WHY DO MOST COUPLES CHOOSE TO ELOPE?
I learned that eloping was a thing when my wife approached me with the idea. We were in the midst of planning our wedding, and from venue shopping to guest lists (and I won’t even bring up the headache of seating charts), it was hectic, overwhelming, and not fun! We quickly realized that a big, elaborate wedding wasn’t for us.
The idea of us being the center of attention made her want to vomit, so she had the idea of going off and doing our own thing instead. She said, “I see castles, greenery, cliffs, and the ocean for our big day.” We wanted an elopement day that was an experience that we would remember forever - and so we looked for the coolest castles in Ireland, flew across the ocean to tie the knot, and eloped on an incredible cliff, just the two of us.
Eloping was life-changing for us, and I want the same for you! Still not sold on jumping ship on your big wedding day? I'm sharing my personal views on eloping and I've gathered feedback from past couples as to why they chose to elope.
Now that we got that out of the way, here are the top reasons why you should elope instead!
• ELOPEMENTS ARE LESS STRESSFUL
Do you know what was driving me up the wall? Trying to figure out who the heck to invite and what our families were going to think of our plans. Planning a traditional wedding involves a lot of people—and unfortunately, unsolicited opinions as well. It can easily become overwhelming and stressful! And who wants that on the biggest day of their lives? One of the benefits of eloping is eliminating that stress and allowing you to start your life with an epic adventure because you deserve that!
If planning, coordinating, and balancing a wedding sounds like a nightmare, then consider planning this your elopement around what makes you truly happy — hiking, nature, sweet mountain air, and sharing an epic day with the person you love.
When it came to picturing our wedding day, I realized I had never envisioned a traditional wedding for myself. I was not one of those girls that had a wedding Pinterest board and I truthfully cringed at the idea of stressfully entertaining guests on a day that I wanted to be low-key and focused on my (now) husband, Joe, and I. Instead of forcing myself into a traditional wedding, (because let’s be real, our extended families would have likely preferred that), Joe and I followed our hearts and realized we wanted to elope. Our google search led us to our noble mountain man photographer, Sean, who found the most beautiful area of Colorado imaginable for us to marry. We decided we wanted to elope with our families, who were in awe of how incredible our elopement day looked and often expressed how they wish they could have had a smaller, low-key wedding day. We would recommend this to anyone who listens!
- Phoebe & Joe
• ELOPEMENTS ARE UNIQUE AND PERSONAL
Eloping is more intimate and easier than a traditional wedding in a lot of ways—one of which is simply because you have zero limitations! Think about it: the venue, the location, the vows, even what you wear. Each elopement is completely customized to what you want. Eloping is great for couples that value experience over a big wedding or would rather put their money toward something that is more important.
Most couples that choose to elope crave a day that reflects their relationship. They’re rad couples that value a true experience they can remember forever. They know these memories don’t come from the things they had on their wedding day but from the experience of being together, focusing on each other in a way that represents their love.
In the end, there are no rules for your elopement days. The most important thing you can do is honor who you are as a couple.
A small, private beach in Oregon? You can choose it for your elopement! The top of a Colorado mountain? I’m stoked to help you plan it! The options are endless, and it starts with choosing the best place to elope!
You also can tie your elopement into your honeymoon and make one big trip out of it. My wife and I eloped in Ireland and then spent two weeks traveling around Italy. It’s a way to kick-start your travels together and the options are unlimited!
"We love telling everyone our elopement story. It is an epic story that people love to hear and we love telling. It's a million times better than having everyone we invited to a traditional wedding talking about how dry the chicken was or that the DJ didn't play any good songs. Instead we have this ridiculous adventure story that makes us sound cool lol and that people enjoy hearing."
Rachel & Steve
• ELOPEMENTS ARE LESS EXPENSIVE
Let’s face it. Weddings are expensive! According to Nerd Wallet, the average price of a wedding is $33, 931. According to The Knot, receptions can eat up 48–50 percent of your budget! No matter your reasons to elope, you’re still going to be saving money by cutting out expenses that don’t really add anything to your experience.
You get to decide what’s important to you, and how you want to prioritize the money you spend! Eloping gives you the freedom to cut down on unnecessary party favors and refocus your time and energy on YOU!
If you are trying to find reasons to elope, the budget of a traditional wedding might help push you in the eloping direction!
"We had originally started planning a more traditional wedding, and quickly realized how much time, money, and stress was involved. Once we came across eloping we knew immediately it was the right fit for us. Eloping allowed us to make our day completely about us, not about other people’s expectations - and looking back we cannot imagine not eloping"
Helen & Mike
• ELOPEMENTS ARE INTIMATE AND MORE MEANINGFUL THAN WEDDINGS
No matter how at the moment you plan to be at your traditional wedding, it’s nearly impossible to focus only on each other. You’ll be tied up with the timelines, the to-do lists, the guests, and the event. A big wedding is a production, and it’s difficult to make intimate space for each other when there are so many others demanding your attention.
Eloping is intimate, private, and unforgettable. Imagine exchanging vows with a mountain at your back. Make a soft forest path your aisle. Sharing your first kiss in a field of wildflowers in Colorado. It’s all possible when you elope! You can have a true adventure and have plenty of time to be present and enjoy the day with your partner.
