Australia natives, Skye + James, traveled far from home to tie the knot in one of the most raw + picturesque parts of Scotland - the always beautiful Isle of Skye. For this duo, the most important collective decision they made was that an elopement felt like the right thing to do. What could be better than starting their marriage off in the very place that Skye's father named her after! :) Skye says, I think it was pretty much the eve that James proposed that we both knew what WE wanted to do. The Isle of Skye is a place that we have wanted to visit together for many years and for many reasons and we just knew that it was the perfect place for us to start on our biggest adventure together. Five months later we travelled 17000km from Sydney to Loch Coruisk, a place that we had never seen before. We had no idea what to expect. It was a huge risk but we knew that as long as we were together the day would be a fun adventure.

She adds, If you are considering eloping, our advice is to be courageous, pick a place that is special, book the best photographer you can (in Skye + James' case that meant Kitchener Photography) to capture the day and go on an unforgettable journey together. We couldn't agree more!

We are crazy in love with Skye's Karen Willis Holmes sequin gown, which she paired with ankle boots from Wanted Shoes for the perfect look for the rugged surroundings.

Couples considering an Isle of Skye elopement, check out Misty Isle Boat Trips to transport you right to the heart of the Cuillin Hills in Loch Coruisk.

Skye: From sunrise to sunset, the entire day was completely unforgettable to me. Waking up in our thatched cottage, seeing each other ready for the first time, heading to the port to board our boat, the children at the local school waving to us and wishing us luck as we headed to Lock Coruisk, the sheer beauty of the surrounds as we journeyed on foot to our ceremony location, the ceremony, the first kiss, the journey back to our cottage, everything was faultless. A particular highlight for me was our hand fasting ceremony as it was such a unique way of symbolising the two of us becoming forever intertwined.

James: The moment I saw Skye for the first time was my most memorable moment. Leading up to it I was standing outside our thatched cottage waiting for Skye to put her wedding dress on. Aside from having a little laugh to myself about the fact that I knew and didn't care that I was signing up to be constantly waiting for her to get ready 'until death do us part' I also had a moment to appreciate the gravity, beauty and significance of what we were doing so that when I eventually saw her I could see a future wife, and a partner and a companion on our adventure of life. All emotional walls were down and it was just me and her, perfect!

The sweetest cheers!

The beauty of the modern day Elopement is that there are no rules and no limitations. We are lucky enough to be surrounded by family and friends that love and support us no matter what decisions we make in life. Even if some take longer to come around than others, they will come around eventually. We shared our plans with our families and loved ones from the moment we decided to elope which gave us the opportunity to celebrate before our adventure with high teas and buck nights and upon our return. We held an intimate ceremony with our immediate family at Wendy Whitely's secret garden in Sydney shortly after our return along with quite a number of celebrations that followed!

photography: Kitchener Photography // location: Loch Coruisk via Misty Isle Boat Trips Isle of Skye, Scotland // flower crown: Janet from Simply Flowers // wedding dress: Karen Willis Holmes Sydney // sweater poncho: Forever New // shoes: Wanted Shoes // socks: Calvin Klein // hair + makeup: MAC cosmetics // nails + lashes: Obsession Nails Sydney // groom attire: The Scottish Accessories Shoppe // wedding dinner: Coruisk House // accomodation: Marys Thatched Cottages Elgol, Scotland // videographer: Mr Webster Films