An Elopement Closer to Home: Virtual Elopements

The Coronavirus pandemic has touched many aspects of our lives in the past few months, including family celebrations and weddings. We have heard from a number of couples who had weddings or elopements scheduled for March, April or May who have had to postpone or drastically change their plans. With travel restrictions and near quarantine orders in many states, more couples have been choosing an elopement closer to home!

Moving Your Elopement Closer to Home

One story that I saw in the New York Times highlighted a couple who had originally planned to elope to New Orleans at the end of March. However, as COVID-19 began to sweep the country it seemed like an elopement closer to home was a safer option, so the couple changed their travel plans mid-trip and exchanged vows at a local wedding chapel in Virginia. You can read their story in full here.

Some States Are Ready to Reopen

If your wedding has been cancelled due to Coronavirus, it may be possible for you to rebook your elopement. A number of states have already announced plans to start easing their lockdown restrictions and lifting stay-at-home orders. If you are a resident of one of these states, including many of the Southwestern, Southeastern and Midwestern states then you may be able to book an elopement closer to home. Some states are still mandating restrictions on gatherings of less than 10 people, so any wedding plans will need to be kept small and intimate.

Virtual Elopements

For those couples who find themselves still under stay-at-home orders, there may be some hope on the horizon in the form of virtual weddings. If you can’t plan to elope closer to home, maybe you can plan one online instead. New York governor Andrew Cuomo recently gave the all clear for couples to get married via Zoom! Couples can apply for their marriage license online and then have a clerk or Officiant perform the ceremony via a video conference call. For example, see the Online Wedding Service that Rev. Ronald Hunt from Ido-Idos.com is offering.  This would also allow couples to have their friends and family join the call and be part of the celebrations. Virtual weddings will also be available in Colorado and in some parts of Ohio.

Have you changed your wedding plans for an elopement closer to home? I’d love to hear about it.