How to Elope
Have you decided that an elopement is perfect for you and your partner but aren’t exactly sure where to start with planning one? This blog is for you. Below I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about planning an elopement from picking a date and location, to making sure all the legalities are taken care of.
Think about your WHY.
Eloping is a very intentional decision and what your day looks like will depend a lot on WHY you’re choosing to have an elopement. Are you drawn to an elopement because you want your wedding day experience to be more adventurous and you want to get married in a place that inspires you? Do you want to elope for more personal reasons that have to do with your family or does a larger wedding seem overwhelming and stressful to you? Do you simply want to keep your wedding day about you and your partner and nothing else? Whatever your reason is for eloping, keep that in mind throughout your whole planning process so that your day is truly everything YOU want it to be.
Imagine your DREAM day.
I’m a firm believer that your elopement day can and should be exactly what YOU want. Think about the best day you could possibly spend with your partner. How do you spend your morning? What kind of scenery is around you? What kind of adventures would you plan? What would the day FEEL like? One of the biggest steps to planning your elopement is having a vision for the day that feels authentic and meaningful to you. Take this vision with you as you finalize all the details of the day.
Choose Your Elopement Location.
When it comes to choosing the location for your elopement there are a lot of things to consider, but it’s important to remember that there are no rules here! Whether you want to be in a location that is meaningful to your relationship or somewhere new and exciting, as long as your elopement location feels right to you, that’s all that matters. Choosing a place that is meaningful to your relationship - whether it’s a destination that you’ve visited together in the past and loved, a trail you hike every weekend, or the town or state you grew up in - means you’ll be more familiar with it and planning will likely be a little bit easier. Your wedding day will feel like a “full circle” moment as you add a significant milestone to all the other special memories of that place. On the other hand, choosing a location you’ve never been to before means your wedding day memories will forever include experiencing that place together for the first time. This adds a new element of excitement to planning that really can’t be beat!
Other things to consider when choosing your elopement location:
Scenery
What types of scenery or views are you drawn to? When you imagine your dream day, are you by the beach, at the top of a mountain, in the middle of the desert, somewhere else? What kind of setting feels like YOU? Your elopement location should reflect your personalities and be unique to your relationship.
Weather and Time of Year
Some locations have specific seasons with ideal weather - for example, if you are interested in having your elopement in a desert location, you will most likely want to pick a spring or fall date to avoid the extreme temperatures. If you absolutely hate rain and don’t love the idea of dealing with that on your wedding day, you won’t want to choose a notoriously rainy location or have your elopement during the rainy season of the year. Whatever the weather is like at your location will influence what you wear so definitely keep this in mind when you’re planning! I always recommend being flexible on your date and choosing a time of year based on when the weather is best at your dream elopement location.
Accessibility
If you plan on having guests at your elopement, you will want to consider the accessibility of the location you choose, especially if you have elderly relatives or anyone with mobility issues joining you. Places with plenty of flat ground or shorter trails will be more ideal. Also take into consideration how accessible you want the location to be for YOU even if you don’t plan on having guests. If a strenuous hike on your wedding day isn’t your thing, you can definitely find plenty of locations that are a bit easier to get to for your ceremony!
Privacy
Privacy is another thing you’ll want to consider when choosing your elopement location as having strangers around can be distracting and take away from the intimacy of your ceremony. If you’re eloping at a super popular spot or somewhere open to the public, I recommend choosing a weekday or sunrise time to avoid crowds and allow yourselves to have a more private ceremony. Locations that require a little more work to get to will naturally be more private, but will also be less accessible so you’ll have to take guests into consideration for this as well.
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What do you want to do on your elopement day?
When it comes to your elopement, I’m a firm believer that the entire day should be just as meaningful and special as the ceremony. You should be able to take in and enjoy every single moment! Think about how you want to spend your morning and the time leading up to your ceremony and even what you want to do afterwards. You could go for a hike and explore, do a fun activity or excursion, or something more chill like have a picnic or relax by the beach. You can do whateverrrr you want! How you spend your day will likely depend on the location you choose so that’s another factor to keep in mind!
