Making Your Elopement More Memorable
Photo courtesy of Angels View Chapel, TN
A common misconception that many people seem to have about an elopement is that it is impersonal or somehow cold. Perhaps this stems from the fact that so much of the emphasis is placed on saving time, saving money, and avoiding stress. However, eloping can also be incredibly intimate and romantic. In fact, almost 59% of our readers say that they are choosing elopement to have fun and enjoy their ceremony their way. There is no reason why an elopement can’t be personal and above all else memorable. That is why we were excited to come across Linda Diproperzio’s article on SheFinds.com suggesting some tips for making your elopement more memorable.
We have summarized Linda’s suggestions below and added our own thoughts, but you can read her article in full here.
6 Ways to Make Your Elopement More Memorable
1 – Wear Your Dream Dress
Now, here at WhereToElope.com, we are actually all in favor of ditching the dress mess and getting married in whatever you feel more comfortable in. However, that does not mean that we don’t agree with Linda when she says that even if you are eloping you can still wear the dream elopement dress! In fact, with the money you are saving on other areas of the wedding you may even have a bigger dress budget at your disposal than you would with a traditional wedding. The bottom line is this – wear whatever makes you feel special!
2 – Don’t Forget the Photographs
Linda suggests that the one thing that you won’t want to skip when it comes to eloping is photography. If there is one thing you want to splurge on then it could be a professional photographer, or alternatively – look for an enhanced elopement package that includes photography!
3 – Include Friends & Family
Many people think that an elopement has to be just the two of you. While that can be romantic, many couples feel like it is much more special if they are able to include their family and friends in their big day. Many of our elopement packages actually do allow for some guests so why not include your closest family and friends in your big day?
4 – Consult a Wedding Planner
This is one area where we maybe do not quite agree with Linda. If you have read our recent blog on the ‘Top 3 Reasons that Weddings Cost So Much?‘ then you will already know that wedding planners can be an unnecessary expense. As an alternative, we would instead urge you to seek out an pre-planned elopement package or a venue where an onsite planner or wedding coordinator is offered to assist you with your elopement wedding.
5 – Have a Reception
Linda suggests that a great way to include your loved ones is to throw a party afterwards to celebrate with friends and family. It doesn’t have to be a traditional reception, but you could have a family BBQ or a cocktail party upon your return. This is also a helpful way to soften the blow with family who were expecting a traditional wedding.
6 – Send Out an Announcement
If you don’t want to go down the route of throwing a party, you may instead want to send out some pretty announcements featuring some of your wedding pictures. However, we would add that this is sometimes a hurtful way for the family to find out that you eloped, so you may also want to give advance warning ahead of time!
These are just a handful of the things that you can do making your elopement more memorable. We encourage you to look at some of the elopement packages offered by our vendors, many of whom include some extra special touches.