Kyoto Elopement Plans

Get Married in the Floating world. The cultural heart of Japan with icons on every corner. Kyoto Wedding & Elopement Plans for everyone.

Elope with a Buddhist Blessing

A Buddhist Temple. A ceremony led by a zen priest. Starts with the Chanting of the Heart, followed by your vows. The head priest guiding you on your journey. You’ll exchange rings and partake in the Sake-sharing ritual. This is an incredible experience that our couples say is life-changing and profound. Everything we hope the start of your married life to be. The head priest here travels the world giving talks about zen & mindfulness. The temple teaches world peace, calm and reflection.

We spend the rest of the day on a Kyoto adventure. Working in complete harmony with you and your vision to work on the most perfect Kyoto elopement day imaginable. Please note – Kyoto locations often charge a surcharge during spring and autumn. We do our best to work around this, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

Kyoto Riverfront Elopement Weddings

This is a Kyoto elopement experience like no other. In the ancient capital of Kyoto, the traditions of Japan don’t just live on in its iconic temples and shrines, but also in its beautiful old historical townhouses. These traditional townhouses are known as Machiya. The Japanese family who own this stunning little traditional townhouse are the friendliest couple in Kyoto! This beautiful machiya, with a historic charm, is completely private, just for you, and the quintessential Japanese elopement experience.

This perfect little machiya has the concept of preserving and showcasing Japanese natural beauty and cultural heritage for future generations. We embrace this in our ceremony here and with iconic Kyoto river views you exchange vows. We celebrate with sake or perhaps a green tea cocktail. And then we spend the rest of the day on a Kyoto adventure. Working in complete harmony with you and your vision to work on the most memorable Kyoto elopement day imaginable. Pontocho is a mere 750m away for the perfect elopement dinner celebration too.

Please note – Kyoto locations often charge a surcharge during spring and autumn. We do our best to work around this, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

Stunning Kyoto Shrine Elopement Ceremonies

There are two beautiful shrines we suggest for elopements in Kyoto. One for traditional Japanese shinto ceremonies. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage listed shrine and one of the more picturesque icons of the city. The ceremony is completely Japanese in every way. It’s ceremonial and ethereal. It’s breathtaking and very profound. Our couples will need traditional Japanese wedding kimono for this shrine which is in addition. We always help with sourcing vendors. However, for a once in a lifetime experience in Kyoto, this elopement is a dream.

The other shrine we suggest for our elopements is quieter and a little more serene. This shrine played a major role in the Shinto religion and for any history buff, that in itself is exciting. Western wedding attire is permitted. And it’ll delight chefs and foodies with a wonderful history & and culinary stories about its founder. Ah Kyoto. We love you.

Shiga Elopements

Less than 45 minutes from Kyoto, lies Shiga, with all the beauty of Kyoto without the crowds. Shiga Prefecture is not the most famous destination in Japan, yet Shiga has a number of amazing locations which make for an unforgettable elopement.

Only 10 minutes by train from Kyoto, you can see Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa, which is always a lovely start to your elopement day. Omihachiman town has retained the charm of the Edo Period and there are a number of shrines here which will allow an elopement ceremony. Today the canal is no longer used for transporting goods but is an ideal place for walking or boating. We can float through old Japan and take in the history.

Gardens & Mountains

There’s a stunning garden right out of the pages of a fairytale where we can get a permit for photos. Shiga is also home to Mount Hiei, nicknamed the ‘mother mountain’ of Japanese Buddhism. This is incredibly meaningful to many of our elopement couples and we always embrace the beautiful energy emanating here.

We encourage our elopement couples to really consider Shiga as an alternative to Kyoto for many reasons. Mostly because we have such few options available in Kyoto permit-wise & the alternatives are a more “set-package” style of celebration. Kyoto can be a little inflexible when it comes to customizing wedding experiences. However, the places we suggest here welcome our weddings with open arms to create the celebration of your dreams.