🏳️🌈 Safe place for the LGBTQIA+ community
I truly believe eloping is the best way of getting married. The wedding industry has commercialized marriage. But weddings should get back to basics, they’ve become more about the decorations, impressive venues, party buses, & family. But what they should really be about is you as a couple. That’s why more & more couples are choosing to elope. Elopements are simple & beautiful & are all about you, the couple.
What does elope mean?
What first comes to your mind when you hear the word elope or elopement? Maybe you think of a bride & groom running away from family, getting quickly married in a thoughtless way to go & live their life away from everyone they knew?
But beautiful locations are NOT the most important thing about today’s elopements.
The modern definition of elopement: A small wedding where the true focus of the day is the couple & their relationship.
What does it mean to elope? To elope means to get married in your own way. An elopement day will focus on the couple & doesn’t have to follow any preconceived ideas about a traditional wedding.
An elopement can be a day with or without a small amount of guests. You can get married on a mountaintop or in a backyard. But the most important thing about an elopement is that it brings the focus of the wedding day back on the couple. A marriage should not be for anyone else but the couple. Big weddings many times detract from the couple & don’t allow them to spend much or any time together. Elopements bring the focus back onto the couple & allow them to have a day perfect for them, perfect for what they like to do.
But why elope?
Today’s weddings have become a big market & some couples forget what wedding are supposed to be about. So some couples choose to elope because an elopement gets back to the marriage of a couple without all the extras. And if you’re having an outdoor elopement, you don’t even need to worry about decor. Nature can be your decor!
Location
Location is not everything when it comes planning your elopement. Remember the most important part of defining elope is that the day is focused on the couple. But choosing a beautiful location can be fun & adds to the specialness of your day! I have a few tips & tricks I’ve picked up along the way to help in location scouting to find some of the best locations. But even a simple location can be absolutely beautiful, such as your childhood garden, or under a tree in a beautiful field.
Timing
Since photography is one of the biggest parts of your elopement, your want to make sure that your timing is right. Why does timing matter so much? To get the best views of various locations, you may have to get up very early for sunrise, that may mean starting a hike at 3am. Or we may need to go to a certain location at sunset, which could mean hiking back down after dark. There are locations that honestly may not be worth going to if it isn’t at sunrise or sunset, timing everything out correctly will ensure that we get the best light so your photos aren’t just blah, they need to be amazing! But all of this take preparation.
Being Prepared
How much couple needs to prepare for depends on what kind of an elopement they plan. There are some locations that are suitable to have a small ceremony with guests. Other times couples want to elope with just the two of them & want a more epic location. This may require a little hiking. Hiking elopements are more work but you can get to more unique locations!
Guests
Elopements don’t have to be just the couple. A small guest list of 10-15 guests allows you to have an intimate ceremony but still share your marriage with the important people in your lives. The rest of your friends & family can enjoy it through videos and pictures! A small guest list keeps the day of your ceremony calm & drama free & allows you to gather & celebrate with those closest to you.
Budget
If couples want an amazing day to remember but have a smaller budget, an elopement can give them an amazing location for amazing photos. A great destination elopement can be pulled off for 5,000-10,000€ for a more luxurious elopement or even less for a local elopement. What all do you need for an elopement? A basic list could include: travel expenses (flights, lodging, food, etc.), rings, land or photography permits, photographer, officiant, wedding attire, & a bouquet. A few other details can add to your elopement, but don’t make it too complicated. An elopement gets back to what a wedding is all about- coming together in marriage as a couple.
It’s All About the Couple!
What I love about elopements is that it gets back to what a wedding is really supposed to be all about– the couple! The marriage is the center of the elopement. Some weddings have so much fluff & couples don’t get to spend any time together on their big day. With an elopement, you can have the whole day to yourselves to laugh, cry, hug, & celebrate.
Not for you?
Is an elopement not for you? Or maybe you want something similar but with a little more of a guest list? Well then maybe something more like a small wedding or micro wedding is something for you. For some who want a wedding with less stress, an intimate wedding with a guest list of around 50 may work better for you.
Or maybe you’d like a big wedding but want some adventure. You could consider an adventure session or destination engagement session. We can travel near or far to seek out a great spot.