Tips for Planning the Best Elopement Ever

The Art of elopement


Before we begin, let's go ahead and put to rest the age-old idea that elopements cannot be as beautiful or meaningful as a church or traditional wedding venue. Elopements don't signify less seriousness about marriage or lower relationship commitment. As a society, we've come to view elopements as this shortsighted way to run away and get married, in an effort to avoid judgmental or prying eyes. And, to be honest, I don't believe that's an accurate depiction of what eloping is and WHY people choose to elope.

So why elope?


If you're already engaged, there's a good chance that one of the very first things you did was google, "how much does a wedding cost?" or "how to plan a wedding?". It wouldn't take very long to learn that in the US, according to Wedding Wire's most recent info release, the average cost of getting married in our post-COVID world is $40,000.00. For many people, that is the cost of our vehicles, a downpayment on a home, or college tuition. Not many people have $40K laying around, and so many people are put in a predicament to choose between a "dream wedding" or find a way to cut corners. A lot of those people end up taking out loans or racking up credit card debt to be able to afford a Pinterest-perfect wedding. Elopement is a way for people to still have a wedding and get married, but without all the excess cost associated with the traditional wedding staples. But, it's not always about the money. There are people who would genuinely prefer to elope or have intimate weddings with those closest to them.


The couples who choose to elope probably don't want to experience that crazy wedding stress that they've witnessed in friends and family. They may be more introverted and feel uncomfortable with all eyes on them. Or, they may prefer to have an intimate celebration, not feeling the need for all the fuss and frills. Regardless of the reason why couples choose elopement, it's important to remember that getting married is a personal choice, it's a deeply symbolic act, and holds legal ramifications. Regardless of WHERE and HOW a couple gets married, all weddings deserve celebration and love.

So, you're eloping. now what?


Cheers! And welcome to the club! When you finally make the decision to elope, there are a few things you'll want to do to plan your elopement, so that your day can be as stress-free and beautiful as possible!

I. Pick a Budget


Yuck, no one wants to think about this part! But is very essential to the planning process. How much money are you able/willing to spend on your elopement ceremony? What part of the wedding experience is most important to you? Wardrobe? Photos? Where you stay? All of things things should be factored in when deciding on your elopement budget. The main things you'll want to consider when creating a budget:

  • Venue Permits/Fees (Most National & State Parks have a nominal fee for wedding ceremonies; usually around $50-$150.00)
  • Ceremony Attire (Dress? Tux? Even when eloping, most couples still want to wear the formal wedding attire. An amazing way to save money AND have a beautiful wedding dress is checking out Etsy and Amazon, before heading to in-person bridal boutiques)
  • Rings
  • Marriage License
  • Officiant
  • Photography/Videography
  • Decor/Florals
  • Makeup & Hair
  • Food/Drink
  • Travel and Accommodations


When looking at this list, it's important to remember that everything is optional for your elopement. Especially, for the ceremonies that are happening in naturally beautiful spaces like open air chapels or in our National and State Parks. Photography, on the other hand, I believe is essential to your elopement. What you'll have of your day when it's over is the photos! Let them be amazing photos! Maybe I'm a little biased as a photographer, but for my own elopement/intimate wedding, we splurged on photography and videography, and we're so thankful that we did!


II. Choosing WHERE


In elopement world, you've got three big options: beach, mountains, courthouse/urban spaces. Most couples have a preference for one of these big three "type" of spaces. For my own wedding, we blended somewhere between mountains/forest. This helped us narrow down our where, and we were able to find the most perfect place to tie the knot in Providence Canyon, Georgia, USA. Wherever you choose, let it be a place you and your partner find "beautiful"! Research elopement spots, search on Pinterest, and even create a vision board. This will help you narrow down your perfect elopement location!


III. Pick Your Vendors


So, you know your budget and WHERE. The next and one of the most important part of your wedding day is going to be choosing your vendors! For elopements, the big three vendors you'll be searching for are: photography/videography, hair/makeup, and an officiant. Photography is one of (and I'll say most) important vendor you will choose!


