Planned Elopement vs Spontaneous Ceremonies

When we think of eloping, many people still tend to think about young lovers running off to have an illicit wedding ceremony. That is no longer the norm when it comes to elopements, but that doesn’t mean that it is no longer possible to have a spontaneous elopement ceremony. Let’s take a look at the differences in a planned elopement and a spontaneous one!

Planned Elopement Ceremonies

For many couples who have chosen to elope, it is not about running off to secretly get married. The most common reason revealed during our ‘Why Elope?‘ poll was to save money on the cost of a traditional wedding. In fact, as you can see from our newly released book, it is actually possible to save up to 90% on the cost of your wedding when you decide to elope. For that reason, many couples will plan their elopement in advance, using the Ultimate Elopement Checklist or Elopement Budget from our book, just as they would with a traditional wedding. Even although there is much less for you to arrange, you may find that you do need to book your venue in advance, especially in very popular locations or around special dates. It is also important if you are planning on eloping to somewhere that requires a substantial waiting time, or if you are going to get married overseas. For example, those hoping to elope to Wisconsin need to be aware that there is a 6 day waiting period while several states including Minnesota and the District of Columbia have 5 day waiting periods.

Spontaneous Elopements

There are still some couples who make a fairly spontaneous decision to elope. These couples have usually been together for a long time, and perhaps are even engaged, but have never gotten around to tying the knot! However, for whatever reason they may suddenly decide to take off one weekend and get hitched or perhaps on a special holiday they decide the time is right and want to get married. This is perhaps a little closer to what most people consider elopement to be. The good news is, that there are plenty of places where you can be granted a same day or a 24 hour wedding license! The most famous of these places is probably Las Vegas, Nevada – wedding capital of the United States! However, other states who offer same day licenses include North Caroline, Tennessee and Utah! It’s simply a case of finding a venue and an officiant that can offer a same day ceremony.

Are you planning an elopement? Or perhaps you just decided to elope on the spur of the moment? We would love to hear your stories!