How To Make Your Elopement Wedding Special In Six Ways
You’ve dreamed of your perfect wedding your whole life, and whether your dream included an elopement or traditional wedding, one fact remained the same: it was the perfect day. When it comes to eloping, Maybe your original wedding plans have changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Or perhaps your fairytale wedding has always been to elope. Whatever your wedding looks like—big or small, strictly following Plan A or transitioning to Plan B—we’ll walk you through how to elope in style, including elopement ideas, best places to elope, elopement reception invitations, and everything else on your elopement checklist.
What Is the Difference Between Getting Married and Eloping?
The difference between getting married and eloping lies in how you choose to define elope. You’ll be married at the end of a wedding or elopement, so the end result is still getting married. Yet some general components of an elopement are:
- Small wedding: Elopements are generally smaller wedding ceremonies, sometimes just the bride, groom, and officiant, though may include as many guests as the happy couple chooses.
- An element of surprise: Eloping may also be done in secret, though an elopement followed by a reception at a later date has become increasingly popular.
- Location: It’s common to elope somewhere non-traditional, such as having a beach wedding, courthouse wedding, or other elopement wedding in a locale meaningful to the bride and groom.
What Does It Mean to Elope?
Whatever you’re looking for when you elope, meaning a small wedding, a surprise wedding, or enacting any other elopement ideas you have, eloping means making your wedding day as intimate and special as you want it to be. You can still have traditional wedding details—wedding invites for the beach, wedding selfie frames for fun photos with guests—or opt out of the traditional and pursue creative wedding ideas that make your elopement feel uniquely “just the two of us.” This list of unique elopement ideas will have you dreaming up the best ways to elope and how to make your wedding day special. Read on for more tips for the Big Day and beautiful wedding touches that will make it extra special.
How to Make Your Elopement Wedding Special in Six Ways
Wondering how to elope abroad? Or how to elope at a courthouse and keep your wedding day simple? How about the finishing touches you’ll need for a small wedding? Check out the best places to elope and check creative ideas off your elopement checklist with these eight unique ways to make your elopement beautiful.
1. Learn How to Elope Abroad
Eloping abroad on a romantic getaway is the stuff of fairytale weddings. Spend time exploring the best places to elope, such as eloping on a beach, at a winery, or on a secluded mountainside. You’ll soon be swept away with visions of a golden hour fall service or a magical winter wedding in a far-off land. Be sure to confirm all legal details for eloping in another country and take care of documentation before jetting off to your small wedding on the beach or in the countryside. You will need a marriage license and wedding officiant, as well as any other other items you want to make getting married special: unique invitations, wedding programs, bridal gown, and any other touches you want to add to your international destination wedding.
2. Plan a Courthouse Wedding
Courthouse weddings come fully equipped with the official items on your elopement checklist: marriage license, wedding officiant, witness, and marriage certificate. They also make your elopement wedding efficient. Eloping at the courthouse means inviting as few or as many guests (depending on your courthouse’s rules) and often preside in a beautiful, historic building. Take advantage of the breathtaking architecture with a courthouse wedding that’s as simple or as extravagant as you can dream. Depending on the courthouse wedding venue, you may be able to choose from elopement packages that make your wedding day a piece of (wedding) cake. You may also be able to add your own finishing touches to customize the space to your taste. Include personalized candles for a glowing, romantic atmosphere. Add fresh blooms for a burst of natural warmth. Eloping at a courthouse wedding can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be.
3. Getting Married in Vegas
True to Hollywood films and as iconic as the “Welcome to Vegas” sign, getting married in Vegas is one of the easiest ways to elope, Elvis wedding officiant optional. There are more than 50 chapels to choose from in Las Vegas, and all of them specialize in helping you plan your elopement wedding. Some even offer elopement packages to make your elope wedding day and stay afterwards easy and stress-free.
4. Elope in a City Hall Wedding
Similar to a courthouse wedding, city hall weddings are a quick way to elope and ensure you have all the official records you need to get married—all in one place. City hall is one of those small wedding venues you can customize to your tastes. Create elopement wedding invitations for an intimate group of guests, wedding programs, and any other day-of details that make your elopement special. These are wedding keepsakes you’ll want to save in your wedding photo book long after your wedding day is over.
5. Have an Elopement Reception Party
Eloping is perfect if you want a small wedding ceremony, and there’s an easy solution for celebrating your elopement with more people at a later date: have an elopement reception party. A reception, held immediately after you’ve eloped or months later, lets you party with as many guests as you want. It’s a win-win for keeping your wedding ceremony small and the celebration big. It’s also a great time to include any traditional wedding details you didn’t get to include at your elopement. Think wedding invitations, monogrammed menus, wedding selfie frames, and any other beautiful wedding stationery items you want to include.
6. Register for Unique Elopement Gifts
You’re a unique couple, with unique tastes, and that’s partly why you want to elope. You don’t want the cookie-cutter wedding traditions, and that extends to your elopement registry. Think outside the box and offer up this list of unique wedding gifts that celebrate your approach to getting married. Your friends will want to honor your elopement with unique elopement gift ideas.
Whether you decide you’re getting married in Vegas or eloping in a courthouse wedding, make your elopement special and true to you. Explore elopement invites that suit your style, such as invitations for a fall wedding or invitations for a winter wedding.