Eloping sounds incredible! But how do you do elope?

How to Elope

Eloping is no longer running off to get married – an elopement is an intentional wedding celebration uniquely crafted to each individual couple. If you’ve ever thought, “I wish we could just elope,” know that you’re one of many who would prefer an intimate adventure to a big, traditional wedding!

If you’ve begun browsing the internet looking for alternative ways to get married that feel more true to you and align with your relationship, we think an elopement might be the perfect solution! Elopements are beautiful, intimate adventures that allow couples to uniquely create the wedding day of their dreams. Actually, we even have our own definition of what an elopement truly is:

AN ELOPEMENT IS AN INTENTIONALLY SMALL, INTIMATE, MEANINGFUL, AND AUTHENTIC WEDDING EXPERIENCE THAT IS A TRUE REFLECTION OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WHERE THE FOCUS OF THE DAY IS REALLY ABOUT YOU TWO.

Okay, so now you’re on board with an elopement – you’ve seen images of couples in some of the most beautiful places on earth and thought, “that’s my kind of wedding!” But now you wonder, “how do you elope? Where would I ever start planning?” Now, we can help!

We’ve been professionally photographing elopements for years, and we totally get how the concept can be confusing. Elopements have no rules, unlike big weddings that follow a set of traditions. That much freedom can be overwhelming at first!

The good news is, we’ve been in your shoes. Not only have we helped hundreds of couples plan authentic, truly unique elopement adventures – each of us at Adventure Instead eloped ourselves! We know first hand how good it feels to get married by planning a day true-to-you, centered on your love for each other, and without the stress and chaos of a big wedding.

On this page you’ll find answers to all the elopement questions you can think of, advice on how to pick your perfect elopement ceremony spot, how to create an elopement planning checklist, and other must-know facts on how to elope!

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Elope

All the questions you’ve ever wanted to ask about how to elope – answered by us.

We believe choosing to elope means choosing your love and your vision over any and every obligation, expectation, and pressure you might be feeling. Elopements are for the brave of heart – those willing to go against the status quo to create a magical, once-in-a-lifetime day that’s true to who they are, what they want, and is the best reflection of their love. It’s a wedding celebration specifically crafted for you!

Choosing to elope doesn’t mean you won’t have questions while planning. Listen, we get it. We know eloping might seem confusing, especially the logistics and legalities surrounding elopements. We know saying “just do what you want” falls way short of the reality! Planning a wedding, even one that you’ve tweaked and personalized to fit your relationship, takes a bit of research – good thing we’ve figured out a lot of the logistics for you!

Keep reading! We’ve laid out a few the most commonly asked questions we get from couples when dealing with elopement legalities and logistics.

Keep in mind that no amount of paperwork should ever complicate your elopement day—get things done at whatever pace or timeline works best for you. If you don’t want to deal with legalities on your elopement day at all, we’ve got advice for that too!

Can we invite people to our elopement?

It’s your elopement day – who you invite is entirely up to you.

At Adventure Instead, we generally don’t ever photograph celebrations with more than 20 guests, but there isn’t an exact number that specifies an elopement versus a wedding.

Whether you want to go on an adventure just the two of you, or you want to invite your closest friends and family – you can do it! Invite who you want, whether that’s your entire family, just your sister, your dog, your grandmother, your best friend, or even just the two of you. It’s your magical, amazing day—you get to decide every perfect detail of it.

Elopement Day Guest Options:

  1. Invite no one – elope just the two of you (and a photographer!)
  2. Invite family & friends (up to 20 people!)
  3. Invite only an officiant & two witnesses (to satisfy a legal requirement)

An elopement is for the people who want nothing more than to spend, a day, two days – however long – basking in the intimate, meaningful moment where they choose to commit their lives to each other. There’s no rule on who can and can’t be there to support you during this amazing experience.

What happens during an elopement ceremony?

Whatever you want – but there are some “typical” action we can list.

