Your First Anniversary After Eloping: Going Back to Where It Began
Your elopement was chapter one. Here's the sequel under a glowing sunset.
Short summer reads…
The first anniversary after an elopement feels different from other anniversaries. There was no big guest list and no reception to look back on, just the two of you, a ceremony and a day you chose together. A year on, it's a lovely moment to stop and look at what you did.
You don't have to plan anything grand. But if you'd like to mark it in a way that fits the way you married, here are a few ideas.
Mark the Day Itself
Start with the date, whatever the weather and whatever else is going on. A few things work well after an elopement:
Read your ceremony script again. If you chose a script written just for you, it's a lovely thing to read aloud a year later, and I've explained how that's done in why your elopement ceremony script is written from scratch.
Look through your album and the Polaroids from your day.
Open your presentation box, if you have one, and unwrap your script and certification.
Write each other a short letter about the year.
Go Back to Where It Began
Photo: Mick Knapton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you eloped in the mountains, you might want to go back. It's a lovely thing to stand where you got married and see how it looks a year later. Maybe the light is different, maybe the weather isn't, but the place will be the same.
Snowdonia can change quickly, so check the Met Office mountain forecast before you go, and dress for the hills rather than for your anniversary photographs. If you're thinking of anything organised, such as a ceremony, check whether the landowner needs to give permission first.
Or Choose Somewhere New
Photo: Ian Greig, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
You don't have to go back to the same place. Some couples would rather mark their anniversary somewhere that's new to them, and North Wales has plenty of options. My locations page covers Llandudno's West Shore and the Great Orme, Anglesey's Trearddur Bay, Penmon and South Stack, and the mountains and lakes of Snowdonia.
If Anglesey sounds tempting, I've compared a few places in my post on anniversary sunsets on Anglesey.
Write Something New for the Year Ahead
A first anniversary is a good time to say something fresh. Read the words you said on your elopement day, then each write one new promise for the year ahead. They don't have to be grand. A promise about a holiday, a habit or a way of looking after each other can mean more than a sweeping statement. If you'd like ideas, my post on what to say when you renew your vows has plenty.
Keep It Simple If You Like
Not every anniversary needs a ceremony. A quiet place, a picnic and each other's company while the sun goes down can be all you need, and a Couples Sunset Shoot captures that evening without anything to rehearse or prepare. You'll still have Polaroids in your hands before you leave.
A Summer Sequel
Photo: Cadw, OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Twilight Ceremonies is open in the summer months, when the evenings are long enough for a sunset ceremony. You can choose a Renewal of Vows or a Milestone Ceremony, both from £450, or a Couples Sunset Shoot from £95. You'll have a personalised experience with Polaroids handed to you the same evening.
If you're coming over from Elope with Leon, it's designed to feel familiar. The structure is similar to before, and your new images can be added to your existing wedding album, so your story keeps growing in the same place.
If You Eloped With Me
A full day elopement includes a complimentary Twilight Ceremonies season of your choice, and a half day elopement gets 15% off a Twilight Ceremonies celebration. It's redeemable whenever you're ready and doesn't expire, so you can choose the summer that feels right. You can read more about what comes with each elopement.
If You Married Another Way
You don't have to have eloped with me to come to Twilight Ceremonies. It's open to married couples who'd like to celebrate their marriage with a personalised ceremony in the warmth of the summer, however and wherever you married.
Read Other Couples' Stories
If you'd like to see what a Twilight Ceremony looks like from the couples' side, my love stories are a good place to start. They show how couples married with Elope with Leon have gone on to commemorate their marriage under glowing sunsets.
Plan Early
Winter is a good time to start planning. We'll work together through online and face-to-face meetings in the months leading up to summer, so there's no rush to finish your ceremony script or vows. Season I of Twilight Ceremonies is taking bookings for summer 2027. If your anniversary falls in the colder months, my post on saving the big celebration for summer explains how that can work.
Start the Conversation
When you're ready, speak to me about your ceremony and tell me a little about your day.
A first anniversary is only the second page, and there are plenty more to write.