Karly and Erik wanted a small wedding which felt like them – romantic, playful and a little strange. So, they got married inside a medieval-style stone castle on the Florida coast with no guests, no formalities, and no pressure to do anything that didn’t feel right.

They had originally planned for a beach elopement, but when their photographer, Anna, suggested Castle Otttis, everything shifted. “I’ve always dreamed of getting married in a castle to my prince charming,” said Karly. “Erik trusted my vision and gave me my dream come true.” The castle gave their ceremony a moody, fairytale feel, softened by sunlight through high windows.

Inside, it was just the two of them, a few framed portraits of their cats acting as stand-in bridesmaids and groomsmen, and a set of vows that left them both teary and laughing. Karly wore a black wedding dress she made herself after not finding anything that matched what she had in mind. “There’s a lot that goes into planning a wedding,” she said, “and that wasn’t our style. We wanted as simple as possible.”

Once the vows were said and the portraits taken, they headed to the beach. They laid out a picnic with a vegan cake, blasted Creed from a Bluetooth speaker, and laughed when they realised they forgot to pack forks. They fed each other cake with their hands and watched the waves roll in. Then they played a full round of mini golf at Ripley’s Bayfront, still in their wedding clothes. Later that afternoon, they jumped into the pool at their Airbnb, still dressed, the Florida sun still blazing overhead.

“Marrying each other. Easy.” That’s how Karly answered when asked what her favourite part of the day was. She added, “You can feel the love we share for one another through our pictures.”

Their biggest expense wasn’t a venue or a dress or the cake. It was Anna, their elopement planner and photographer. “She helped us plan the entire day and capture it so perfectly. Our photos look like something out of a dark fairytale and she really helped us stay so focused on each other. We cannot recommend her enough.”

Eloping wasn’t about excluding anyone. “It’s nothing personal,” Karly concluded. “We love our family and friends! Just because we chose to elope without anyone doesn’t mean that we don’t value them or cherish them. We love each other so much that we prioritised our peace of mind and truly focusing on only each other.”

And they don’t regret a single thing. Not skipping the traditions. Not keeping it small. Not even the missing utensils.