Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

Beginner September 2022 Hampshire

Elopement with kids

Cayley, 15 February, 2025 at 21:58 Posted on Planning 1 4

Saved

Report
Hide content

Hi all, my OH and I have been engaged since Christmas 2018, but still haven’t come up with a way to get married that we’re both happy with.

Neither of us want anything big at all. Our families are a little complicated as well, so the idea of going away, just us and the kids, suits us perfectly. But it seems near on impossible to find a venue offering an elopement package that’s suitable for kids!
I cannot believe this isn’t a thing in this day and age! The only places we can find are either in Devon or the Lake District, both of which are about a 5 hour drive away from us. A drive I don’t fancy doing with 2 kids in tow, and neither have much to do nearby to turn it into a holiday either.
Is there anywhere in the south of the UK that offers a package not including acc. So we could go somewhere on holiday with accommodation that suits us, and then just go to a venue for an allotted time to get married? I’m essentially talking Gretna Green but down south!

Report
Hide content

4 replies

Latest activity by Cayley, 24 October, 2025 at 05:39

Genius July 2020 Monmouthshire
RomanticGreenStationery27135 · 17 February, 2025 at 16:45
Report

Hide content
You could just go to a registry office and then have some nice photos taken afterwards - would that work?
Or if you find a place that has the kind of vibe you like, maybe contact them and ask if you can adjust their elopement package to make it suitable for kids - maybe point out that there are an increasing number of people getting married who already have started a family, so there is a potential new market out there for them to cater to.
- Reply
Beginner February 2025 West Yorkshire
Missreally · 18 February, 2025 at 18:07
Report

Hide content
I got engaged on the day you posted this and eloping with 2 chn (currently 9 and 14) is what we have always spoken about too.
Hoping someone will know of a place that offers this and comments 😊
- Reply
Beginner April 2026 Kent
Claire · 23 October, 2025 at 10:28
Report

Hide content
Did you end up getting married or choosing anywhere? We thinking the same thing but with 4 children aged from 10 to 17
- Reply

Beginner September 2022 Hampshire
Cayley · 24 October, 2025 at 05:39
Report

Hide content
View quoted message
Hi! Yes we did. We ended up going to Gretna Green after all. We stayed at Centre Parcs Whinfell Forest for the week and went up to Gretna on the second day.

As for the journey, it wasn’t too painful going up there as we left on a Sunday and stopped halfway overnight to break it up. This meant we only had about 2 hours left on the Monday morning to drive so we were at centre parcs by about 10am. Coming back we braved it in one go on a Friday. That was painful! I wouldn’t recommend that to be honest.
As for the wedding itself, that was all great. Nice and simple, just as we wanted. My only 2 small negatives about Gretna, was because we weren’t staying in one of their hotels, we had to get changed in the toilets. They were very nice spacious toilets I might add, but still, not great. And also, the bus load of Chinese tourists that arrivedand had zero hesitation in taking photos of us and our children in our wedding attire! I found that very intrusive and quite rude if I’m honest. One Canadian lady stopped us and asked us very nicely if we’d mind and spoke to us for a minute or so, but the rest didn’t seem to care.
Other than that, it was lovely. Afterwards we got changed into our normal clothes, and went down the road to the outlet village for a Burger King for lunch 😂 Suited us just fine!
- Reply