo credit ). It is part of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and has been featured on National Geographic who once called it “the most beautiful place on earth”.

Big boots to fill so. The area is rich in Irish history and there are plenty of local amenities for social life too. You can get a boat ride to go and see Ireland’s famous dolphin, Fungie.

More recently, the area hit the international stage when part of Star Wars The Last Jedi was shot on Skellig Michael.

Since then there has been an increase in people eloping in Ireland

How to plan an elopement

Choose a location

This first thing you need to decide is what country and within that country what locations you would like to elope to.
This will influence some of the next choices, for example, the type of ceremony you will have.

Hire a videographer and photographer

Because it may just be the two of you on your elopement it is very important that you choose the right type of suppliers.
Try and choose a videographer whose work makes you “feel something”.
– This will be the only momento of eloping to Ireland you have to bring home to show your family and friends when you return from Ireland.

Book a celebrant or officiant

Your choice of officiant or celebrant for the elopement will depend on where you want to get married and the type of ceremony you want.
There may be some limitations due to government rules about weddings in Ireland –
We speak more about this further down this page.

Create a timeline for your elopement

It’s important to have a timeline set out for your elopement. The beauty of creating this timeline is that the only people you have to consider are yourselves.

So you will build your timeline around the type of ceremony and the area you want to get married.
– I’m here to help you build a timeline based on your expectations or I can also link you up with some of the best wedding planners in Ireland.

Plan a reveal party and/or gathering for when you return home

Sometimes it might be just inviting friends and family for dinner to reveal you eloped a few weeks ago.

If the weather permits you may plan a big outdoor BBQ. It’s a nice way to still celebrate with your family and friends and let them see your elopement video and photographs.

Seven

Dunseverick Castle, Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

For our seventh choice of the best places to elope in Ireland, we are heading back up to the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland.

Dunseverick Castle is another beautiful location along the northern Irish coastline, a peninsula in County Antrim.

From there you have the giants causeway to the west and the causeway cliff path runs past it on it’s way to  Dunseverick Harbour to the east.

Types of ceremonies for elopements in Ireland and restrictions on locations for your elopement.

Before you consider what type of ceremony you might have if you are eloping in Ireland you need to decide if you want to have a legally binding ceremony or a symbolic ceremony.

Let’s differentiate between a legal binding ceremony and a symbolic ceremony and we will also explain some differences between getting married the Republic of Ireland getting married in Northern Ireland.
– Don’t worry these are all choices that you have as a couple that means you can then choose to marry anywhere without restrictions of that’s what you wish.

A symbolic ceremony:
For elopements, especially for couples travelling from abroad, our advice is that it is best to get legally married in your own country before coming to Ireland( we choose to do this ourselves for our wedding), this means you will have no restrictions on where you can get married and also fewer restrictions on the type of celebrant, or indeed if you even want to have a celebrant.

A legal and binding ceremony:
You can get legally married in Ireland and Northern Ireland during your elopement. You will need a registered celebrant and 2 witnesses ( that can be your photographer and videographer. I have been the witness for a few Irish elopements).
In the Republic of Ireland, you need to register your intent to marry no less than 3 months before the date of the ceremony and the location has to have a physical building with an address.
– In Northern Ireland, there is no restriction on where you can get married but you do need a celebrant who is registered to solemnise your marriage.
So Northern Ireland gives you a little bit more freedom of choice but we can help you when you get in touch and offer advice on what might work best for you when you tell us about your dream Irish elopement.

Cliffs of Moher Elopement video

Eloping in Ireland

"My husband and I planned our wedding in Northern Ireland from the United States. We planned on having a small, intimate ceremony in which many of our family and friends could not attend, so a wedding video was at the top of our priority list.From our very first contact with Ronan, he was so professional and very interested in getting to know as much about us as possible.He made it a priority to make me feel as comfortable as possible and had already prepared me ahead of time for little things we knew we wanted in the video so that things would run extra smoothly.We received comments like, "It looks like a movie preview", and "It is absolutely beautiful" "

Elopement video from Northern Ireland

Our couples usually thank us for our service long before they receive their flms or even see any footage. We believe the whole experience with us in the lead up to the big day and then on the day itself is vital to couples being at ease and feeling good while being filmed. We create a safe space for our couples to be able to express their love during the portrait session. After this process we find couples already have full faith in what we deliver, and they are only left with anticipation.

"We were so happy to have Ronan as part of our wedding day. Everyone commented on how down to earth and friendly he was, he didn't impose on the day at all and captured every moment brilliantly.He also gave us little tips throughout the day, reminding us to eat and keep hydrated as it is such a busy time! We've just recently received our elopement video and we are delighted with it. Ronan's editing technique is amazing, our elopement video is something we can cherish forever. The day goes by so fast, it's nice to have the preparations, ceremony and photoshoot captured and turned into a beautiful film."

We work closely with our couples in the lead up to the big day, between sending our couples little tips and then touching base via phone or Skype to plan put their day to ensure the best experience possible for themselves and their families and guests.

Check availability by clicking on the button below.
We film a select number of weddings each year. Give us as much information as possible and we will send you our pricing brochure if we are available.
We reply to every enquiry so if you have not heard back from us within 48 hours just follow up with us.

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Image Credits:

Dunseverick Castle – Rough Guides,Dingle Peninsula – Ireland.com, Dunluce Castle – Laneslight, – Muckross Abbey – Wikipedia [Creative commons – Daviddphotos / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]