7-minutes read
Contemplating a small wedding – have you thought about a Twilight elopement?
When thinking about eloping or hosting an intimate wedding, have you considered making the time of day a focal point by opting for a romantic and intimate twilight package?
Beautiful Twilight Elopement Packages are a new wedding concept. The Twilight Package is created for couples looking to elope and steer further away from the formalities of a traditional large and expensive wedding day. With team E-Lope, we go above and beyond to create a unique, after-dark intimate wedding experience.
Where is the best location for a twilight elopement?
Suppose you are planning a romantic and intimate twilight wedding. In that case, one of our gorgeous castle surroundings, The Castle Westenhanger or Lympne Castle, is the perfect fit for a magical evening elopement.
There’s something seriously romantic and fairy-tale about tying the knot secretly at sunset at a very English castle on the Kent coast.
When is the best time of year for a Twilight wedding?
Twilight weddings are perfect at any time of the year but are particularly loved when the evenings are drawing in and it gets darker quicker. A castle feels romantic and atmospheric when it gets cold enough to light an open fire and smells delicious as you are transported back in time.
At E-Lope, a twilight wedding ideally needs to coincide with the golden hour when couple shots enable our photographer Fleur Challis Photography to take advantage of the soft, diffused light when the sun is below the horizon – the transition from sunset to nightfall.
How do you find your perfect twilight wedding venue?
What could be more romantic than a castle in Kent for your Twilight wedding? A castle provides the perfect backdrop for an elopement without formal speeches, favours, or collecting menu choices from your guests – book a twilight elopement! We can offer The Castle Westenhanger for your intimate twilight wedding for up to ten guests.
Why would you choose to book an intimate twilight wedding?
More couples opt for intimate ceremonies later in the day, just before dark in the evening, to create a relaxed, stress-free and tiny romantic celebration.
Those couples who have already eloped and held a micro evening wedding with us talk about how “absolutely magical and unique” their twilight wedding was.
What to do after your micro-twilight wedding?
The elopement packages last three hours and include the formal ceremony and sit-down wedding breakfast. So, couples who have booked a small twilight wedding with team E-Lope have either left and driven straight home for a night in front of a movie or stayed at a local hotel, including The Pig, Port Lympne, Lympne Castle or Eastwell Manor.
What time should you book your twilight ceremony?
A twilight wedding ceremony usually starts around 5 pm, but we recommend you research when sunset (golden hour ) will occur on your special day as this depends on the time of year you choose to elope, so in the Winter, it might be more like 3:30 pm.
Are there any additional costs if we book a Twilight package?
At E-Lope there are two elopement package prices. The first package is for the day and the second is for a twilight elopement. After paying the elopement package fee, you will also need to pay Kent County Council for your legal ceremony, and there is an additional fee for food and drink for any guests other than your two witnesses. You can include six additional guests, so including yourself, this is ten people.
What happens at a Twilight sweetheart wedding?
The order of a twilight wedding depends on the time of the year, but a typical elopement timeline example might include the following:
- 4:30 pm couple arrives and makes the final adjustments to their outfits
- 5 pm if there are any witnesses or guests, this is when they arrive
- 5:25 pm Witnesses and any guests take their seats either inside or outside. Please note outside ceremonies can only take place during British Summertime.
- 5.30 pm twilight ceremony (or 30-40 minutes before the sun is expected to set)
- 6:00 pm the couple’s sunset kisses plus photos and a champagne drinks reception
- 7.00 pm Twilight wedding breakfast
- 8:00 pm Light up your twilight wedding with Hitched’s guide on everything you need to know about wedding sparklers.
- 8:30 pm carriages
What is the twilight golden hour?
Twilight golden hour is often romantically called the magic hour, the period of the day shortly before sunset, when the light is usually pink, orange, and more golden than when the sun is higher in the sky. On a sunny day, natural lighting appears warmer and softer – a period that most photographers gravitate to as it softens contours and reduces the contrast. Hence, it becomes naturally dreamy and romantic.
What are the benefits of a Twilight elopement?
A twilight elopement package is ideal for celebrations of two to ten people. They allow for breathtaking images under the stars, the perfect sparkler photos. If you love candlelight and open fires, twilight elopements are the ideal time to book a romantic evening soirƩe.
What is included in an intimate Twilight Wedding Package?
Your Twilight Elopement Package includes your
- reserving your civil ceremony with Kent County Council (you will need to pay their fees)
- your wedding ceremony and breakfast tablescape
- wedding cake
- bouquet
- buttonhole
- on-the-day wedding planning.
What theme should I choose for a Twilight wedding?
There is no one look for a twilight wedding, so think romantic, vintage, gothic or add ‘out-of-this-world’ elements. However, like the light, you can incorporate pinks and oranges to ‘catch the sunset’ or metallic colours to add celestial aspects. These elements could include a headpiece, and your dress or suit lining could feature moon and star motifs. See our other blog on styling your sweetheart tablescape.
Whatever time of the day you choose for your intimate wedding will always be different when you elope as we develop the styling and colour scheme based on your concept, what you love, and what you share in your Wedding Pinterest Board. Your wedding will be authentic, exotic, fun and unique to each couple whose wedding we host.
Team E-Lope can’t wait for you to share your twilight vision, as we love creating experiences for couples keen to celebrate their love intimately without stress and compromise.
What can we expect from a twilight wedding?
Here is what Lucy & Adam said about their Twilight Elopement
Five-Star Google Review āāāāā “Team E-Lope were absolutely AMAZING! The most beautiful, stress-free, romantic wedding we could ever ask for. The team themselves are lovely, making you feel calm and relaxed on the day, and their beautiful service, food and decor are just like nothing I have experienced before. When booking, we knew it would be good, but we had no idea how much fun and beautiful the day would be. Cannot thank them enough! A memory to be treasured forever”.
Here is what Andy & Steph said āāāāā
“Fantastic venue, we opted for the twilight package which was absolutely magical. Beautifully decorated and very cosy. Despite us both being very nervous at posing for photos, all the team were very professional and made us feel relaxed. The whole evening was better than we had imagined. The team took care of all the planning which took much of the pressure/stress usually associated with weddings. If we had to do it all again, we wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you E-Lope!”
Top tips when planning a Twilight tiny wedding
Timing is everything with a twilight wedding. So, double-check the sunset time on your intimate wedding day. Then book your ceremony 30 or 40 minutes before sunset and run on your timings as above. And remember some sparklers!
If you are planning on bringing a handful of guests (up to ten people in total, which includes you two), you could consider extra entertainment; this could consist of fire breathers, or at The Castle Westenhanger, you can book fireworks A J Pyrotechnics Please note this is the only company you can book for fireworks.
Here’s some gallery inspiration from some of our previous twilight elopements and a link to The Wedding Owl’s Twilight Pinterest Board
Twilight packages are subject to availability and are valid Monday to Wednesday only at The Castle Westenhanger, Lympne Castle and Chapel House Estate.
