10. The Freedom to do exactly what you want to do and where
When you elope, the pressure of pleasing everyone but yourselves is gone. Instead, you get to do exactly what’s right for you!
Maybe your idea of an unforgettable wedding is exchanging vows at sunset on a secluded cliff in Hawaii while your closest friends and family are waiting below. Perhaps it’s having a mini-ceremony at your local courthouse followed by breakfast. Or maybe it’s getting married on a snowy mountaintop in the middle of nowhere with just your photographer as a witness.
Whatever that place or celebration looks like to you, eloping allows you to have it at a fraction of the cost (or sometimes even for free).
9. You can set your budget and save money by eloping.
There are no parents, siblings, or distant relatives to please when you elope. There’s no budget to adhere to. It’s just you and your partner decide on what precisely this special day will look like for the two of you.
There are costs associated with getting married—even when you elope—but it can be a fraction of the cost of a full-blown wedding. Don’t be afraid that eloping means settling for some dingy courthouse ceremony with a stranger officiating (unless that’s precisely what you want). An elopement can cost as much as getting married at home or as little as $200 if your goal is to tie the knot legally.
While there’s no shame in having an expensive wedding (or being financially comfortable enough), some people don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a single day. It can feel frivolous and unnecessary when they could save money for things like their honeymoon, buying their first house together, or starting their lives as newlyweds without worrying about how much debt they’re accumulating before they’ve even been married 24 hours.
8. Cut out the stress and anxiety that comes with planning a wedding.
The excitement and romanticism of eloping far outweigh any downsides to many people. If you are planning a micro-wedding or even eloping alone, consider these benefits to deciding to elope:
- You’ll save time and money. Eloping cuts out all the hassles of planning a wedding—finding vendors, making appointments, paying deposits—and can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in the long run.
- You can start your married life together sooner. Saying “I do” sooner is not just great for starting your marriage off on the right foot—it’s also essential for couples who want to start working on their family plans sooner rather than later.
- You won’t have stress or anxiety over your big day. No pressure means no second-guessing yourself or fighting with family members about seating arrangements! This is a perfect reason to elope if you’re already anxious about getting married in front of an audience or don’t feel comfortable having close friends and family involved in such an intimate moment.
7. It’s just about you two.
You can choose to elope because you want to focus on the two of you. You don’t have to worry about pleasing anyone else; it’s about what you and your partner want. This is your special day and should be all about the two of you. Plus, if you’re not close with either your family or your partner, an elopement allows you to avoid spending time with people who will make you uncomfortable. And no one wants that!
6. You can dress any way you like!
The dress code at an elopement is whatever you want it to be. You can wear a white dress, but no one will judge you if you don’t. You can wear a corset and a ball gown, or jeans and a t-shirt—it doesn’t matter, so long as you’re comfortable. (Though keep in mind that some locations have strict rules about footwear.)
With the stress of other people’s expectations out of the way, you might find that choosing your outfit for eloping is more manageable than for a conventional ceremony. The most important thing is to remember why you’re doing this—because it’s what both of you want—and go from there! It’ll be fun!
5. Your wedding day can be just as individual as your marriage will be.
There is a common misconception that elopements are only for couples who don’t care about having a wedding. This is far from the truth! Elopements are smaller, more intimate ceremonies. They can be planned exactly as you want them to be, whether running off to Vegas or taking your time and planning something extraordinary.
Many couples choose to elope because they want their wedding day to reflect their life together. The beauty of an elopement is that you can incorporate meaningful and important elements to you, whether they are unique hobbies, personal interests, or traditions of your family heritage.
Here’s some inspiration for making your elopement feel as unique as your marriage will be:
- Choose an offbeat location like a vineyard, park, or even an art gallery.
- Invite guests over after the fact with a personal invitation card, so they know how much it meant for them to attend your big day–and if they missed out on the fun!
- Send photos in a photo album afterward so that guests feel included in your wedding day and see the details firsthand.