Remember earlier when we said elopements don’t have rules? We meant it. That means your elopement ceremony can be anything you want it to be – you can (and should) do everything exactly the way you want to. However, if you’re looking for ceremony inspiration – we’ve got you covered!

Your Elopement Ceremony Could Include:

  1. Your own vows! Throw out the traditional script and write your own vows – tell your partner exactly what you want to say to them on your wedding day.
  2. Exchange rings or any other symbol of your love! 
  3. “Firsts” – kisses, dances, ascents, cheers, shouts of “we’re married!” from a mountaintop. Mark this day with memorable experiences!
  4. Sage smudging, handfasting, or any other religious or cultural experience appropriate for you.
  5. Unity ceremonies or custom ceremonies.
  6. This is time to showcase unique talents or exciting surprises! Do you sing or play an instrument? Write or perform a song for your love!

You’re already throwing tradition by saying “yes” to a customized elopement experience instead of a traditional wedding – why not keep that going? Have the elopement ceremony you’ve always wanted by including any experiences and components that make you the happiest.

How do we choose where to elope?

This is one of the greatest things about eloping – you can go anywhere you want!

There’s so much beautiful freedom in that possibility, but we also know how overwhelming too many options can be. How can you possibly pick the perfect place to elope?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve combined our years of travel and experience to create the ultimate guide for picking the best elopement locations in the world. We cover all the bases for – seasons, scenery, activities, privacy, views and so much more.

For just a moment forget logistics, forget complications, forget parameters – ask yourself the most important question: if you could elope anywhere in the world, where would it be? Run with it.
Embrace it. Explore it. Pick the location that speaks to you. The place where you and your love will come alive, and where you’ll be happiest – that’s how you choose where to elope!

This depends on where you live & where you elope.

Choosing to spend your life with your partner might have been an easy decision – you might even be one of the lucky ones who’s finding wedding planning to be a breeze.

Unfortunately, the logistics of elopements are a bit complicated.

Essentially, where you live and where you move to will affect everything about what path to becoming legally married works best for you! There’s no simple answer that will apply to all eloping couples, but we will gladly help you navigate the systems where you are to get you eloped, and legally married!

Is eloping legal?

Yes, but you probably want to know a little more.

It makes sense an elopement doesn’t feel like a traditional wedding (which, to be fair, is sort of the point), but that often means couples are left wondering if their adventurous, stunning elopement is actually legal in the eyes of the law. In short – YES, eloping is legal. But, it’s also not always that easy.

An elopement is totally recognized as legal as long as you’re abiding by the rules and regulations of the state or country you’re choosing to get married in.

That said, your elopement day – the day you’re saying your vows, committing your lives to each other, and becoming partners forever – doesn’t absolutely have to include you getting legally married.

If your plans don’t align with the rules of the place where you want to elope, you don’t have to get legally married there. You can still have your elopement adventure there, just don’t do the legal stuff. If the waiting period or the rule or the red tape in that place bother you, don’t mess with it.

A lot of eloping couples choose not to mess with paperwork on their day. Instead, they have their ceremonies exactly as they want – often without an officiant, witnesses, or even signing their licenses – and then deal with legalities at another time.

FACT: YOUR WEDDING DAY IS THE DAY YOU CHOOSE TO SAY YOUR VOWS AND COMMIT YOUR LIVES TO EACH OTHER – THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T GET TO CHOOSE THAT.

The paperwork, the license, the officiants, the witnesses—all of that can come later (or before) your unique, intentional ceremony.

Do we need a wedding officiant for our elopement?

That depends on local laws, but mostly just whether you want one

This is another short-and-long answer because it totally depends on where you’re planning to elope and whether the day of your elopement is also the day you get married. Seeing a pattern yet?
Every state and every country has its own marriage laws, so the requirements are going to vary from place to place:

Some states require you to have an officiant on your wedding day if you want to be legally recognized as married. Some places (like Virginia) require you to have a judge, a minister, or a person appointed by the court to act as your officiant. Some states even let you self-solemnize (which, we love and will totally get into in a moment).

