Eloping 101: Everything You Need to Know about Eloping
Choosing to elope is one of the most exciting decisions you can make when planning your wedding! Having an elopement means you can create a truly unique and customized wedding experience. Here, I’m sharing everything you need to know about eloping, including the basics of what it means to elope as well as a few of the key components that go into an elopement day. So kick back, relax, and throw out all the rules you’ve ever been told about planning a wedding. This is eloping 101 and we are going to plan your wedding day your way!
What Does it Mean to Elope?
Eloping today no longer means running away to the courthouse or getting married in secret. Instead, the term “eloping” has taken on a whole new meaning. Today eloping means getting married in a non-traditional or non-formal way. The focus of the day is all on the couple and about having an intentional wedding day filled with meaning and experiences. It can be a day for just the two of you, or it can include a few guests. Elopements offer a lot of flexibility and because there is no one way to elope, you can truly do anything so DREAM BIG and make this your best day ever!
Eloping 101: Elopement Locations
One of the first decisions you will make when planning an elopement is where you want to get married. Because elopements don’t have to take place in a venue, the sky truly is the limit! I think that this is one of the biggest perks about eloping or having an intimate wedding - you can choose any location you wish to go to, during any time of year, and have an experience that you’ve always dreamed of.
When choosing your elopement location, you aren’t restricted to a certain venue or a place to “host”. Instead, if you’re a nature-loving couple, you can get married anywhere in the outdoors (like a National Park). Or, maybe you love to travel and want to incorporate elements of that into your wedding day by planning a destination elopement. Other times, some of the best locations are the ones that are nearby and ones that already hold some sentimental meaning to you.
Choosing a place to get married is a big deal. Not only will the location become the backdrop for your elopement photos, but it will also play a large part in your wedding day timeline and what activities you include in your day. Different locations offer different experiences, so before making your final decision on a location, ask yourself a few questions to determine where you get married:
What type of experiences are we after?
Do we like traveling?
Do we want to incorporate the outdoors?
Do we want to check a bucket list location?
What type of scenery do we connect most with?
What type of weather do we enjoy the most?
Do we have a favorite season?
Of course, you don’t have to have an answer to all of these questions right now. They are just a good starting point to help you begin thinking about the different options available to you and, as a photographer, this is one of the parts that I enjoy working on with couples the most. And that brings us to the next section: Photography.
Eloping 101: Elopement Photography
A big misconception in the wedding industry is that elopements are simpler and easier to plan. While certain aspects of that are true, there are many other layers to consider when it comes to your elopement day and photography experience.
Having helped many couples over the years in making sure their day is celebrated exactly how they wish, I’ve come to see firsthand just how much photography plays a part in an elopement experience. Your elopement photography isn’t just a service that starts on your wedding day. A big part of it also involves planning and making sure that your day (locations, activities, and timeline) is set up in a way that speaks to you and allows us to capture your day together as it naturally unfolds. Showing up to take photos without knowing the plan is a recipe for thin coverage and a lack of understanding of how couples want to celebrate. Nobody wants that - especially on one of the biggest days of your life!
Another important thing about elopement photography is that it is so much more than just a photo shoot. Many times your photographer is also the planner, coordinator, hype-person, guide, timeline-builder, travel advisor and so much more. Especially if your elopement does not include any guests or other day-of vendors, your elopement photographer is likely to be the wearer of many hats and be the one adjusting your veil or helping you pin your boutonniere while also guiding you through the day every step of the way.
List of things elopement photographers do:
A professional photographer who:
Specializes in their craft as an elopement photographer
Cares about capturing intimate and special moments
Makes sure your day doesn’t feel posed or like a photoshoot
Helps you stay present in the moment
Captures a day that you can enjoy reliving for years to come
Documents your day as it unfolds
Acts as an elopement planner by:
Helping you create a personalized experience
Providing recommendations on outfits/attire that works with the location
Builds a smooth timeline so your day is not rushed
Helping you navigate ideas with your family
Helping provide vendor recommendations and interacting with them on the day of (if needed)
Guiding you with any decision-making needs.
