Elopements: A Closer Look at a Growing Trend

By Dave Westfall

Here at WheretoElope.com, we know that elopements have come a long way from what most people associate with the idea! In fact, it often surprises us when people still assume that an elopement means a Las Vegas wedding chapel and an Elvis impersonator!  That’s why we are always pleased to see mainstream media covering elopement as it presents the opportunity for more couples out there to see what modern day eloping is really like! Earlier this month ABC’s Good Morning America ran a segment on the growing trend for eloping and the rise of the elopement industry. Check out the clip below, then we will share our thoughts!

Video courtesy of  abcnews.go.com

The Growing Elopement Trend

One of the things that really sticks out for us as the featured bride Lorie Smith discusses her reasons for choosing elopement was her shock at the cost of a wedding. Lorie describes being quoted $10,000 for a so called ‘budget’ wedding and thinking how expensive this actually was. Year after year, couples tell us that money is one of the key factors in deciding to elope. Why? Well, to put it simply an all-inclusive elopement comes in at around $2,500 – less than 10% of the average cost of a wedding and just a quarter of what Lorie was quoted for her budget wedding!

Elopement planner Charity Parrish was the one who assisted Lorie and her partner John with their low-key elopement, and she also raises the cost of weddings as a key factor in her business. She noted that a growing number of couples are not prepared to drop close to $30,000 on a wedding when they could be putting that money towards a house, a car or even starting a family. These are all common reasons why couples choose elopement.

Another important factor raised in the video is the simplicity of elopement! Charity likens her role as an elopement planner to that of a traditional wedding planner – but on a much smaller scale! We totally agree with her comments that by eliminating things like caterers, wedding bands, linens and more it is possible to create a much more intimate wedding celebration for the couple.

Running away to Las Vegas is very much still an option if that is what the couple wants, but as shown here on www.wheretoelope.com elopements have certainly moved on. You can now elope to your chosen location and still have many of the features of a traditional wedding but on a much smaller scale!