The reality is, every single state and country is going to have a different rule on officiants –
but, there are a few fun ways to get around that rule while still having the elopement day of your dreams.

First, the entire team at Adventure Instead is ordained!
In most places, we’re legally able to act as your officiants for your wedding. If you don’t want to hire an officiant or bring another person along with you, we can take care of that part for you. And we’ll only be as involved as you want. (There are literally two sentences we are legally obligated to say to marry you – the rest of the ceremony is totally up to you).

Another way to include an officiant is to have your family members, friends, or other meaningful people get ordained so they can marry you. If you don’t love the idea of having a stranger act as your officiant – ask a friend! We’ve seen grandmothers, best friends, siblings, parents, and more all officiate elopements. Every time, it’s meaningful, beautiful, and super intimate.

Finally, our favorite option is for you to have a commitment ceremony during your elopement – save the legal stuff for a different day! For a lot of couples the logistics and legalities of marriage don’t actually define their relationship at all, and aren’t the reason they’re choosing to elope.

TAKING CARE OF THE LEGALITIES ANOTHER DAY DOESN’T MAKE YOUR ELOPEMENT ANY LESS IMPORTANT THAN A WEDDING WHERE YOU SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE.

What is self-solemnizating ceremony?

Our favorite kind of wedding (only kind of kidding) – we really love this

Self-solemnizing is a super awesome law (only recognized by a few US states) recognizing marriage ceremonies as legal. In the most basic terms, self-solemnization grants you and your partner the power to marry each other! You don’t need an officiant, and you don’t need a witness – you don’t need anything but yourselves and your love!

States that allow self-solemnization:

  1. Colorado
  2. Pennsylvania
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Washington D.C.

You’ll still have to fill out your marriage license and file it with the state, but you and your love are the ones who get to sign as your own officiants!

If you’re not getting married in one of the above states but love the ideal of self-solemnizing, know that the Adventure Instead team is ordained. That means we can say the minimum requirements for what counts as a legal ceremony and then let you take off on a more self-solemnizing route for your elopement.

(PS. If you’re getting married in a self-solemnizing state, you can include your dog in your ceremony as a witness—check out this post and thank us later).

Do we need witnesses for our elopement ceremony?

This depends on the laws of your state and county

This answer is a lot like the officiant question – it totally depends on where you’re planning to elope!
Remember, every state and country has different rules for how couples are legally recognized as married. Some states don’t require witnesses at all, whereas some might.

If you are set on getting legally married on your elopement day in an area requiring witnesses, there are tons of ways to go about making this happen:

  1. You can bring along two friends or two family members with you to act as your witnesses. Have them fulfill their legal obligation and then give you privacy for your own intimate ceremony— or, make them part of your day. 
  2. You can ask strangers who happen to be present where you are! We can’t tell you the number of times we’ve hiked up a trail, found some fellow hikers, and asked them if they’d do the honors of being a couple’s witnesses. It’s a fun and spontaneous way to meet the legal marriage requirements. We’ve never had a problem finding someone to be a witness at an adventure elopement ceremony. (Personally, if someone asked us that randomly on a trail we’d be so excited to help).

Again, you also don’t have to mess around with the rules and regulations.
If you want to have your elopement day in a state or country that requires witnesses, but you really want to spend the day with just your love – don’t worry about it. Choose to have your elopement day wherever and however you want and deal with the legalities and logistics at home.

What if we legally don’t get married on our elopement day?

Happens all the time – no one says you have to get legally married to consider yourself life partners

The truth is, the paperwork part isn’t always important to everyone. The day you sign on the dotted line isn’t what matters most – what matters is when you decide to commit!
If you are dead-set on getting married in a state or country where you really just don’t vibe with the rules and regulations of their marriage laws – just don’t bother getting legally married. It really is that simple. No, it doesn’t mean your marriage is invalid. It just means you can’t file taxes jointly yet.
Have the elopement day you want and don’t sweat the small stuff (we’re firm believers in keeping the paperwork as stress-free as possible).