Eloping 101: The Ceremony
Your elopement ceremony is one of the most central moments of your elopement day! It’s a high point for many couples and is one of the most personal and special moments of your entire day. It should be unique to you and, just like elopements don’t have to look one way or hold to traditions, neither does your elopement ceremony.
Your ceremony can vary depending on who you are as a couple. You can choose to incorporate any traditional elements into your ceremony, like borrowing traditions that speak to you from other cultures, having a religious or spiritual approach, or ditching all of the above and deciding to do things your way!
An elopement ceremony can include a ring exchange, personal vows, traditional vows, special religious reading or prayers, poetry, music, letter reading, cultural elements, a tree-planting ceremony, and so on. I’m always amazed by the unique and meaningful ways couples choose to express their love to each other through their ceremonies.
Personal Vows
The heart of most wedding days is the ceremony. In traditional weddings, couples often exchange formal vows in front of all their guests. Oftentimes though, elopement ceremonies allow for a more personalized approach to wedding vows. Some couples are ok with exchanging their vows in front of family and friends while others want to keep these sentiments for just each other. It all comes down to personal preference and there are lots of ways to customize this part of your wedding day. Whether you exchange personal vows during a first look or at sunset or you want to exchange them during your ceremony with family and friends, there are so many different ways to share in this meaningful moment.
Eloping 101: Guests
A common misconception is that an elopement is just the couple, but that is just not true. If you want to invite family or friends to help you celebrate your special day, do it!
But how many guests can you invite before it is considered a traditional wedding? While there are no rules, typically, an elopement consists of 3-10 guests. Having fewer guests will allow you the most flexibility in terms of what you can do and where you can go on your wedding day.
If your circle of loved ones consists of more than that, then an intimate wedding is a great way to combine the best aspects of a wedding and an elopement. Intimate weddings typically include 10-30 guests and while there is a slightly larger emphasis on details and hosting, intimate weddings still allow you to keep the focus of your wedding day on each other.
No matter how many guests you choose to invite, there are so many ways to plan your wedding day. From including guests during your ceremony only to having a multi-day wedding to holding your reception celebration on a different day, know that it is possible to elope and still include loved ones.
For More Tips on Including Guests at Your Elopement, Check Out the Resources Below
Elopement 101: Activities
Activities are one of the best ways to add personality to your elopement. Incorporating things you love to do is what makes your day unique to you and allows you to experience your wedding day how you wish. The kinds of activities you include can also help you determine where you get married, whether it’s a specific city, country, or national park.
When it comes to planning your elopement experience, my best suggestion is to “dream big” and plan from the heart. No ideas are too crazy. By dreaming big, you’ll start contemplating options and ways to have the best day ever (as it should be!!).
Some activities to think about are hiking, exploring a city, planning a picnic, taking a boat ride, riding an ATV or going off-roading, horseback riding, taking a helicopter tour, exploring glacier caves, kayaking, surfing, diving, stargazing, skydiving, or enjoying a catered private dinner. These are just a few of the many activities you can include in your elopement, but as I mentioned earlier, dream big and think of ideas that are meaningful to you as a couple.
Pro Tip: When contemplating what activities to include in your day, I always recommend discussing them with me as your photographer because we may have fun ideas or recommendations to provide that can make the planning process WAY easier.
Meet Your Elopement Photographer:
WILL KHOURY
Hi, I’m Will, your intimate wedding and elopement photographer! Getting to tell couples’ stories is one of the things I love most! Over the years I have had the honor of documenting dozens of couples and have become an award-winning elopement and intimate wedding photographer, but it isn’t the awards that make my job meaningful - it’s the meaningful connections I create with each one of my couples. I love getting to help couples create a unique wedding experience and celebrate this special time in their lives in a meaningful and intentional way.
As an elopement photographer, documenting couples’ love stories is about so much more than just taking pretty pictures. It’s about getting to know you and your partner - learning what you love and what matters to you so I can tell YOUR story on your wedding day!
As your elopement photographer, I’ll be with you every step of the way from helping you plan your elopement timeline to providing recommendations for accommodations and vendors to guiding you through the big day ensuring your dream and vision are brought to life. Together, we will focus on the things that matter to you and create a personalized elopement day filled with timeless memories.