- Check out our All-Day Elopement Blog Post HERE
4. You don’t have to deal with the expectations of others.
You get to choose the wedding that works for you and your partner, not your parents or anyone else. It’s your wedding day, and it should be about what works best for you. You don’t have to invite people who either make you feel uncomfortable or are so high-maintenance that they’ll take away from the overall experience of your day—and that means anyone from an old college buddy who loves to get too drunk at parties, all the way up to an estranged aunt who can’t stop arguing politics. The perfect party is one where everyone feels comfortable and welcomed—and if someone doesn’t fit in with that vision, then it’s for the best not to invite them.
3. No commitment to invite people you don’t want there.
A strange phenomenon happens when you announce your wedding: people come out of the woodwork who want to be there to “share your special day.” Everyone thinks that if you have a wedding, it’s an open invitation for them to attend. And, many times, people expect that they will be inviting them because they think they should be. This can put you in a difficult position because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by not asking them, but you also don’t want them there. When you elope, however, it’s suddenly much easier and much less stressful to decide not to invite certain people without having to provide any explanation at all.
You shouldn’t feel obligated or pressured into inviting anyone and everyone who wants to be included in your ceremony. You’re allowed—and encouraged—to limit the guest list (or leave it completely blank). Maybe that means just the two of you and no one else, or it means just a few nearest and dearest friends and family members who are especially important in your lives. Many couples worry about offending friends or family members by not inviting them, but once they’re married, most find that no one was as offended as they expected… if anyone at all!
2. You have more time to celebrate your elopement before or after the actual ceremony.
After your elopement, you’ll have more time to celebrate! Eloping is an excellent opportunity to take an extra-long honeymoon or plan a post-wedding reception with family and friends. If you want to take advantage of this perfect excuse to spend some quality time together, make sure you book that extra week off work and deposit some money in the savings account now, so there’s no stress when it comes time to decide where to go.
There are no rules for celebrating your elopement, which means you can do whatever feels right for you. If it’s essential for you and your new spouse to enjoy a couple of weeks alone immediately after becoming a husband and wife, go for it! And if you’re dying for an excuse to throw a massive party afterward, that’s even better: now everyone who couldn’t make the ceremony has another chance to show up dressed friendly and bring gifts!
1. You get to go on an adventure!
The only people you have to worry about pleasing are yourselves, which means being able to marry in whatever location is special for you. Maybe it’s the spot you first kissed. Perhaps it’s a city where you’ve always wanted to go but haven’t had the chance yet. Or maybe it’s somewhere random that someone recommended while they were on their travels—for us, it was an alpine village in Gmunden, Austria, called Hallstatt.
Eloping doesn’t mean having to sacrifice all wedding traditions either — rather than feeling like we were somehow missing out on anything, we incorporated personal wedding touches that fit our style, budget, and adventurous desires:
- Our friend officiated our ceremony with a custom-written script written just for us.
- We composed vows together (some serious and some funny) that we both read aloud during our ceremony at sunset.
- We had a playlist of songs created just for us by another friend…and danced into the night!
- All of our closest friends and family attended via live video chat from their homes worldwide so we could share our special moment with them immediately after exchanging rings.
Wylie Elopement Photographer
Elopements are more accessible and cheaper than traditional weddings, and you get more freedom with them!
If you elope, you can celebrate all you want before or after the ceremony. You’re not limited to a single day of celebrating; it could last an entire weekend, week, or even month! If you have a traditional wedding and reception, they typically take up the whole day and night. You don’t get much time to spend with friends and family because your wedding is the main event of your day.
If you opt for an elopement instead of a traditional wedding, it gives you more freedom to go on an adventure! You can go wherever your heart desires, whether staying at home in your living room or taking off on a mountain trekking trip in the Himalayas (or flying across the world). This flexibility allows everyone involved—including guests—to plan their trips accordingly and be excited about coming next!
Stephanie April Photography, LLC is a Wylie Elopement Photographer that believes in {Capture} Raw Emotions between Soulmates! Are you recently engaged? Congratulations! If you are looking for a bold and moody engagement + wedding photographer for your upcoming wedding, inquiry today! To arrange for a complimentary consultation to go over pricing and products.
For every first wedding booked for each month, they will get their collection wedding album upgraded.