Don’t worry about getting legally married on your elopement day! Instead:

Climb a mountain in Switzerland.
Explore the white sands of New Mexico.
Backpack to a moody spot in the PNW.
Bungee jump off a bridge in New Zealand.

Do whatever the two of you truly want to do on your elopement day and get legally married another time. You can go into the courthouse and sign the papers whenever. Or, have a little separate ceremony with family and friends where you sign your license.
Your elopement day isn’t your wedding because you’re signing your license, it’s your wedding because you’re choosing each other forever – over and over again – in a place unique and meaningful to the both of you.

DON’T LET THE LEGALITIES STRESS YOU OUT—GET MARRIED THE WAY YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO AND LET US HELP YOU WORK OUT THE LOGISTICS FOR YOUR DREAM ELOPEMENT. LET US GUIDE YOU

What if we want to get legally married on our elopement day?

Do it! We’ll help you figure out what it’ll take

It’s totally possible to get legally married and have an adventurous elopement at the same time, but it might require jumping through a few hoops.

That’s not always a bad thing, it just means you’ll make sure you’re abiding by that state or country’s waiting period, marriage license rules, and ceremony regulations. If you’re getting married in the US usually the biggest complications are a waiting period, a legal officiant, and witnesses.

If you’re planning to elope in another country and want to be legally married there, it can get a little bit complicated. Some countries’ rules aren’t complex. For example: To elope in Iceland one of the only requirements is that you have an Icelandic officiant at your ceremony – which isn’t very difficult. In fact, when we captured a couple’s elopement in Iceland, we didn’t just find an awesome Icelandic officiant, we found an awesome Icelandic officiant who was willing to hike with us to where the couple wanted to be married. (Side note, if any of you want to elope in Iceland, we’d be so excited to work with this officiant again—he was the best).

However, eloping in another country can also be really complicated and require tons of time and effort to make sure everything is legal.

Wherever you choose to elope, make sure you’re doing all the research needed ahead of time if you want to get legally married at the same time.

What if we’re already legally married on our elopement day?

Sweet! Now all you have to do is plan a sweet celebration!

You’ve already taken care of the paperwork side and you’re free to have the day you’ve always dreamed of!

Already being legally married doesn’t lessen the importance of your elopement.

Couples get legally married before their elopement for a lot of different reasons. Some couples will sign their paperwork ahead of time for health benefits, tax breaks, immigration, or convenience – that’s perfectly OK.

Just because you’re already married in the eyes of the law doesn’t mean the day you signed your paperwork is your wedding day. Every couple deserves to create the elopement experience that’s the most meaningful, beautiful day of their lives. You can craft the your marriage experience in whatever way makes sense to you!

The paperwork and government technicalities shouldn’t get in the way of that.

Is it difficult to get legally married in another country?

This totally depends on where you’re from and where you’re eloping

This is sort of a yes and no answer because truthfully, it totally depends on so many factors.
Some countries are pretty easy (like we said earlier, Iceland is a breeze), but more often than not it’s going to be more difficult and complicated to be legally married in another country on the day you’re choosing to elope.

Why? Because a lot of countries require things that could complicate your elopement adventure – longer waiting periods, blood work, and other intricacies.

In fact, if you’re really set on getting legally married in another country on the day of your elopement, you might have to hire a wedding planner in that country to help you prep and ensure you’re checking everything off the list.

It can be complex to make this happen. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t still have your elopement day there!

JUST BECAUSE YOU WON’T BE LEGALLY MARRIED IN THE COUNTRY OF YOUR DREAMS DOESN’T MEAN THAT YOU CAN’T HAVE YOUR ELOPEMENT DAY IN THE COUNTRY OF YOUR DREAMS.

About 9 out of 10 couples we work with choose to have an incredible elopement experience abroad without getting legally married there.