Eloping 101: FAQs
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When you hear the term “elope” you may think of a couple running away to get married in secret or having a courthouse wedding in Las Vegas and while those are ways to elope, they aren’t the only ways. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines elope as “to run away secretly with the intention of getting married usually without parental consent.” Fortunately, though, this is no longer the only meaning of the word, at least not in the modern-day sense. In today’s era, the word “elope” means “a small destination wedding” and is used to describe getting married in a non-traditional or non-formal way. Elopements today are usually planned with more intimacy and intentionality and are days of celebration that focus on the couple and what is important to them.
To learn more about what it means to elope, check out this blog post.
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Eloping entails planning a small wedding day that's entirely focused on things that matter to you as a couple. It’s about creating a unique day of celebration, while incorporating the most important elements, inviting the people that matter the most, forgoing any traditions, or choosing only the ones that matter.
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Elopement ceremonies don’t have to look just one way. Depending on the location where you get married, you may need an officiant and one or two witnesses. Outside of that, the ceremony can be between just the two of you or it can include a small group of people such as parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and pets. You can choose to include personal vows and any meaningful traditions or forgo them altogether and come up with a ceremony that feels right to you.
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Eloping has become a common way to get married in recent years. Most of the couples I’ve worked with have chosen to elope because they want to have an intimate, intentional, wedding experience where the focus is on the marriage and the things that matter the most to them. An elopement experience can be as traditional or as creative as the couple wants. It’s not so much about the “how” of eloping as it is about the “why”.
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The answer to this question may vary from photographer to photographer. Generally speaking, elopements are considered anything between 0-10 guests. With the larger guest count, you may start to see terms such as “intimate, micro, or small weddings”. Celebrating with loved ones surrounding you is a beautiful thing, and if you’re considering that as an option, make sure to check out the blog below:
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When it comes to eloping, the focus of the day may sound different than what people are used to hearing when couples get married - and that’s the whole point. While eloping still has the legal aspects that a traditional wedding has, eloping allows couples to create a day that doesn’t direct them in a certain way or tell them to celebrate in the same ways that traditional weddings are typically held. This gives couples an amazing opportunity to create a day that is focused on their intentions, experience, and the meaning of getting married. This is what makes elopements unique and special to every couple. So yes, eloping is a real marriage.
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The answer to this question will be different for every couple. Whether or not you choose to elope will depend on a few factors such as your preferred location, whether or not you want to invite guests, and what activities and elements are important to you. To help you decide whether or not eloping is right for you, I created a blog to help guide you through all the things to consider when making this important decision.
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Yes - if this aspect of a wedding is important to you, then you can include it in your elopement or intimate wedding. However, if walking down the aisle doesn’t resonate with you, there are lots of other ways to go about holding your ceremony that don’t mean having a traditional aisle.
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Absolutely! For elopements that include guests, you may decide to have a few of your friends or family members stand next to you as your attendants/people of honor. Again, this is one of the best things about elopements - you can do whatever the heck you want - as long as it feels right to you.
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Many couples are opting for these options these days. Planning a traditional wedding has so many layers and many steps to take to make sure your guests are taken care of. In a way, you become the host of a big party, which is also your wedding day. This, to some couples, doesn’t sit right because it loses the focus of what the wedding is about and who’s it for. Some couples want to make sure they are enjoying their ceremony or possibly reading vows in private without the attention of all their guests. Prioritizing what you want and making that the main focus of how you get married will help you decide what wedding structure is right for you and that could mean having a private elopement with a party or other celebration with loved ones at a later date.
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A lot of people think that elopements are an inexpensive way to get married. And yes, while elopements are often less expensive than traditional weddings (largely because of the venue and catering costs that come with hosting a wedding) there are still some expenses that you will need to plan for when eloping. To learn about some of the costs associated with elopements, check out this blog on how much it costs to elope.
Get In Touch
Ready to start planning your dream elopement day?
I know just the photographer (wink wink) to help you capture all the important moments and details. Learn more about what planning an elopement with me can look like or, if you’re ready to get started, head over to my contact page! I can’t wait to meet you!