5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Elope
As an officiant who also owns an elopement and small wedding planning company, it’s quite comical that I’m writing this. Or contradictory. However you want to view it.
I started my elopement planning business long before COVID – two years to be exact. I’ve been pushing elopements before it was cool. Yeah, I was that vendor.
But I don’t believe it’s right to push couples to elope purely for the sake of keeping the wedding industry alive or to keep our wedding businesses alive. That’s not fair. And it’s not fair to couples who are persuaded to host a wedding they quite literally never wanted.
So, my lovely couples, I want to be honest with you and provide you with some solid reasons why you shouldn’t elope, even if it seems like your wedding won’t happen for another century.
1. Don’t elope if a large wedding has always been your dream
You’re social. You love people. You can’t possibly figure out how to narrow down all of your friend groups to pick and choose only a few friends. Or one aunt. Maybe you were raised by a tribe of people that would be considered a small wedding. If you can’t possibly imagine having a wedding with a minimal amount of people, don’t. You may have to wait some time, but you can use that time to snuggle up to your loved one!
2. Don’t elope only to save money
Yes, eloping typically will save you money, but a really great photographer or officiant won’t always charge less for an elopement. Often, we’ll charge around the same amount or slightly more since it requires us to do more planning rather than working with your wedding planner or coordinator to schedule your day. Eloping to save money can end up being more of a hassle than it’s worth.
3. Don’t elope just for the photos
The best part about eloping is that the world is literally at your fingertips. You can choose just about anywhere in the world (well, maybe not everywhere if COVID is still happening) to have your wedding ceremony. Though, eloping anywhere in the world solely to have some epic photos you can show off online is not a reason to elope, no matter what the wedding industry tells you. Your marriage is the most important part of your day. Not your photos. (But please do hire a quality photographer if you elope. We can recommend a few!)
4. Don’t elope without thoroughly thinking about your marriage
An elopement is exactly the same commitment as a large wedding. The size of your wedding doesn’t impact your marriage. If you’re eloping to overlook issues currently in your relationship, to avoid passive aggressive comments from family and friends, or to downplay the seriousness of a wedding, take some time to think through why you’re marrying in the first place. The last thing you want is an epic elopement but a rocky start to your marriage.
5. Don’t elope because everyone else is doing it
It’s certainly trendy to elope right now, but just because everyone else is doesn’t mean you have to as well. You can dream big! You can have a big wedding! You can elope in your backyard! It’s your day, so do what you want, not what the internet says is cool.
Below is an example timeline of an ideal wedding plan:
12:30 PM – Bride puts on dress and bride individual photos
12:45 PM – Groom heads to first look location
1:00 PM – First look, letter reading, couple photos
2:00 PM – Bridal party photos
2:45 PM – Family Photos
3:30 PM – Family Photos done
4:00 PM – Hide away for Ceremony (eat something, drink water, have time alone together)
4:30 PM – Ceremony Starts
5:00 PM – Ceremony ends – cocktail hour begins
6:00 PM – Grand entrance with bridal party
6:15 PM – Dinner starts
6:30 PM – Speeches
7:00 PM – Cake cutting and dessert served
7:30 PM – Start Dances (couple’s first dance, father daughter, mother son, then open dance)
8:30 PM – Sneak away for golden hour photos
8:45 PM – Sunset time
9:00 PM – Return to dance floor
10:30 PM – Sparkler Send Off
Here is an example timeline for a wedding in the winter where the sun sets at 4:00 pm, and the couple wants to do their first look down the aisle.
12:00 PM – Groom and groomsmen group and individual photos
12:30 PM – Bride and bridesmaid group and individual photos
1:00 PM – hide before ceremony starts
1:30 PM – Ceremony begins
2:30 PM – Ceremony ends, guests head to cocktail hour
2:30 PM – Family group portraits
3:00 PM – Bridal party group photos
3:30 PM – Couple portraits heading into sunset
4:00 PM Sunset time, head to reception
4:30 PM – Cocktail hour ends, guests get seasted
4:45 PM – Grand March
5:00 PM – Dinner served
5:30 PM – Speeches
6:00 PM – Cake Cutting
6:30 PM – First dances
7:00 PM – Photography coverage done
The Bottom Line
Now that you’ve thought all this through, ready to elope?
Join us over here with some awesome vendors to have a fantastic elopement!
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Officiants
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your moment?
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You probably know the venue and have already selected the photographer – you’ve got your main priorities covered!
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