This is an idea I have had in the back of my mind since the beginning of the year. With the recent craziness happening in the world and couples having to change their weddings to elopements, I thought I would write this blog to shine a light on the positives of eloping! I hope this encourages and inspires some couples out there.
Coming from a bride who also eloped as well as being an elopement photographer, here’s 20 of my best reasons to elope in 2020!
Let's start with the obvious and get it out of the way. There a national pandemic going on at the moment. States have differing restrictions on groups of people, but I've seen it range from 10-100 people. This situation has proved we truly don't know what to expect, having a wedding just the two of you can eliminate lots of nervousness about the unknown.
Searching for a wedding venue can be tiring process. You have to figure out how many guests you have, how many seats you'll need, and find a place that can accommodate that. On top of that, according to Wedding Wire the average cost of a wedding venue in the U.S. is $6,000. Eloping at an Airbnb will be a few hundred, or in a national park is $150 for a permit. There is a whole world of location options that opens up when you have an intimate wedding or elopement!
I know many couples who found their perfect ceremony spot, but then the questions of "How will everyone get here? Are they willing to walk to this location? How big is the parking lot?". These questions have made couples turn away from their dream location. Worrying about the transportation for hundreds of people can be daunting, and not worth the stress.
As I said in Reason #1, sometimes the unexpected happens! It rains, there's a government shutdown, or a national pandemic, there's a lot of uncertainty in the world right now. With an elopement, you and your partner have the freedom to change location, date, time, or whatever you want to make your day more comfortable. Go with the flow, be free to change the vibe, without the stress of communicating to your entire guest list.
This is one of the biggest reasons Jeremiah and I chose to elope. There are things I desperately wanted to say to him that I simply was not comfortable saying in front of everyone I know. He shared things with me over our vows that I would not have wanted anyone else to hear, but they meant the world to me. I would not trade that moment of vulnerability for anything.
Imagine the best day of your life filled with all the activies you love, what would that look like? Hiking, biking, boating, private dinner with a chef, snowboarding, even skinny dipping with your new spouse! Your elopement doesn't have to be only vows, you can curate the best day you can possibly imagine and make it a unique experience that is true to you both as a couple.
Friendships can be unsteady, unexpected fall outs and drama have ruined bridal party's and made the experience sting with the lack of someone you trusted being there. I'm going to be vulnerable, I did not want to choose bridesmaids and it was a huge reason we eloped. Soon before I got married, two friendships I had for a long time were no longer healthy and I had to let people go. This was the right decision for me, and I'm thankful I didn't have to rearrange a bridal party because of it.
Sadly, we all can't have perfect families. Parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles, are sometimes no longer apart of our life. Seeing weddings where the bride is being happily walked down the aisle by her father, can sting for those who don't have that relationship. There is NO reason to include family in the best day of your life who have not supported you. I know my opinion is rare here, but no one has the right to be at your wedding just because of a biological connection. You choose your guest list based on who YOU alone want to be there.
My elopement day was one of the most peaceful days of my life. Not many couples get to say that. I woke up and enjoyed a small breakfast, took my time doing my makeup, hair, and putting my dress on. Every moment was very intentional. We ended up having our ceremony two hours later than originally planned, and it was absolutely perfect. No strict timeline to follow, no one counting on us to keep things perfect, it was completely stress free.
Let's nerd out over numbers for a minute. Weddings. Are. Expensive! A few years ago the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. was $20,000, in a short period of time it has gone up to $33,900! I don't know about you, but I can think of a lot of things I can do with 34k. There's inconclusive data the average cost of an elopement, but again some transparancy from me, my elopement cost $8,000. The bulk of our money went to our incredible elopements photographers (well worth the investment, don’t skimp on this!). We were able to enjoy a two week long honeymoon split between California and Florida! The affordability of eloping is unmatched, especially with the incredible experience that comes with it.
The experience of our elopement was incredibly meaningful for us, every moment was very intentional. If we had chose to invite family, they could have shared in a unique travel experience. Most of our families have never been to a national park, or on the west coast. The experience you create for your elopement can be a unique and challenging experience for your close family or friends, and they will always remember that.
No need to stress over flying somewhere new the next morning, or taxi rides to the airport. Is there a beautiful place you have been dreaming of going to with your spouse? Get married there, why not?! You wake up the morning after your elopement already in paradise, how incredible does that sound?
I personally know quite a few couples who have eloped (as well as ourselves). I’m also apart of several large wedding planning and elopement groups where this question is asked often, and I have never seen someone say they regretted eloping. You know yourselves best, if eloping is truly what you want to do, you won't regret it.
I won't lie to you and say planning an elopement is the easiest thing to do, but it is much much easier than planning a large traditional wedding by a long shot. There are also so many helpful tools out there to guide you in the planning process. For example, photographers! I never want my brides to feel alone in the planning. I am always more than happy to give you advice, find information on permitting, location research, scouting, whatever I can do to help you. As a bride who also eloped, I've been through this before, and I want to be here for you now.
I of course might be bias in this, but who wouldn't want amazing photos from their wedding day?! Of course you can get incredible photos by having a traditional wedding, but there is a whole new level of epic when you hike to one of the most beautiful spots in the world and exchange your vows there. The options and opportunities are endlessly exciting!
Imagine telling your kids about your wedding day. You would tell them about what the weather felt like up on the mountain, the vista where you exchanged vows, or the epic adventure you went on, doesn’t it sounds like a story book? Your wedding day does not have to be a rule book or strict schedule to be followed, it can be the most memorable adventure of a lifetime! A lot of weddings follow the same format, I challenge you to make your wedding day unique and authentic to your personality, however that may look.
This is something I think about often. Jeremiah and I are an adventurous couple, and having an elopement that matched that felt so right. I love imagining someday bringing our kids on an epic road trip to California, and showing them the exact spot where we became husband and wife. The spot we chose between the Sequoias is so much more meaningful than a standard wedding venue where hundreds of other couples also shared that huge moment. Our elopement spot is special to us, it's just ours.
I want to be clear, I love shooting weddings just as much as elopements, but sometimes there are awkward traditions we feel we must follow. It might be because of your grandparents religious beliefs, or your parents preferences on the reception, but we end up falling into the same uncomfortable format we've seen dozens of other times to keep those we love happy. If you don't want to follow a tradition, if it isn't true to who you two are, you do not have to! Your wedding day deserves to be all about you.
No matter what, wedding, elopement, backyard ceremony, or church ceremony, your wedding day will be perfect. I just want to encourage all the couples out there to plan your day to be authentic to who you are. This is your day, not your siblings, or your parents, you and your partner are the only people getting married. Make the choice that will bring the most joy to you both forever.
You are marrying your best friend in the entire world! At the end of the day, that's all that matters. However you choose to do your wedding, remember the ultimate goal. Enjoy every moment of your day, at the end of it this person will now be your spouse! That is truly so exciting! We would love to be apart of your day however it looks. Click below to connect with us and get started on planning the best day of your life!
