7 Reasons Why Couples Elope
From an elopement photographer who also eloped with no regrets.
Not only do I have a passion for capturing love stories in epic places, in 2021 my husband and I eloped in the Appalachian mountains. I’ve also been a travel wedding stylist for over 7 years and have talked to many couples about their elopement and intimate wedding journeys.
I’ve combined my personal elopement journey with my professional experience as a photographer and wedding hairstylist to give you a glimpse into why people choose an elopement over big, traditional weddings.
First let’s clear something up.
Elopements are not quick, thoughtless trips to the court house to sign some documents, these are old assumptions that are not reflective of modern elopements.
Elopements are intentionally small, meaningful, thought out wedding experiences that allow couples to get married and celebrate the way they want to. It includes everything the couple wants, and nothing they don’t. It can be with or without a small number of guests, on a beach, in a backyard, at a national park, on a mountain, in the city, on a boat, at a sweet airbnb or almost anywhere you dream up.
What matters most is that elopements are focused on the couple and their love story, period. The day is then celebrated in a way that is authentic to the couple and can include anything they dream up.
Now here’s 7 reasons why couples elope:
Valuing experiences over things.
Some people are drawn to elopements because they value experiences over all the wedding industry fluff. People have different desires and values around what they invest their money in and none of us want to invest in something that doesn’t feel authentic to us. People that elope don’t want to spend over $35,000 on decor, plates, party favors, food and other single use, wasteful things. People that find value in the experience of eloping would rather spend their money on plane tickets, going to their favorite place or somewhere new. They want to invest in an experience of a lifetime & do their favorite things. This doesn’t mean elopements are less beautiful or meaningful, the opposite is often true.
An authentic day that’s true to you and your love story.
An elopement is an experience that’s truly about the couple rather than a production and hosted event catered to a crowd of people. Take away the stress, strict timelines and rules to create a day that is true to you. It is YOUR love story after all. Elopements give you the freedom to celebrate your day your way. The wedding industry has a lot of rules and traditions, and society adds a lot of pressure too. For many this can quickly feel like a production that’s snuffed out the essence of a wedding while feeling like its lost its magic and is no longer about them and their love story.
Presence, intimacy & intention.
Simply put, the longer the guest list, the less time you have for meaningful moments and even less time with your partner. Many couples don’t have alone time on their wedding day and no space to just be together and soak it all in, all while bouncing around trying to connect with everyone that showed up. Before you know it the day has flown by, you’re exhausted & wonder how it was all just a blur. Elopements allow time to be present and soak in the moments with your partner & tiny guest list if you choose to have one. There’s no compromising on the special, intimate, laid back moments and soaking it all in with your partner, that’s actually what it’s all about.
Less stress & planning.
It’s so sad to see the newly engaged excitement quickly turn into “I’m just ready for this to all be over” and then the day day comes and its lost in the blur of details, expectations and strict timelines. There is no denying that planning a big wedding is stressful and can quickly feel like a production. Some people don’t want to start down that road and lose out on the magic of starting a life with their person. Elopement planning don’t require as much as big weddings and instead of the planning revolving around guests and societal pressures, it’s centered on the couple, their dreams and what’s authentic to them. It’s less about juggling dozens of vendors, thousands of details, hundreds of guests and endless expectations and MORE about what you want your backdrop to be, what activities you want to do, what you want to eat, see and experience together. It’s fun planning that’s all about how you want to celebrate, experience and remember your wedding day.
Family dynamic.
Not everyone has a family dynamic that’s close, supportive, allows space for them to be themselves, express their desires and not evoke stress and anxiety. Big, traditional weddings come with expectations and traditions that might feel stressful, impossible to avoid or cause conflict. Maybe you don’t your dad to walk you down the aisle, maybe your relationship with your siblings is broken but you’ll never hear the end of not having them in the wedding party, maybe your aunt always finds a way to crash an event and make it about her, maybe you feel obligated to invite the cousin you don’t like because your mom won’t let it go.. you see what I mean. Some people won’t chance losing their day to family drama, starting their life together that way, or feeling stressed & anxious all day. The best part? They don’t have to, it’s THEIR day.
Adventure.
Adventurous couples want their day to be just as fun, exciting and meaningful as their love story. For some couples, a big traditional wedding will never truly reflect their love story and they aren’t willing to compromise their love for travel, creativity, deep-connection, unique experiences and living life by their own rules. The adventure can be anything you want. You don’t have to go on a long hike, rock climb, stand on a cliff or even leave your state to live your adventure or elope. It can be anything you want it to be, nothing you don’t and that’s the beauty of it.
Breathtaking photos.
People that elope put so much intention, care & love into their wedding day and they want epic, stunning photos to help them remember their greatest adventure forever. Couples that elope want their photos to reflect who they truly are and capture their love story in an unforgettable way and elopements allow them the freedom to create the experience of their dreams.
Documenting your elopement is essential to not only help you remember and relive the most important day of your life, but also for you to be able to meaningfully share your story and day with those you love. I would love to hear about your dream elopement and help you preserve those moments for you to cherish forever.