"I’ve been to too many weddings where the bride and groom looked more overwhelmed than thrilled on their wedding day. In my family, there’s a tendency to compare how expensive or well put on one cousin’s wedding was than others. None of that mattered to us. We wanted the day for ourselves, first and foremost. Eloping accomplished this. We will always have the memory to hold onto uninterrupted by anyone else’s expectations - eloping surpassed our dreams for the perfect day."
Jo & Ryan
• ELOPEMENTS AVOID ALL THE WEDDING DAY DRAMA
Look, we’ve all got relatives who are difficult. Uncle Eddie, anyone? Or maybe your family stresses you out, or they’re putting demands on you to get married the way they want, not you. But it doesn’t even have to be an opinionated or difficult family. Perhaps you have a giant family, or too many friends to count. If the thought of planning a wedding to accommodate an enormous guest list makes you queasy, that’s a great reason to elope!
You can play by your rules, and that means you can even include a few close friends and family members. In the end, all couples are different, and you deserve a wedding or elopement that is authentic and reflects who you are. Maybe that means no one but you and your partner. Maybe that means a small group of beloved family and friends. But whatever it is, eloping gives you permission to create the day you want!
"Our story is nothing you’d find written in a fairytale, or seen on a romcom. It’s more like a little SHAMELESS mixed with the L Word and Spiderman kind of vibes. The last thing we wanted is anything other than our vows to be talked about. We wanted an elopement experience that was unique to us. Something we hadn’t seen, we would enjoy, and could stretch out into a hippie road trip."
Brittany & Ralphie
• YOU CAN EXPLORE A NEW PLACE WHEN YOU ELOPE
If you’re thinking about eloping, you’re most likely considering eloping to a spot more exciting than your local country club. What do you love to do together? Where do you want to kick off married life? Combine everything with your elopement to turn your wedding into an extended honeymoon! Instead of a traditional venue, you can tie the knot amongst jaw-dropping landscapes
I would say 95% of the couples I work with travel for their elopement. Because why not? Eloping in a new destination gives you a chance to explore somewhere exciting for your elopement wedding day. Not only do you get to explore a new area but you can wine and dine at new spots and find some incredible lodging that is unique.
"Eloping in a destination was a big reason why we chose to elope. We had never been to California! We are from a poo town and nothing is pretty so we wanted to elope somewhere completely different than we've ever seen. Eloping gave us a reason to travel but also allowed us something new to explore."
Cassidy & Caden
• WEDDING PLANNING IS WAY TOO STRESSFUL
Wedding planning can be extremely stressful, and the anxiety of the process can negatively impact the relationships you love and cherish. All of the planning and coordinating with friends and family turns you into a wedding manager instead of a couple who’s celebrating the beginning of the rest of their lives together. It can suck all the fun out of being engaged, and turn your wedding into a task to complete instead of a celebration.
Elopements definitely require some planning, but instead of struggling with a seating chart, you get to sift through epic locations, plan amazing adventures, and make sure your day is entirely about you!
You don’t have to plan an elaborate day incorporating every opinion from family and friends. Instead, your elopement focuses your time on the things you love: finding an epic place to elope, writing heartfelt vows, or planning fun things to do on your elopement trip.
Your elopement wedding doesn’t have to be about everyone else and their expectations. I’m giving you permission to reject what you don’t like and focus on what’s important when it comes to your wedding day by eloping instead! This should be an epic adventure! So make it one. Trust me, eloping can become an experience you’ll never forget.
"While we could’ve had a smaller wedding at home in Chicago, we didn’t want to be stressed by how to get our family and friends to a wedding. We tossed around the idea of eloping somewhere beautiful, so we went for it! Looking back, we wouldn’t have it any other way--eloping was intimate, stress free, romantic, and extremely fun. Not only do we have stunning photos, but we have a place that is very special to us that we look forward to visiting in the future!"
Stephanie & Jordan
• THE PHOTOS FROM YOUR ELOPEMENT WILL BE EPIC!
One of the biggest reasons my wife and I chose to elope was because we knew we’d get epic photos in Ireland. We made it a priority to find a photographer who could not only take our pictures but also capture this amazing elopement experience and every moment, big and small.
Now when we look back on our photos, we can relive all those special, intimate moments as if we were back near that castle.
Elopement photos are meant to capture your love in a way that is true to you. These photos are candid moments - a hard copy of your memories. And they’re something more and more couples are valuing. Pinterest recently reported a 128 percent increase in searches for elopement photography ideas!
"We originally started thinking of reasons to elope and one thing we really wanted was amazing photos. Once we found you, we knew eloping was the right move for us, because your work is breathtaking! We wanted to be the bride and groom eloping in the middle of an epic landscape, so beautifully framed by you. Eloping truly feels like a dream. Thank you for everything!"
Lindsay & Jake
• ELOPEMENTS ARE MORE ECO FRIENDLY
According to Wikipedia, the average wedding has 150+ guests and produces between 400 and 600 pounds of trash. Yes, you read that right. This includes trash bags, food, napkins, plates, and hundreds of dollars worth of flowers. Those lavish weddings you see in magazines don’t show the aftermath: weddings are wasteful and bad for the environment.