We 100 percent support (and personally resonate with) the belief that your wedding day should be recognized as the day that you say your vows to your partner – not the day you sign your marriage license.

If you both want to get married in a beautiful, epic country but don’t want to jump through the hoops to be legally married there – just don’t.

The fact is, your elopement day – the day you’re saying vows and adventuring together – is your wedding day whether you’ve already signed your paperwork or not.

How to Elope:

Find Your Perfect
Elopement Location

To find your perfect elopement location, go through this tactile exercise

We promise it works! Start by grabbing a pen and piece of paper to write down notes as you go, because creating a list (as simple as it sounds) will always be our favorite way to plan! Then, follow these steps:

  1. Close your eyes and let your mind picture what you think of when someone says “elopement.” Maybe these images are inspired by pictures you’ve seen, or maybe you’re imagining places you’ve been or want to go!
  2. Write down the things you see that feel right and align with your elopement goals. Be as simple or specific as you want! (Example: mountains, trees, ocean. Or, sunset in a rocky desert with a warm breeze). This is about imagining paradise!
  3. Test out each of these places – imagine saying your vows in any location that might seem right. If there are one or more, create separate spaces to brainstorm on your piece of paper. Get as specific now as you can – let the mountaintop become a time of day, a season, or bring in details like plant life, smells, and guests.
  4. You’ve probably created lists for a couple options that seem great! But maybe only one works perfectly with the date you’ve chosen, or maybe logistically you can narrow down the list for other reasons. Even if this place doesn’t have a name, describe it to us! We’ll try and find the perfect place on Earth to turn this vision into a reality!

Finding the perfect elopement location requires a bit of soul searching, and maybe you already have a place in mind! Most of the time, choosing a location takes a few brainstorming sessions – we’ll talk about your favorite environments, the time of year you’d like to elope, what activities you want to do, and if you plan to invite any guests.

We’ve photographed elopements anywhere from Colorado to Namibia, and we’re down to go wherever you’re determined to say “I do.” Each of us has extensive travel experience and we always love seeing a new part of the world, so don’t hold back when we begin narrowing down your location! This is truly the perfect time to be honest when we ask, “if you could get married anywhere in the world, where would it be?”

If you want some detailed inspiration about eloping in some of our most popular destinations, check out these elopement guides to Colorado, Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, and Arizona.

How to Elope:

Create a Personalized
Elopement Planning Checklist

Your elopement is going to be your day – no one except you and your partner know what will make you happiest and feel most celebratory, so be honest with your expectations! Your elopement won’t look exactly like anyone else’s, and there’s no perfect checklist for planning such a personalized day. However, the following general elopement planning checklist can be curated to your particular needs – let us inspire you! After photographing hundreds of elopements, we have a general idea of what most people do in order to have a stress-free planning experience. Wherever you choose to elope, hopefully this guideline will help you get through the moments where it feels like you have a dozen things to do at once!

1

Pick a Date

This can be done before or after choosing a location, but the time of year you choose to elope will affect where you’ll want to say your vows and what activities you can do to celebrate! For example: eloping in Colorado in the fall means you can choose a location with gorgeous golden birch groves, but that same place will be a winter wonderland in February.

2

Choose a Location

As stated above, choosing a location can come before picking a date or after. For instance, maybe you saw an image of a mountaintop elopement that you knew immediately was the place you want to elope! Well, depending on where in the world that mountaintop is, you’ll want to choose a date based upon which season makes the trail most accessible.

3

Hire a Photographer

Ideally, this will actually get done before steps 1 or 2. We love the flexibility of working with couples who haven’t set a date or location yet because that means we can find a time within our schedules that works for both of us! However, if you’ve set your heart on a date and location already, please reach out! There’s always the chance we’re still available. We’re heartbroken to have to turn away couples because we’re already booked for their date, so the sooner you reach out the better!

