Why Elope?
10 reasons to elope this year.
Tell me if this story sounds familiar:
You and your partner are so excited to marry each other and all that comes with being recently engaged – planning a celebration, being around your loved ones, eating amazing food, and dancing the night away!
When you start to put together your guest list, you realize the list is getting bigger and bigger… and so is your wedding budget.
What started as a modest affair may have turned into unreasonable expectations of inviting everyone from Uncle Joe (who you think you met once when you were two years old) to spending thousands on decor that you’ll only use once before retiring to your basement until the next spring cleaning.
Trust me, you’re not alone here.
On average, couples spend about $34,000* on their wedding (nationally), whereas a New England wedding can range anywhere from $40,000 – $70,000** on a moderate budget.
That’s a nice chunk of change, especially in a post-covid world where millennials are working side gigs, saving for a home, and just trying to afford our iced lattes and sushi every now and then.
Here’s an alternative to the big traditional wedding and hole in your savings account:
Ditch the big ceremony for an adventure elopement instead!
Now, more than ever, couples are choosing to forgo a more traditional wedding and finding reasons to elope instead!
An elopement is about experiencing the joy of being with each other in a truly special and unique way to create the wedding day of your dreams.
An elopement is simply an intimate and authentic celebration of you as a couple. Your elopement day can be absolutely whatever you want it to be, without all the added stress and production of a bigger wedding.
Read on for 10 reasons to elope this year!
1. YOU GET TO CELEBRATE WITH AN ADVENTURE.
If you’re the adventurous or spontaneous type, a non-traditional elopement might be the perfect answer to your wedding woes. It gives you unlimited freedom with no rules. Want to say your vows on the beach as the sun sets? Do it! Or maybe a mountaintop elopement is more your style. Make it a day and choose your own adventure to celebrate each other!
2. YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE A UNIQUE LOCATION THAT IS SPECIAL TO THE TWO OF YOU.
The greatest thing about eloping is that the sky’s the limit and there are so many incredibly beautiful places in this world to explore. If you have a special bucket list location in mind, start by envisioning what your elopement day might look like if you were to get married there. Would you spend the day hiking through your favorite National Park or in the Southwest? Or maybe the East Coast is more your jam and you’d like to spend your evening enjoying elegant seafood cuisine or brewery-hopping. Think about what locations are special to the two of you, either old or new to explore together!
3. AN ELOPEMENT IS MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE THAN A TRADITIONAL WEDDING!
According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding is $34,000. It’s no secret that an elopement is drastically more affordable. Ditch the expensive venue for a backyard or national park elopement and you’ve just saved yourself $10,000!
4. YOU CAN INVITE AS MANY (OR AS FEW) GUESTS AS YOU’D LIKE.
What’s the difference between an elopement and an intimate wedding? As an elopement photographer and professional, I believe there is no line. The truth is, your elopement day may just be the two of you, or you can choose to have an intimate elopement experience that’s inclusive of your relationships with your closest friends or family. It’s all up to you!
5. THE TWO OF YOU GET TO FOCUS COMPLETELY ON EACH OTHER FOR THE DAY IN THE MOST INTIMATE AND PRIVATE WAY.
With the planning of a large wedding celebration comes a lot of to-do lists. It can come with stress, timelines, due dates, and maybe you just want to forget about all that! An elopement wedding allows for you to focus on what’s important — each other. There’s no right or wrong way to elope. There’s no ‘one size fits all’. Make it yours and make it special.
6. ELOPING ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY WITH YOUR TIMELINE.
If you decide to elope, there are fewer restrictions about when, how, and where you choose to do so! Having a flexible timeline allows you to relish every moment and not worry about what’s next – but just experience everything together fully. Allow your elopement photographer to be your guide in crafting a flexible timeline of your elopement day’s activities and adventures so that the two of you can just relax and enjoy!
7. YOU WILL HAVE UNDEVOTED 1-1 TIME WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER.
If you’re someone who’s not a fan of spending hours on posed family or wedding party photos, this may be the biggest perk yet! With undevoted 1-1 time with your photographer, you will get the most authentic, candid, and adventurous photos of your love for each other. This will also allow for a more fluid timeline, the opportunity to get creative together, and really enjoy every single moment of your elopement day.
8. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
Maybe you prefer a quiet day where you get to simply be with each other and do your favorite things. Eat pizza on a blanket after a day’s hike, go on a bike ride along the beach, or just be with each other and pop some champagne. Either way, your elopement day is about the two of you so you don’t have to worry about being the center of attention if that’s something that doesn’t appeal to you.
9. YOU CAN BE AS CREATIVE AS YOU WANT WITH YOUR ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY.
Your wedding or elopement day photography doesn’t have to be cookie-cutter. It should reflect who you are as a couple and allow your personalities to shine. Want your dog to be your witness? Invite them to the celebration! Do you love cross-country skiing or snowshoeing? Bring along your gear for the ride! Make it as creative as you want, and allow your elopement photographer to be your guide.
10. THERE’S NO “RIGHT” WAY TO ELOPE
Maybe that’s enough said. There’s no right or wrong way to elope. There’s no ‘one size fits all’. Make it yours and make it special.
Don’t just take my word for it! Hear from these couple’s own reasons to elope!
Nicole & Chris
What were some of the main reasons you decided to elope or celebrate with an intimate wedding?
Chris and I wanted a calm, quiet, intimate experience that would allow us to focus entirely on just each other. Also, once we got engaged we wanted to be married quickly! We were excited to be man and wife and planning an elopement is way easier than planning a full-blown wedding – we knew we’d be married faster if we eloped versus having a traditional wedding.
What was your favorite thing about your elopement/wedding day?
Exchanging our vows! I think back on this moment a lot and get emotional each time. We wrote our own and documented them in vow books that we will have forever.
What is your best advice to other couples who are planning on eloping?
Revel in the peacefulness and intimacy of the day. Eloping allows couples to go at their own pace and be unencumbered by the expectations of others. Not having the burden of answering to anyone else means you can put all your attention toward each other – don’t overlook that opportunity!
Jocelyn & Mose
What were some of the main reasons you decided to elope or celebrate with an intimate wedding?
We wanted to elope on the anniversary of our first date. Because of our desire to keep our special date, we weren’t able to have a larger, traditional wedding due to the pandemic.
What was your favorite thing about your elopement/wedding day?
We were able to take scenic photos at places that were important to us: Red Rocks, North Beach, and the lookout over Rock Point.
What is your best advice to other couples who are planning on eloping?
If you feel like it’s the right thing for you, don’t let anything stop you from doing it!
Ready to start planning your dream elopement?
Check out the FREE elopement guide below to learn all about how to bring your epic elopement day to life or reach out today!
