What better way to commence your wild new adventure of life together than running away to the Isle of Skye, with raincoats and hiking boots in tow, for a destination elopement?! Today’s real couple started their marriage together in an epic fashion.
With very little to plan – thanks to their experienced adventure wedding planner & photographer – Briony and Collin got to focus primarily on fashion (score!) Knowing they’d be hiking through rugged terrain and likely showered upon, the couple focused on lightweight wedding attire with versatile accessories. This meant tough mountain boots, modern rain slickers, a hooded bridal cape, and an adventurous attitude.
Finding the perfect dress for the occasion proved to be the most difficult. Searching online and in shops, Briony struggled to find a weather-appropriate gown that still fit her style. Eventually, Rock the Frock & bridal designer Milamira came to the rescue, creating a custom wedding dress that combined her favorite elements of a few different gowns. The result was both romantic and weather-appropriate.
Our Love Story
I’m Briony, from the UK. My Husband is Collin, and he’s originally from Zimbabwe. We now live together in the UK. We met through my sister; Collin was in the UK working on the same farm as my sister’s then-boyfriend. We had heard of each other through my sister and seen each other once or twice in the local village pub before we met adequately, which happened when we both went to London with a group of people to watch my brother running the London Marathon. We then met again at a party at my sister’s house and started dating shortly after that.
Collin booked a trip to Bruges as my birthday present, as I’d always wanted to go. We had been together for almost five years. Collin bought a ring before we went (which I didn’t know), and the whole weekend we were walking around Bruges, he had the call in his pocket, trying to decide where to propose. He said later that he was so nervous because I like to put my hands in his pocket to keep them warm!
We were walking next to a canal on our way to dinner in the evening when he asked if we could sit down on a bench by the canal. He sat for ages waiting for people to stop walking past, and I wondered what was going on! Then, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said “Yes”.
The Dress & Attire
I knew I wanted long sleeves and needed the dress light as we’d be walking on the day. I went to Rock the Frock in Chelmsford; I loved that their dresses were different and much more my style. I tried on a few dresses by Milamira Bridal that I liked but weren’t exactly correct. Rock the Frock was amazing; they spoke to Milamira to see if we could change one dress I liked and use the long sleeves from another. Milamira made the dress just for me, so I hadn’t seen it until it arrived ready for my first fitting, and it turned out perfectly!
Collin already had a lightweight blue DKNY suit from Moss Bros. that he liked and wanted to wear, so that part was easy. He bought a couple of ties and pocket squares from ASOS to choose from.
We knew we’d need boots and warm jackets for an outdoor wedding on the Isle of Skye. I found a perfect grey pair with bronze trim from Timberland, and we got Collin a matching brown pair to go with his blue Suit. The boots were excellent on the day; they were comfortable and kept our feet warm and dry all day. We also got matching jackets from Superdry, grey for me and black for Collin. They were a brilliant choice; even though it was August, it was cold that day in Scotland. We have both worn our jackets and boots since the wedding, and we love that we have things we can keep using in real life!
Favorite Moments
Our favorite part of the day was the ceremony; we weren’t even worried it would rain. I had nightmares about a big wedding, so what we chose was perfect as it was just us, our mums, and Reverend Sandor. We chose a spot on the edge of Raasay Island where the land jutted out, so we were standing on this tiny bit of land with a vast dramatic background of the sea and the mountains of the Isle of Skye in the distance. The scenery on Raasay is breathtaking, and in the photos, it’s just amazing.
My mum walked with me to where Collin was waiting, and Collin’s mum read Corinthians 13 for us with tears in her eyes. It was significant for us to include our mums in our ceremony, as we both lost our fathers when we were children, and for both of us, it has been our mums who have been there for us for all the ups and downs in our lives.