Photogs & Videographers


You should LOVE your photographers work, you should feel that they understand your wedding-day vision, AND that they make you feel uplifted, confident, and comfortable! The primary vetting of your your photographer should happen via phone call or video call, because it's a lot more personal than back and forth emails or messaging! When picking your photog, you'll want to know if they are local to your elopement area, and if not, what their travel fees are! Most photographers/videographers will quote a number for photography and leave out the travel costs...while, I don't personally do this with my own potential clients, it's something to be aware of when finding your photographer/videographer! *Shameless plug: Forever October (*cough* us) leaves a few weekends open each year to fill with elopements/intimate weddings! We do this because we love to travel, so we waive the extra fees on these particular dates, so that we can capture an incredible wedding day in a breathtaking and unique location! For these weddings, we require a phone call or video-call consultation, so that we can make sure we're the right fit for you! Outside of those elopement-reserved weekends, we also offer travel exchange photography for our preferred locations! We waive photography package fees and charge our client ONLY the cost of travel & accommodations (in certain instances, dependent upon the date and location, the price may be significantly lower than photog package costs).


HMUA


Your Hair & Make Up Artist (HMUA) will likely need to be local to your elopement area - a good place to find a HMUA with verifiable reviews is by searching for your vendors using sites like Zola! Of all the bridal booking and wedding sites out there, I've personally and professionally learned that Zola is more reputable and trustworthy than the others out there!


Officiants


Fun fact: In states like Colorado, you don't even need an officiant! But, most people still opt to have one, whether or not it's required! Your officiant will write a wedding script that should be unique to you and your fiancés relationship, and should be a good reflection of what you and your partner believe about marriage. If you're non-religious or religious, you should aim to find an officiant who feels genuinely comfortable writing and performing a ceremony that can be tailored to you and your fiancé's feelings, beliefs, and opinions! Once again, you can find an officiant by search on reputable sites like Zola!


IV. Accommodations & Invitations


Before choosing where you'll stay for your elopement weekend, you'll want to consider who you'd like to invite to celebrate this splendid occasion with you! Whether you want a small group of family and friends, only your MOH and Best Man, OR just the two of you, there's no wrong way to elope - and you shouldn't feel pressured to invite anyone! As a courtesy to those that you choose to invite, it's great to offer suggestions on places to stay that are nearby the ceremony location or central to other wedding weekend events. For my own wedding, we decided not to do a hotel room block, but instead listed three options that were nearby our ceremony location. We chose to list two hotels (one being more budget friendly) and a local bed & breakfast. This gave our guests the freedom to book at their leisure a location that best-suited their preferences or financial situation.


V. Do the Paperwork


An often overlooked aspect of getting married is the paperwork required to make it legal! Before tying the knot, you'll want to research marriage license requirements in the area you'll be getting married, how soon you'll need to apply for a marriage license, and if there is any waiting period from the time you receive your license to when you can actually get married. Most states in the US have required waiting periods and expiratory periods for marriage licenses! You can find out this information by researching which county/parish clerk office presides over the city/town where you'll be getting married, and by visiting their website or simply giving them a call! Beyond your marriage license paperwork, if you're planning to get married in a State or National Park, you'll need to call the park directly and ask if a permit is required, if so, how/when to complete the application for a permit AND how/when to pay any fees. Many parks have a deadline on marriage ceremony permits, so it's important to gather this information as soon as you decide on your location!


VI. Enjoy the Elopement Planning


Don't forget the most important part - enjoy the moment! You have bypassed the hectic, stressful, large to-do of a traditional wedding. Allow yourself to get and be excited about your elopement! Create a vision board on Pinterest, make a cute wedding website with our favorite, Zola, and design an announcement to send to friends and family! For Forever October clients, please know that we are so excited FOR you, and we want to help you create and dream up the best wedding ever! We are happy to help in any way we can, by researching location, scoping out the location in-person ahead of time, helping you with your park permits, and finding vendors who match what you're looking for! You're eloping, not settling! This is going to be the best day ever! We promise! And, as always, if you're on the hunt for a photographer OR if you're already our client and you need a boost or some extra ideas, please reach out! We'd love to hear from you!


Cheers to you!

-Bailey