Planning an elopement wedding is not about keeping it low-key or hush-hush. It is about creating a unique and unforgettable experience. Whether you are paring down the guest list or heading to a one-of-a-kind destination to exchange your vows, elopement weddings are a special and often more intimate way for couples to commit to each other for life.
But how do you plan the perfect elopement wedding?
Imagine Your Day
What do you envision for your day? How do you see the day unfolding? Are you surrounded by nature, on an iceberg, or in a quaint town hall with a witness and strangers doing the same? Take the time to visualize your wedding day, and let this vision guide your choice of locations and venues.
Look At Costs
While eloping can cut costs from inviting copious amounts of people to a venue, it is not necessarily cheaper, just different and typically more intimate. There will still be costs to consider, such as travel to the venue, accommodation costs, hair and make-up costs, as well as expert elopement photography services to help you capture your day. This is especially important if you are not getting married in a standard wedding venue and your location is in a mountainous area, for example, or in hard-to-access places.
You also need to factor in costs, such as the officiant, who will be responsible for conducting the wedding ceremony, rings, permits, fees, wedding attire, food, drinks, etc., to help you understand how much you will need to make your dream a reality.
Guests Or Not?
There is no need to have guests at your elopement wedding, but you need to consider carefully if you want people you know and love to attend the day. If it is just you and your partner, then you won’t have a guest list to worry about, but if you are taking people along with you, then you need to whittle this down to, ideally, to under 30 people for a more intimate day.
Choose The Season Carefully
Depending on the type of wedding you want and your chosen location, you might need to be particular about when you get married. You might need to think about weather conditions, access to the exact location, whether you want a weekday for fewer people around (especially important if you are choosing National Parks for your wedding venue), and the right season can make all the difference in various location, i.e., getting trees in full bloom or the perfect winter feel, you need to consider sunrises and sunsets, and the environment to choose your location wedding date and time for all of the applicable factors at play for where you want to get married.
Fees And Permits
You need to account for additional fees and permits for your wedding to ensure it is legal, and you can access the company and use the services required for your wedding day by choosing a provider that covers all of you and can assist in the planning beneficial as can using elopement wedding planners who will know exactly what you need for various locations and destinations. Understand restrictions and how you can get the right wedding permits set by states or the local area if you’re choosing national parks, for example. These can help you ensure you meet all the requirements and your wedding day goes without a hitch, or you can actually get hitched.