4

Reach Out to Other Vendors

The best time to find florists, planners, caterers, officiants, or other vendors is after you’ve picked a date and location. Local vendors will often be your best bet if you’re traveling for your elopement (flying with a cake can get messy), but you should choose whichever vendors fit your vision!

We have a list of vendors we’ve worked with before who all do a stellar job of crafting details perfect for your elopement! Whether you’re keeping things simple, or if you want to personalize all possible details – there are elopement vendors for that.

5

Familiarize Yourself With Local Laws

Do you want to get legally married at your elopement? You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to check with the state you’re getting married in to attain a license, and determine if you’ll need witnesses or officiants. We are all ordained and in most states can legally sign your marriage certificate, but each state is different.

Depending on your location, you might need to acquire a special use permit. National parks, state parks, and other outdoors spaces are always going to be cheaper than a wedding venue – but they aren’t all free. We’ll help you navigate the world of permit requirements if you choose an applicable location.

6

Purchase or Rent Attire

Dress, suit, jumpsuit, or romper – what you can comfortably get married in will depend a lot upon your location! Choose a lightweight fabric if you’re getting married on a warmer day, pack some nude leggings to wear underneath your dress if it’s winter. You’ll also want to choose attire you can move in!

7

Collect Details You Want to Include

Jewelry, jackets, hair pieces, blankets, shoes, food, drinks etc. – The details of your elopement day are one of the best ways to really let your own unique style shine through! Everything present on the day of your wedding is something you want to be there, so take the time to include what means the most to you.

If you’re eloping just the two of you – a personal detail you might want to include is letters from family or friends. Some couples we’ve worked with have asked their loved ones to write notes, record videos, or share the day in some way without actually being present.

8

Have a Plan B

Look, we can’t control everything. We’ll do our best to guide you toward a date and time in a location that is most likely to have the weather you’re hoping for at your elopement. But, the fact is, storms happen. Even if Plan B is just bringing umbrellas, have an alternate plan in case the weather turns.

When we are location scouting, we can include a Plan B into our initial plan – just to be safe! It might be your second favorite trailhead just down the road, or a completely different day plan if the night before we decide the clouds rolling in are too ominous. We 100% support couples falling madly in love with their elopement plan, but we promise to always be optimistically flexible. Sometimes life just doesn’t go as planned, but you’re going to have a beautiful elopement no matter what!

How to

Elope with
Adventure Instead

As elopement photographers & guides, we don’t just show up & shoot – we help you craft and plan your day from scratch – to make sure your elopement is an unforgettably authentic experience you’ll look back on for the rest of your life!

We found elopement planning is not a linear process with clear, consecutive steps. It happens in stages. As with climbing most mountains, there are many ways to the top – but if you feel lost you can download and follow this guide.

Here’s a little peek into some of the information provided in our Ultimate Elopement Planning Guide & Checklist:

Stage one:

DREAM AND
BRAINSTORM

All the best plans start with a quality brainstorming session!
One of the greatest things about eloping is that you can truly go to the most awe-inspiring places in the world to say your vows.

The goal of the dreaming and brainstorming stage is to form an overall vision for your day including a general area of the world and time of year you would like to elope.

Start by sitting down with your partner – someplace comfortable – and imagine your perfect elopement day from start to finish.
Don’t get bogged down in details, what’s possible or not, or what’s realistic. It’s okay to keep your ideas vague! Have fun imagining all the possibilities.

For additional help and a list of things you should consider during this dreaming and brainstorming time –

download our free Ultimate Elopement Planning Guide & Checklist

However fuzzy your vision is, it’s a great place to start! At some point during Stage 1 or Stage 2 is when most couples choose to contact us as elopement photographers and guides. We love helping couples turn their “fuzzy” vision into a concrete plan with our extensive travel knowledge, location suggestions, and planning tools!

Stage two:

RESEARCH & LOGISTICS

Once you’ve come up with the overall vision for your day, Stage 2 is all about digging deep into research and figuring out what’s feasible. Your goal with this research is to make your adventure elopement vision a reality in the best way possible. This will allow you to start finalizing details.