But, they don’t have to be if you choose to elope! Just cutting down your guest list and eloping instead already saves a ton of waste (no single-use decorations, no catering for 200), and as a photographer who helps couples elope in nature, I’m passionate about reducing the impact on the environment as much as possible.
• ELOPING ALLOWS YOU TO GET MARRIED OUTDOORS
If you’re an outdoorsy couple, a stuffy ballroom might not be your thing! If mountains, wildflower meadows, waterfalls, and epic landscapes reflect your relationship better than any wedding venue, that’s one of the best reasons to elope.
Tying the knot outdoors is also much less expensive, and can allow you to spend that money on adventures and experiences instead!
There’s also quite a logjam with wedding venues right now due to Covid, and many of them aren’t available anytime soon - so if you don’t want to wait, consider eloping instead.
• YOU CAN'T FIND A WEDDING VENUE
Let's be honest, not only are wedding venues expensive but they're extremely backed up because of Covid. There is a serious logjam right now with venues and some might not have availability for 2 years down the road! If you don't want to wait that long for your dream wedding venue, then it might be a good idea to elope instead! This will not only save you money on the venue but you can still get married in your preferred period!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE IF YOU SHOULD ELOPE
If you’re on the fence, these are the questions that couples often have about eloping! These might help you decide if you should elope.
• WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF ELOPEMENT?
Do you know what it isn’t? A drive-thru Vegas quickie with Elvis officiating. I mean, it can be that—go live your truth, folks!—but eloping looks different today. Elopement means celebrating your marriage in a way that fulfills and inspires you. It’s about starting your life with a big adventure and having a true, authentic elopement that you’ll never regret!
Elopements eliminate all the stress that comes with giant, traditional weddings and puts the focus back where it belongs—on you, your partner, and your lives together.
• IS ELOPING SELFISH?
You very well might offend some people by choosing to elope, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is your happiness. I’m a huge advocate and supporter of the couples that elope with me because I eloped myself! I know how much pressure you might feel, so it’s important to set appropriate boundaries with others when eloping. On the flip side, you might experience a ton of love and support by choosing to elope, which would be a welcome surprise!
Eloping is whatever you want to make it. Just the two of you? Friends and family? Your pets? You’ve got it! What is most important is making sure that you choose the option that will make your day as happy and stress-free as possible. For us this meant just the two of us. We didn’t keep it a secret from our immediate family, some were initially disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to attend, but they understood once we mentioned that we wanted an intimate and stress free moment to ourselves. We did keep it a surprise to most friends though. Most assumed we were simply on a breathtaking vacation until we got to post some sneak peek photos that Sean delivered to us in under 24 hours. Truly an amazing experience!
- Jared & Ron
• DO WE HAVE TO ELOPE ALONE?
No way! Elopements have come a long way since the Elvis in Vegas days. You can really craft and customize your elopement to match you. Having family at your elopement is completely acceptable and welcomed!
Read more on how to include your family in your elopement!
I also offer elopement packages that include guests!
• CAN WE STILL ELOPE WITH TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS?
Just because you’re choosing to elope, doesn’t mean you have to skip out on traditional wedding traditions. A lot of couples will still purchase dresses, share the first look, and write their own vows so that the elopement feels special. Feel free to incorporate as many traditional elements as you’d like into your elopement! The best thing about elopements is that they’re so customizable - there are absolutely no rules.
• DO COUPLES REGRET ELOPING?
I have helped over 200 couples elope and I have never heard one regret it. I eloped myself and it was the best decision of my life! But, I do know a handful of couples who had traditional weddings and regretted that, wishing they had eloped instead. At the end of the day, the only person who knows if eloping is right for them is YOU!
• IS ELOPING DIFFERENT THAN GETTING MARRIED?
Absolutely! Just because you eloped, doesn't mean it's not officially a marriage. You still do all of the legal aspects when you elope that it is a legally binding marriage.
• CAN YOU SECRETLY ELOPE?
That's completely up to each couple! You definitely might rub some family members wrong if you wait to tell them after your elopement, but that's a risk each couple will look at differently. Check out this blog for tips on how to tell your family that you are eloping!
DID THESE REASONS TO ELOPE CONVINCE YOU TO ELOPE?
My name is Sean, and I can’t wait to help you elope! I’m a free spirit who has dedicated my life to exploring this wild world and connecting to the people in it.
I know firsthand what an important and personal decision it is to elope—my wife and I eloped to Northern Ireland. You’re trusting me to capture this amazing day, and I make it my responsibility to make sure you have an incredible experience from start to finish.
My passion has led me here, where I can follow my heart and share my love for the outdoors with others on their wedding day. It’s truly an awesome experience, and I’m stoked every time I get to document your day.
When I’m not photographing couples, I love to go exploring with my wife and our corgi. Our dream is to own an Airstream and take Vows and Peaks on the road!
Still, looking for reasons to elope? Reach out so we can get started and we can chat more!
Last Updated on May 28, 2023 by vowsandpeaks