Wedding Venues Encouraging Couples Elope!

Over the last 18+ months, we have been tracking the changes in the wedding industry being brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. We’ve seen many couples have their weddings canceled – some more than once! Elopements saw a rapid increase in popularity, often out of necessity and we even saw the birth of online Zoom weddings. We’ve also seen big wedding vendors who had to pivot their businesses and start offering small micro weddings and even elopements. With the continued uncertainty about what happens next, we are starting to see wedding venues encouraging couples elope over larger weddings.

Why ARE Wedding Venues EncouragING COUPLES ElopE?

One of the main reasons why wedding venues are encouraging couples elope at the moment is to help them avoid the stress and upset of having larger weddings canceled at the last minute. While it seemed like things were ready to return to some sense of normality with many restrictions lifted, some states are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases with new variants.  It is difficult to say what the situation will be like in a few months time. Wedding venues encourage eloping is for their own benefit too. There is less chance of having to cancel or reschedule smaller weddings and elopements if restrictions are changed. So booking elopements instead of large weddings is less stressful for the vendor as well as the bride and groom.

Eloping Is Here to Stay

Now that more wedding vendors are getting into elopements, it is one more indicator that eloping is here to stay. Smaller weddings have already been on the rise in recent years, but the pandemic has given an additional boost. Although many couples have gone down the elopement route out of necessity, few regret their choice. More couples are beginning to see the benefits of choosing a smaller wedding over a big wedding.

Not only does eloping save money, but couples find it less stressful and more compatible with their needs and lifestyles. Even when COVID-19 is no longer a concern, it’s unlikely big weddings will be as popular as they once were. Wedding vendors have also begun to see the value in catering to smaller weddings. Many big wedding venues are creating fully inclusive elopement packages to make booking a smaller wedding easier.

Is your wedding venue encouraging you to consider an elopement over a big wedding? We would love to hear about your experiences.