Just like with Stage 1, we suggest creating a relaxed and fun environment to enjoy this process. Sit on your patio or couch with your laptops or phones – or go hang out in the travel book section of a bookstore after a coffee date!

Some important questions to ask at this stage of planning:

  1. What are the local marriage laws and requirements?
  2. How accessible is your site? Do you need a permit to have a ceremony or photos taken there?
  3. What is the weather like? How do you need to prepare?
  4. What kind of activities do you want to do? Do you want to do some sort of celebratory meal/drink?

If you’ve had trouble with this stage or feel like you’ve gotten stuck – don’t be afraid to ask for help! It’s worth getting the right support to make your dream elopement day possible. For more information and other important logistics you should consider when planning your elopement day, download our free Ultimate Elopement Planning Guide & Checklist!

As elopement photographers and guides – Stage 2 is where we tend to help couples the MOST with their elopement planning process. We absolutely love helping make your vision come to life!

Stage three:

MAKE SOME CHOICES & START BOOKING

Now that you’ve decided what is important to you and you’ve dug deep into research, it’s time to make some choices and start booking things! The goal of this stage isn’t to finalize every single detail – but to get the most important things into place so you can fill in the details from there (Stage 4.)

Start by picking your date and location. Consider what dates hold meaning for the two of you – then see what aligns! Does your date work with your dream lodging or location? Does it work for anyone joining you? Don’t forget to check for holidays and special events that may also affect your chosen elopement location.

For picking your spot, decide first on the general area you want to have your ceremony (so you can book travel and lodging). The exact spot where you stand to say your vows can be spontaneous and discovered on your day – or scouted just before!

Once you’ve nailed down your date, location, and booked lodging, the hardest and most pressing parts of your planning process are complete. Take a break to celebrate, tell your family and friends (if you want to), and start getting excited that you’re one step closer to your dream elopement day!

Stage four:

FINALIZE DETAILS & GET READY

You are in the final stages of your elopement planning process and it’s getting exciting! Stage 4 is all about filling in the details now that you have the main parts of your plan set in place.
There’s a lot of things to keep track of in this stage – so we’ve formatted it like a checklist! We suggest breaking up the many decisions into bite-size pieces. You can set due dates in your calendar, or keep a running to-do list.

Download our FREE Ultimate Elopement Planning Guide & Checklist so you can continue to plan your dream elopement and check items off as you go along!

A couple of things to think about in this stage:

  1. Gathering and purchasing your attire and accessories.
  2. Booking your vendors.
  3. Planning and booking any fun activities you’re doing on your day.
  4. Building your timeline and planning your ceremony for your day.

The day before your elopement, make sure to relax, take it easy, and go to bed early. You have an important day ahead of you!

Stage five:

HAVE THE BEST ELOPEMENT DAY!

You made it! All of your hard work brainstorming, researching, and planning is done. All that’s left is to enjoy the heck out of your elopement day!

Be present with your partner and let your emotions fly. Make sure you soak in every moment and enjoy the time spent together. Enjoy your relaxed timeline and don’t worry about how you look. Don’t stress— if you have a great experience together, great photos will follow.

When you return home, tell your friends and family! Have a party, barbecue, dinner, or reception surrounded by your loved ones. Consider ordering an album from your photographer so you can view the whole story of your day and relive the memories. Display your printed photos around your home to remind you of your perfect day.

YOU’VE DONE IT!

You’ve figured out how to elope –
now it’s time to plan your dream
elopement adventure!

We’ve given you a lot of information here – let it sink in – but send us a message when you’re ready to begin planning!

We want to help you navigate the logistics of eloping, walk you through the steps necessary to craft your ideal elopement experience, and celebrate the details with you as your day gets closer! We firmly believe elopements are the BEST way to get married, and we’re stoked you’re considering an authentic elopement to celebrate your relationship – you deserve this!