Newlyweds Claire and Scott Thomson swapped a traditional post-wedding getaway for a football-fuelled trip after Scotland booked their place at the 2026 World Cup, leaving Scott both ‘shocked but elated’.
While many couples picture a honeymoon filled with beaches and poolside drinks, Claire and Scott chose something very different. Just a few days after getting married, they headed to North America to follow Scotland at the tournament, which is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
The couple have been together for nine years and had initially intended to wait until 2027 to tie the knot, giving themselves more time to budget and organise everything.
That plan changed when Scotland secured World Cup qualification in November 2025 for the first time since 1998. Claire then floated the idea of moving the wedding forward and making the tournament their honeymoon.
“It got down to the last game against Denmark and Scotland, and it was like, oh my god, we might do this. So I said to Scott, you know what if Scotland get in and they make it to the World Cup, then let’s just get married, and let’s go to the World Cup for our honeymoon,” said the NHS nurse.
After marrying on June 7, 2026, they were on a flight across the Atlantic by June 10.
Pulling the wedding date forward by more than a year did come with compromises, especially financially.
Claire, 30, said: “We had a fairly small wedding, we had about 50 during the day, and then up to about 120 at night time, but I think definitely it has been super expensive, you know, even drinks when you’re at the stadium are just astronomical.
“We were lucky enough that, we’ve had money from friends and family as a wedding gift, which then meant that we could have this experience.”
They explained that even a single beer inside the stadium can cost as much as $20, although plenty of people have offered to buy them drinks after hearing they are celebrating their honeymoon.
Discussing the cost of the trip so far, the pair said: “Our flights probably cost about £2,000 ($2,640), and on tickets we’ve spent about £2,000 ($2,640).
“Because I’ve got family in Toronto, we based ourselves here. But our hotel in Boston for two nights was over $900, and that was just because it was the Scotland game.”
Looking back on the wedding itself, Claire said: “We’ve been together coming up nine years, so it’s just.. it’s just us.
“It’s just lovely to be able to say husband now. It’s just, you know, smiley, and yeah, it’s great.”