CHOOSING AN ADVENTUROUS ELOPEMENT OVER A LARGE WEDDING IS A BIG DEAL, A BRAVE CHOICE, AND A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE! SO, WHERE DO YOU EVEN START WITH PLANNING YOUR ELOPEMENT?
I’VE DONE THE TRAVELING, THE HIKING, THE EXPLORING, AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF PLANNING THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE. HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL TIPS AND IDEAS I HAVE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU TO BEGIN THE PROCESS…
LET’S START WITH THE WHAT AND THE WHY…
I. WHAT IS AN ELOPEMENT?
Elopements are essentially intimate weddings - they are the big days we all see boiled down to the meaningful, sacred moments that matter most to you and your partner. Elopements are not cookie cutter, they are unique and can look like whatever reflects your relationship best - traveling internationally, exploring clifftops, barefoot ocean vows, or even an intimate dinner in your own backyard - they are truly a one of a kind experience.
II. IS PLANNING TIME CONSUMING?
This, again, has no one answer. It depends on the “where” the “how” and the “what” of your special day. You could be dreaming this up for years, or you could fly out to Iceland or Bali this summer! There is room for both the details and the spontaneity.
III. IS IT EXPENSIVE TO ELOPE?
Eloping will cost a fraction of a large wedding. The main expenses will be travel, lodging, permits, photography, florals, and clothing + accessories. You can add any other aspects that are important to you, but everything will remain MUCH cheaper than a full wedding.
IV. WHO COMES TO AN ELOPEMENT?
This is up to you - it can be JUST you two, you can have immediate family, you can have your best friend. Elopements are usually between 2-10 people.
ALSO… HI THERE!
I’m Corrie, aka your third wheeler, adventure buddy, and camera holder! ;)
I’m so excited that you’re choosing this intimate journey together! I want to make sure every piece of it is the most YOU it can be and truly aligns with your hearts and passions!
Can’t wait to hear all about what you’re dreaming up and to be a hand to hold and guide you through the process!
As an elopement and wedding photographer who has traveled and helped plan elopements - please reach out to me with ANY questions! I’m here to be your photographer, your friend, AND your guide through this crazy beautiful process!
GETTING STARTED — THE PROCESS…
A GLIMPSE INTO THE STEPS OF BRINGING YOUR ELOPEMENT TO LIFE
STEP 1 - THE VISION
It’s important to spend some time dreaming up what you want your day to look like. Give yourself some space to really think and envision what is most important to you two - the location, the elements that matter, the feel of the day. Some things to ask yourself are…
WHERE do you see yourselves? If you close your eyes and picture your significant other standing across from you, saying vows to one another — where are you? Are you standing on a cliff edge overlooking the mountains or barefoot on the beach? Are you somewhere familiar or a place that you’ve always wanted to travel to?
What ELEMENTS you want to have? Are personal vows important to you? Do you want music or quiet? Are there any rituals or special sentimental aspects you want to be a piece of the day? What do you want to make sure you incorporate into your elopement?
What FEELING do you envision? What vibe of elopement are you going for - do you picture a carefree + hiking boots + mud on your dress kind of day? Or flowers in your hair + boho, wind-blown, dress + whimsical kind of day? Or badass + champagne cheers, drinking straight from the bottle + dancing at sunset kind of day? OR, all three somehow combined together??? This day is ALL YOURS, really think about what you want it to look and feel like.
All these are parts of your day — get on Pinterest or maybe flip through some National Geographics? Thing about what is meaningful to you to? What activities do you want to do? What will you wear? Who will be there? What will your ceremony be like? Give yourself space to just dream.
STEP 2 - THINGS TO CONSIDER
You’ve decided the where and the feel of your day, now it’s time to think about the nitty-gritty details. A few things you’ll want to check into for your elopement day are - weather, time of year to go, and permits + laws in that area for marriage and elopements. This doesn’t have to be an annoying step - grab some wine or coffee, get comfy, pull out your laptop or phone, and just start a little google searching! If you feel stuck or stressed, remember, I’M HERE TO HELP!
