How to Elope: Easy Elopement Tips
Planning a wedding is expensive, stressful and time-consuming. That’s why a growing number of couples are eloping instead. They would much rather spend their money on other things – a down payment on a house perhaps. Eloping can save over 90% on the cost of a traditional wedding, so it makes sense to choose this option! However, for some couples, the prospect of planning an elopement can seem daunting. Now that need not be a problem with our easy elopement tips.
We’ve gathered some of our favorite tips from around the web and the couples we have helped to elope. These elopement tips can help you to create your own elopement plan and eliminate the stress of wedding planning. Don’t forget, Where To Elope is always here to help you go from engaged to just married – the easy way!
Choose What Type of Elopement You Want
One of the elopement tips pointed out by Refinery29 in their How to Elope guide is that there are several different types of elopement to choose from. Elopement is no longer about running away to marry in secret and you need to consider what is the right option for you. Here are some of their suggestions:
- City Hall or Courthouse – This is the most basic way to elope. You can get your license, turn up and have it made official. You can dress however you choose and you may or may not bring guests. It is a good option if you want just the marriage and are not too bothered about a wedding.
- Intimate Elopement – The more popular option is for the couple to head off to their chosen elopement destination and tie the knot with only the Officiant in attendance. This can also be expanded to include a handful of guests if you choose.
- Surprise Wedding – An idea that is growing in popularity is the surprise wedding where couples plan a party and then surprise guests by announcing that it is actually their wedding!
- Self-Uniting Weddings – In some states, it is possible to self-officiate your own wedding. It doesn’t get more intimate than that!
Don’t Get Hung Up On Missing Out
One of the elopement tips that many of our couples shared with us after their own weddings was not to get too hung up on the feeling that you are missing out. Eloping does not mean sacrificing your dream wedding. If you still want a big white wedding dress or a pretty wedding cake then you can have it! Make a list of the things you really want from your wedding day and then seek out an elopement package that can offer those must-have features.
Do Lots of Research
We found a great selection of elopement tips over at Creating and Co and many of them are things we have touched on ourselves in various bogs over the years. One that really stood out for us was this – do your research! Marriage laws differ from state to state (see our summary on the bottom of each State page) and from county to county. As you’ll see on our Europe page if you decide to elope overseas it can get even more complex. Take some time to research your preferred destinations to make sure everything goes off without a hitch on the big day.