Choose Your Elopement Date
When you’re planning your elopement, it can be super easy to want to pick a date first, but if you have the flexibility, you’re more likely to have EXACTLY what you want for your elopement day if you plan the date around all the things mentioned above like the specific location, weather, and what you want to do. For example, if you want to elope in Iceland, but don’t love super cold weather, and want to spend a lot of time outdoors, a summer date will be much more ideal for you! If you do want to get married on a specific date that’s meaningful to your relationship I support that too! Just make sure you consider all the other factors that go into your day when making your final decisions.
Find Your Vendors
What kind of vendors do you need to hire for your elopement? This ultimately depends on the type of day you’re planning, but here is a list of the vendors that I always recommend booking to help you have the best experience possible.
Elopement Photographer
I know it may seem like I’m a little biased here, but photos truly are the only thing that you will have to remember your day by! You should obviously choose a photographer whose work you love, but I think it’s just as important to find someone you really connect with personally as well. Elopements are very intimate and your photographer will be with you the whole day, make sure they’re someone you trust and vibe with!
Elopement Officiant
If you want to have someone lead your ceremony and legally marry you on the day of your elopement, you will need to hire an officiant. Alternatives to this are to legally marry at a courthouse beforehand or have a friend or relative marry you (they can get ordained online super easy). I’m actually ordained and have acted as officiant for some of my couples! This option gives you total freedom with your ceremony - I basically just help make sure your paperwork is filled out correctly and sign it.
Hair and Makeup Artist
While it can be tempting to do your own hair and makeup, this is something I highly recommend outsourcing to a professional! They will know how to create a look that will last the whole day, compliment your best features, and that will look great in photos. Plus, it’s your wedding day - you deserve to be pampered!
Florist
As much as elopements aren’t about doing things the traditional way, having a bouquet on your wedding day is one tradition I will always support! Florals are a super fun way to include your style and personality and they look great in photos.
Planning Attire and Details
Just because you’re having an elopement, doesn’t mean you can’t still have your dream dress or that bomb suit you’ve been eyeing for years. Like every other part of your day, what you wear is completely up to you! Choose something that you feel amazing, confident, and comfortable in! You’ll also want to consider what you’ll be doing in your attire before and after your ceremony - will you need an extra outfit, a pair of hiking boots, a rain jacket? These little details are pretty easy to take care of towards the end of your planning, but don’t forget about them.
The Legal Stuff
Just like with any wedding, you’ll need a marriage license to officially get married on your elopement day. The requirements for these will vary by city, state, and country so you’ll want to check ahead of time to make sure you’re prepared with the proper paperwork and any other special documents. You will also likely need an officiant to solemnize the ceremony and a witness or two to sign the license. An alternative to dealing with the legal part of the ceremony on the day of is to do all the paperwork at your local courthouse on a day before or after your elopement. Many couples do this if they are eloping in a different state or country to avoid any confusion about the legalities involved. Just know that even if your ceremony isn’t on the same day that you sign your license, it doesn’t mean your elopement is any less special or real. Your wedding day is more about committing yourselves to each other than signing a piece of paper!
Come Up With a Budget
Below are the major costs to consider when coming up with your budget.
Flights, rental car / gas
Accommodations
Attire + Rings
Location permits and fees
Marriage license
Vendors (Photographer, Videographer, Florist, Hair, Makeup, etc.)
Food / Drinks
Activities and Excursions
I encourage you to think first about what your DREAM elopement day looks like, estimate the costs of that (reach out to vendors for quotes), and THEN compare that to your financial situation. If you need to adjust your priorities, that’s okay! Just don’t completely rule out the experience you really want because you *think* it’s out of your budget.
Ultimately, planning an elopement is all about creating a wedding day experience that is authentic to your relationship. This is the day you and your partner commit yourselves to each other and you’ll look back on it for the rest of your lives! There are no rules here, so have fun with your planning and make your day exactly what you want it to be. If you’re looking for a photographer to guide you during this process and capture all the moments of your elopement day, I’d love to be considered! I’m passionate about elopements and helping couples create an intentional and meaningful wedding experience.
