A photographer contacted Bridget Devaney in April this year to check on her postponed wedding arrangements. She realised she needed to make a choice about how to proceed with the event.
Devaney turned to the internet with an invitation that combined hope with improbability, asking people to come to Northern Ireland to celebrate a wedding that did not happen.
Eleven strangers accepted the call and transformed what could have been a period of loss into a week defined by companionship and shared experience.
The group arrived at City of Derry Airport, where they were greeted by friends who had previously focused on raising families and travelling with partners and children.
While some couples are choosing intimate celebrations to begin married life, many cross the Atlantic to exchange vows against rugged coastlines.
Elopements have shifted from being associated with secretive romances to becoming destination weddings set against spectacular backdrops.
Participants joined because they each had their own reasons for wanting to be part of the gathering.
Weeks after returning home, messages between the group continue to flow as future trips are planned.