M&G’s Kyoto elopement began before the ceremony, before the sake, before the temple, and before the city had fully woken up. I met them early on a December morning in the old streets around Ninenzaka, just as the light was beginning to move across the rooftops. … It was a beautiful way to start the day.

B&C arrived in Japan for the trip of a lifetime. They set aside three weeks to live in and explore the country properly — to walk, to wander, to get lost, and to let the days unfold at an unhurried pace, before getting married in a secret mountain garden in Kyoto at the end of their trip. Three or four weeks in Japan changes the way you experience it. It gives you time to stop chasing highlights, start noticing the smaller things, and soak up the atmosphere of day-to-day living. It’s certainly how I like to travel!

And B&C wanted their photographs to reflect that pace.

For many, the word elopement once meant secrecy — slipping away quietly to marry without fanfare. But in today’s world, to elope means something very different. It’s an act of intention. It’s about stripping away everything unnecessary so that what remains is real, personal, and deeply yours. And aside from the financial aspect of it all, this is the main reason why the number of couples choosing elopements over more traditional weddings is on the rise.