WEATHER + TIME OF YEAR - We all know that weather is a wild card, but certain places definitely have a BEST time of year to visit. So, be sure to do a little research on your locations so you don’t end up going in a monsoon season. For example, Iceland is dark half the year, so unless you’re wanting that moody / twilight glow, you might want to think of going sometime in the summer. However, maybe you WANT the Northern lights or less crowds from tourists, then you might want to go in the Fall? This is why it’s important to learn about each location and decide what it’s important for day and the vibe you want.
PERMITS + LAWS - the annoying but very important things to think about. If you’re having a destination wedding either a state away or internationally, you’ll want to be sure and check the marriage laws and licensing requirements. You may want to get legally married in your home state if it’s easier, and then do vows and ceremony in whatever other location you choose. Be sure to know all the logistical requirements before booking anything in a specific location - what paper work do you need? Will you need an officiant or witnesses? Then, be sure to look into permits for specific locations. Most National and State parks require these for weddings of any size, including intimate elopements. So, be sure to do a quick search or call to find out that information.
STEP 3 - OTHER LOGISTICS
Don’t get overwhelmed here with doing EVERYTHING all at once, just start to pencil in some important aspects and details! This is where you’ll want to start making a list of guests (if any) to let them know of the location, you’ll want to think about lodging, and travel plans.
Time to let people know! Have your date and location nailed down? If you’ve decided to include any number of people, be sure to let them know all the details so they can have that time saved for you both.
Lodging! Once the where and when is ready, you’ll want to start at least thinking about lodging arrangements. Are you wanting to book a big VRBO for everyone to be together? Or, are you wanting an intimate Airbnb for just you two to get ready together? These type of things can be booked out quite a ways in advance, especially in certain locations. So, be sure to get those nailed down as soon as you can.
Travel! Start thinking about what you’ll need to book or plan travel wise. Will flights be involved? Will you want extra days before or after? Thing about your timeline and what dates are important. Check out these websites for amazing flight deals - Pomelo, Scott’s Cheap flights, Sky Scanner, and Hopper.
Reminding you again — I’M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS! I’ve booked many flights, airbnbs, and planned so many trips! I want to help you with any stressors you have in this whole process! This is about YOU and your ELOPEMENT together!
FINALIZING DETAILS
A FEW OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…
The details - vendors, what you’ll wear, jewelry, timelines, etc.
I. VENDOR CHECKLIST —
PHOTOGRAPHER — be sure to choose someone you align with, someone you can spend the day adventuring with, someone who has your back in the process.
FLORIST — Decide if having florals is important to you. I love the way the colors bring out personality. If this is something you want, be sure to check local floral options so you can pick up the items you choose on the way to the location.
HAIR + MAKE-UP — This may or may not be something you want. Decide if you want this professionally done and who might be in the area.
OFFICIANT — Who would you want this to be? Someone specific? If not, start looking up possible options that are local to your destination.
OTHERS - Food, drinks, music, stylist for intimate dinner, etc.
III. DETAILS TO GATHER —
Time to start thinking about the little things, dresses, suits, jewelry — all the smaller choices that speak to who you are. What dress do you picture yourself in? What suit color speaks to your vibe? Not wanting to wear a dress or a suit, what sounds better? Are there sentimental jewelry pieces you want, or big statement items that creatively speak to what you want? These little details together are all part of the story.
II. TIMELINE —
You’ll want to build this based on your needs for the day. Do you want everyone to hike somewhere? Will it be right outside your airbnb? Will there be long drive times? How long do you want your ceremony? Do you want sunrise or sunset for pictures? Make sure to think about all these aspects! Reach out to me if you want any timeline examples! We can sketch out some ideas together!
GETTING CLOSE.
TAKE DEEP BREATHS.
Don’t feel too overwhelmed, these steps and tips are just a bullet point map for you to get a feel for what planning an adventurous elopement would look like. And remember, you will have people to help guide you along the way!
Once all these things come together, it’s the best part — the journey and process of simply BEING and ENJOYING your magical day. Soak up and embrace every piece of it! You dreamt this, chose this, and built this — it is fully and wholeheartedly YOUR DAY with all the pieces that feel most important to you. Take a few deep breaths, and experience everything to the fullest.
